I love growing food. I love talking about growing food. I really love sharing tips that show just how easy it is to grow at least a little food – even in tiny spaces. So, that is what I thought we would talk about this month. Growing our own food, even if it is just a single tomato plant on a balcony, helps us stay more connected to the earth, teaches our kids where food comes from, and reminds us to appreciate the people who grow and harvest our food for us. Gardening is time consuming, and most of us do not have room in our busy schedules to add growing food for ourselves or our families to the to-do list. In particular, most of us do not have the time or space to grow enough food to sustain us, but we can all grow something. There are plenty of easy options that probably come to mind, like radishes, carrots, tomatoes, and herbs. Today, let’s add potatoes to that list. The experts, which I am not, will tell you that you must buy seed potatoes from a nursery, cut them into pieces, keep them in the refrigerator for a few days, and dust them with sulfur before finally planting them in either February or August. That is probably the right way to do it, but I have never done any of this, and I have grown up to 20 potato plants at a time throughout the year. Now, it’s true that you don’t want to use conventional potatoes from the grocery store for this, because they have been treated with maleic hydrazide (a growth inhibitor), but whenever I have some organic potatoes around that I didn’t eat fast enough and have started to sprout, I plant them in the garden and watch them grow. Here is the simplest way to grow organic potatoes in your backyard: 1. Find tall, well-draining containers in which to grow your potatoes. You can grow them in the ground, but it is much easier if you grow them in a container that you can dump out at harvest time. I use tall, fabric planters that I can fold and store in the shed when not in use. 2. Fill the bottom of the container with about four inches of soil. 3. Place your sprouted potatoes about four inches apart in the container with eyes pointed up. If your potatoes are large, you can cut them into chunks with a couple of eyes on each chunk. 4. Cover them with about four inches of soil. 5. Water regularly and watch for sprouts to begin poking through the soil in a couple of weeks. 6. As the plants grow, continue to add soil to the container to cover most of the plant. Make sure to leave a few inches of the plant above the soil. This is going to feel wrong, since you will be covering up stems and leaves, but keep doing this until your container is full. 7. Once the plants have yellowed and withered, leave them for about a week or so, and then dump your container on a tarp or in a garden bed and sift through the soil to harvest your potatoes. You can brush off any big debris but keep them a little dirty for better longevity. Store them in a cool, dry, dark spot, and do not eat potatoes that are not firm or that have turned green. Green potatoes contain a toxic glycoalkaloid, solanine, that is toxic to us and our animal companions. If you reuse the soil, which I usually do, you might find that you get some volunteer potato plants wherever you use it. I always seem to miss a tiny potato or two and end up with volunteer potatoes growing in other parts of the garden. If you choose to purchase seed potatoes, check out one of our local nurseries to see if they are in stock. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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Recent temperatures should serve to remind us that the rainy season is coming to an end and the hot, dry days of summer are just around the corner. To help you keep your family, pets, and guests comfortable in the coming months, here are nine ways you can prepare your home and yard for increased heat. Change your HVAC filters. It is almost time to start using your air conditioner regularly, so it is a good time to change your HVAC filters in preparation for AC season. Increase shade. Provide shade for patios, play areas, dog runs, and other outdoor living areas to help keep your family and guests cool during the hotter months. This might mean finally building that roof to cover your patio, stringing up shade sails over gravel seating areas, or setting up umbrellas over your outdoor dining table. Set out extra water bowls. This is a good time to start getting in the habit of setting out extra water bowls for the animals that share your home and yard. That way, by the time the heat really arrives, this will be part of your normal routine. Invest in blackout curtains or shades. Blackout curtains are not for everyone, but if you would like to reduce the cost of cooling your home and take a step towards keeping it more comfortable for your family and pets, consider installing blackout curtains or shades to reduce the amount of heat from the sun that enters your home. Install drip irrigation for food plants and ornamentals. Controlled watering at soil level reduces water waste while helping plants better cope with the dry, hot weather the coming months will bring. Install an automatic irrigation system now to have it in place before summer. Reduce water-loving landscaping. Replace tropical plants and other landscaping features that require excessive irrigation with drought-tolerant native plants that will save water and help your yard look lush and beautiful even in the incessant summer heat. Add insulation. If it is in your budget, increase the insulation in your home. This will help keep your home comfortable throughout the year and reduce both cooling and heating costs. Add or replace weather stripping and caulk. Properly sealed doors and windows reduce air exchange, which means less hot air gets inside your home from the outside and less of the HVAC-cooled air inside your home escapes. You can improve the seal on your doors and windows by adding or replacing weather stripping and caulking. Add fans to your home-cooling regimen. While we cannot rely on fans to cool the air to a comfortable temperature, we can incorporate them into our cooling routine to help move HVAC-cooled air around the house and improve air circulation. This can reduce cooling costs and make your home more comfortable on hot days. If you plan to install ceiling fans, blackout shades, a drip system, or any other heat-preparation measures that might require a professional, remember to support the local economy by using local contractors and vendors. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
