How To Combat Erosion In Your Garden With Plants, Terracing

The recent torrential rains are a stark reminder that landslides are a constant hazard on the slopes around us, not just in the greater Los Angeles area but throughout Southern California communities as a whole.

Of course, this reality calls for strategies to hold climbs in place. Excavation is the oldest and safest method of combating slope erosion. From the cultivation of potatoes and maize in South America to the cultivation of millet in West Africa, the cultivation of olives in the Middle East and the cultivation of rice and tea in Asia, terrace building has been practiced successfully for thousands of years.

You can build your decks with rail sleepers or posts. However, when these ribbons and poles are recycled for gardening purposes, it's important to note that their wood has been treated with a preservative called creosote, a compound that contains toxic chemicals. Therefore, it is impractical to grow food where the terrace is made of such wood. However, if you want to build railroad tie decks or raised beds, you can find them at A&K Railroad Materials ( akrailroadmaterials.com ) in Mira Loma for $20 each eight feet long.

There are several plants that prevent hillside erosion, and silverware (Elaeagnus pungens) tops the list. The installed silver stand reaches 15 feet in height and requires no water. Although not a legume like the bean or pea, it shares the ability to produce its own nitrogen fertilizer through symbiosis with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that inhabit its roots. Silver has many other benefits in addition to erosion control and strong drought tolerance. It grows on all soils and tolerates temperatures of up to five degrees. There are edible fruits and seeds, the latter having a fibrous husk that is best removed before the seeds are eaten.

The silvery flowers, while barely perceptible, are very fragrant and bloom from November to February. Their “stem scent”—an odor that spreads over long distances and need not be detected by the flower itself—is characteristic of only a few plants, including angel's trumpet (Brugmansia spp.) and sedge (Datura stramonium). as well as citrus fruits in general and oranges in particular. Other flowers that emit a strong airborne scent are mockingbird (Philadelphus coronarius), star jasmine (Trachelosperum jasminoides), sambac jasmine (Jasminum sambac), and night jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum). If you know other flowers with an attractive scent, please feel free to write me about them.

If you want to return to erosion control works or slopes, sailors are a good choice. While these roses serve as ground cover, they can also grow several feet tall or more. They come in 12 colors including Red, White, Pink, Yellow, Coral, Apple Blossom and Pink Splash, a colorful array of pink and light pink blossoms. One of the advantages of seafarers is that they "eat the leaves". The term is used by Cathy Jentz, author of Groundcover Revolution (Cool Springs Press, 2023), and refers to groundcovers that "swallow" leaves that fall on them from overhead trees, as opposed to groundcovers where those leaves have a forming diaper. Leaves block the view. The xiphoid fern, either the widespread Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) or the Western California xiphoid fern (Polystichum munitum), are leaf beetles that also help control erosion and thrive in shady areas.

Native California buckwheat also roots well on slopes, reducing the risk of landslides. Mixed slopes with buckwheat are attractive because they come in different forms and have flowers of different colors between different species that can be seen throughout the year. Santa Cruz Island buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescens) has white flowers that turn pink and then burn orange as they wither. Saffron buckwheat has gray-yellow flowers and silver-grey leaves, buckwheat (Eriogonum grande var. rubescens) has red or pink flowers, and sea buckthorn (Eriogonum latifolium) has pink flowers. Buckwheat is known for attracting all kinds of butterflies, and its flowers are good candidates for timeless compositions. They are hardy and self-seeding in favorable soil conditions .

California Native of the Week : The desert mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is one of the most prolific blooming California natives as it can bloom all year round. Although winter and spring are the dominant blooming times, it will also flower in summer if watered once a month during that time of year. It is often referred to as apricot mallow as this is the flower color commonly encountered, although pink, white, lavender, salmon pink and reddish-orange flowers are also found. The gray leaves are rounded and slightly lobed; The flowers and leaves look like miniature versions of what you would find on mallow, a relative of the apricot mallow. It's a plant with endless ability to live in hot and dry conditions, but it's susceptible to predation by squirrels, rabbits, and other animals, especially when young, so you'll want to coop it outside first when visited by wild animals will.

Please send your questions, comments and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com .