Last bit of History – Part 4 – 1993

I am sure we used plenty of resources establishing our initial garden. Lots of water and time and a little fertilizer were necessary. Large home centers were popping up; plants were inexpensive. It may not have been a conscious effort on my behalf, but I did take into account water use as I designed the backyard garden. The plants that required the most water we located closer to the house. Those that required less were further away. It just seemed more efficient this way.

In the far back corner of the garden I planted Sages, Agaves, Yucca, Abelia and Bougainvillea; all drought tolerant plants. A period of social unrest in Los Angeles the year before brought the issue of security into consideration. For the back area off the alley, I not only wanted plants that didn’t require much water, but also had thorns or spines. I had never landscaped this way before, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. The joke back then was if someone hopped over the fence I would not have to call the police, I would have to call an ambulance.

I learned a lot those first two years on this property. This neighborhood has changed considerably too. We don’t really need the agaves anymore. The advancing shade from Liquidambar trees put an end to them anyway. Kristin and I wax nostalgic on the occasion of a police helicopter overhead; it reminds us of these formative years reclaiming the landscape.