A couple of nights ago, I was letting my dog out and came face to face with a slug that was right about eye level on my sliding glass door. This reminded me just how much slugs like wet weather and got me thinking about how many times I have had to battle slugs in my garden in the past. Now that my drip system is finally up and running, I am looking forward to getting my spring garden going soon and, if you have similar plans, I think we all better be ready for more slugs than we are used to dealing with this year. All of this rainy weather after years of drought is going to bring out the snails and slugs in force, particularly with a growing population being supported by all of the plant growth brought on by the rain. Since these tiny marauders generally work at night, it can be difficult to determine what is devastating your garden, but if you are finding large, irregular holes in your plants’ foliage, these nocturnal trespassers are likely the culprit. It may be tempting to head to a local nursery for commercial pesticides or to concoct home remedies that will quickly decimate your slug population, but these are not always the best options. There are many natural alternatives that offer non-lethal, non-toxic ways to protect your food plants and ornamentals from slugs without harming other wildlife or introducing unnecessary compounds into your garden. Before you resort to commercial pesticides, try these non-lethal measures to keep slugs from invading your yard. 1. Plant alliums and herbs: Onions, garlic and other members of the allium family are natural deterrents for slugs and snails, so planting them around the border of your garden will help protect other food plants. Keep in mind that alliums are toxic to dogs and cats, so if you have pets that get in your garden, this might not be the right option for you. Alternatively, you can plant herbs that ward off slugs, such as mint, thyme, sage, lavender, and rosemary. 2. Spray your plants: If planting onions and garlic is not an option, you can spray a mixture of garlic and water directly on your plants and the surrounding area. You will need to repeat this home remedy regularly. 3. Remove manually: If you are okay with touching slugs, removing them manually is an effective method of management. Make sure to move them at least 20 feet away from your garden to keep them from coming back. I get grossed out pretty easily, so this method is difficult for me, but one way to make it easier is to place citrus peels upside down in your garden at night. Return in the morning to collect the peels and use them to scoop up the slugs that have taken shelter underneath. 4. Wrap your garden beds in copper: Purchase rolls of copper tape from a local garden center or online. Line the outer edge of your garden beds and flowerpots with the self-adhesive tape to create a barrier to block entry. The combination of copper and slug slime creates an electrical shock that will quickly deter slugs without killing them. 5. Remove habitat: Slugs like to spend their days protected from the sun and dry air under rocks, flowerpots, firewood, weeds, and even children’s toys left near the garden. To help reduce slugs in your garden, remove these options to encourage slugs to find shelter elsewhere. 6. Water in the morning: It is easier for slugs to slither around when the soil is wet, so watering in the evening allows these nocturnal pests to more easily get to your plants. If you water your garden in the morning, the soil has time to dry out before nightfall, making it more difficult for slugs to infiltrate your garden. 7. Create a barrier: Slugs have soft bodies that make traversing sharp materials painful. This allows for easily keeping slugs out of the garden with barriers made from gravel, wood chips, broken eggshells, or other jagged ground covers. 8. Plant sacrificial plants: Like most animals, slugs and snails prefer to eat certain plants. For example, they would much rather dine on lettuce than ornamental plants, so if you have slugs eating your ornamentals, plant some lettuce in your beds and borders to distract the slugs and keep them away from your desired plants. If you are having issues with slugs eating your food plants, plant French marigolds a few feet away from your garden to attract slugs and distract them from ever getting to your food plants. 9. Introduce predators: This is a lethal method, so you need to be okay with killing slugs. If you are, bringing in chickens or making your garden appealing to birds and other predators is a natural, effective way to reduce the slug population. The problem with bringing in predators is that you usually have to balance the pros and cons to determine if this is your best option. For example, bringing in chickens is going to remove slugs from your garden, but chickens also like to eat vegetables, so they may be just as detrimental to your food plants. As with most natural pest control methods, you will likely experience the most success by employing a combination of these methods in your garden. If you need help building garden beds or installing a drip system, be sure to support the local economy by hiring local contractors. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
You will not want to miss this Ojai estate sale taking place Saturday (March 18) and Sunday (March 19) from 8:00am to 2:00pm.
