Here in Southern California, we joke about our four seasons: fire, flood, earthquake, and drought. In the fall, otherwise known as fire season, we have hot, dry weather punctuated by gusty winds reaching up to 70 miles per hour. These are perfect conditions for catastrophic wildfires to establish and spread.

If you live in wildfire country, now is a great time to evaluate your property for fire safety. Clean gutters of all debris, and remove dead, dry leaf litter from your roof. Prune or move plants away from windows and move flammable material away from wooden structures.

Read more on this topic:

  1. How to help fireproof your home before the next big wildfire via The Los Angeles Times
  2. Noted: Edible Gardening Essentials: Watering Tips Worth Soaking Up (13 photos)
  3. Planting allium, the lollipop of the garden | L.A. at Home via latimesblogs.latimes.com
  4. Gardening: Tips for growing tropical and exotic fruit trees in Southern California via Orange County Register
  5. 10 best gardening books via The Independent