Free Trees in LA

LA DWP customers can get up to 7 free trees to aid in energy savings around their home.

"After attending a tree-planting workshop, residents are eligible to receive up to seven free shade trees and can select from approximately 40 different species. To date, over 10,000 shade trees have been planted through Trees for a Green LA." says the LA DWP web site.

I have put in an email request for a list of the species that the program provides and will pass that on when I get their response.

You can also get more information about the program by calling 800-473-3652.

Find the lizard!

Man, I thought the lizards in my yard were camoflage experts. This one has them beat, that is for sure. Of course, it has lots of leafy greenery to blend in with instead of the dry rocks and leaves of my garden, but still. I must say, though, that I love wildlife in my garden. From my beefy scrub jays to opossums, I get my own little animal kingdom right here in Van Nuys.

In the perverse way that optical illusions work, though, now that I have found the anole in the picture, I can't NOT see it now. (SMILE)

Via Garden Spot

Roll out the (rain) barrel

This article from HGTV.com, Building your own rain barrel, makes me wish I had gutters on my house. I have a few, but they are poorly designed and ineffectual. Worse still, the large number of trees in the back garden yields huge piles of leaves that clog everything in site.

The real pity is, I would really like a rain barrel, but I fear that here in Los Angeles, the rain comes too infrequently to make it worthwhile. I would need a much larger cistern in order to catch enough for even part of the dry season. Then again, any water I can get for free would be dollars off the water (and the sewer) bill.

If you can make use of good rain barrel, the step-by-step instructions might be the way to get things rolling.

Via Gardening.About.com

Time off

After the big buildup to the Garden Party, I have avoided much work in the garden this last week. I am getting involved in plans for Halloween now, but there are a few jobs to complete.

I bought 40 daffodil bulbs to go into the front bed. These need to be put in before the first rain arrives in the next few months. They will add some more yellow to the purple lantana that is already there.

General cleanup will need to continue, as well. Leaves need to be cleaned up from the paths, the beds and even the roof of the house. If I don't get around to this, the leaves can dam up the water and cause leaks inside my office, even with a brand new roof.