Hey there, I’m new to the sub but I’ve perused it a few times in the past. I just moved into this house a couple months ago, and I would love to have a front yard with lots of biodiversity. I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do now to prep for springtime, and I’m also happy to hear any ideas you might have.
Some info that may be helpful:
– I live in Mammoth Lakes, CA. I’ll be getting a ton of snow from about November until April/May.
– My yard gets good sunlight for about 6-8 hours per day, depending on the season.
– I’m renting, but my landlord has basically given me free rein to do as I please. Any and all ideas are welcome.
– I live in a duplex, and my yard is the area that’s been raked.
by bigpancakeguy
3 Comments
Cross post to /r/ceanothus for CA-specific advice. Also plug your location into Gardenplanner.calscape.org for more resources.
Biodiversity, you say? A garden full of locally native species it is then! Nothing contributes more to biodiversity than native plants.
You could check out https://calscape.org and you should certainly give the blm and nfs a call to see if they have any local plant lists for gardens.
Off top, I’m thinking aspen, cottonwood, aster, manzanita, ceanothus, sticky cinquefoil, ca fuchsia, goldenrod, blue flax, columbine, owls clover, paintbrush; all local species of course! Good luck and congratulations on living in one of the most beautiful places on earth!
Edit: fireweed too, it’s just a stunner and bangs hard up there.
Read up on fire safety. Apparently your landlord hasn’t been dinged by the new horrible regs yet. Don’t plant anything permanent that will be removed if the fire patrol gets to you.
I’d stick to spring annuals and perennials you can cut to the ground after flowering like most of the plants SizzleEbacon suggested.