This is the first in a series of sales that will include furnishings, art, and household items once used to furnish the houses at Matilija Canyon Ranch, including the historic Dent House, which was moved there in the 1980s. When Matilija Canyon Ranch was sold, the furnishings were moved into storage, and now will be sold through a series of estate sales, since there are far too many items for just one sale. Here is some of what you will find at this sale: Antiques Antique Furniture Art Jewelry Linens & Vintage Linens China Kitchenware Outdoor Pottery Outdoor Furniture Books Bronze Statue Antique Lamps Rustic Ranch Style Decor White Wicker Furniture Cameras and Equipment Rugs Pottery Antique Lanterns Smart TVs Beds & Bedding Couches And more!!!! Hope to see you there! Visit the sale's Web page for lots of photos and more information, including the address: Estate Sale Information and Photos I love spring cleaning. Really, I love any excuse to clean and organize, but I get so busy with work that it is easy for me to fall behind. That makes this annual cleaning ritual a great time to catch up on things like vacuuming refrigerator coils and purging belongings I no longer need. This usually results in a few boxes of things to get rid of, which is not really enough for a garage sale but is a bit too much to set at the curb for folks to go through without upsetting your neighbors. This provides a perfect opportunity to combine spring cleaning and supporting local organizations. The most direct way to turn your spring cleaning into support for local charities is to donate items directly to organizations that need them. For example, the Ojai Raptor Center (OjaiRaptorCenter.com) maintains wish lists on its website that include some common household items, like newspaper, masking tape, scrub brushes, shade cloth, and various medical supplies. The Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC.org) also maintains lists of items they need, including towels, blankets, office supplies, cleaning supplies, puppy pads, litter boxes with covers, flashlights, rubber toys, and unopened bags of dry food. Organizations that accept donations of items they need to assist with delivering their services will only want specific items they can use. However, if you have a variety of items that are not on these wish lists, you can still donate the stuff you no longer need to help local causes. For example, you can donate household goods and clothing to the Goodwill in Oak View or you can donate them to the 2nd HELPings thrift store donation center in Ojai (370 Baldwin Road) so that the items can be sold to support the services offered by HELP of Ojai. HELP of Ojai is also set up to receive donations through selling for charity on eBay. If you would like to support this organization (or another of your choice), simply go to eBay, use the charity search function to choose a charity to receive a portion of your earnings, sell and ship the items, and then receive a donation receipt for your tax files. If that sounds like a bit too much work, you might consider consigning your items at The Lennon Closet to support the Brain Rehabilitation and Injury Network (B.R.A.I.N.) traumatic brain injury charity instead. Described as a “fine family consignment store” and located at 250 B East Ojai Avenue, The Lennon Closet accepts consignments on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10:00am on Fridays and donates 1% of all sales to this cause. You can also head to Ventura for other thrift shops that accept donations, such as SPARC Second Chance Store, Cats Cradle Thrift Store & Adoption Center, the Battered Women’s Thrift Store, Boys and Girls Club of Ventura Thrift Store & Vintage, ARC Thrift Store, or the Assistance League of Ventura County Thrift Store. If you have a favorite charity you would like to support that is not included above, you can also gather your castoffs, have a garage sale, and donate the proceeds to them. There are so many great organizations and causes to support in Ojai. If you are not sure where to donate your garage sale cash, here are just a few you might look into to see if they align with your values: Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, OjaiCARES, Ojai Music Festival, Secure Beginnings, Turtle Conservancy, The Ojai Foundation, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, All for Love Animal Rescue, Greyfoot Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, and California Coastal Horse Rescue. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
According to a handful of studies I looked at before writing this, somewhere between 80% and 90% of New Years resolutions are abandoned shortly after making them. This is often due to goals being too ambitious, too vague, too much of a departure from our current lifestyles and interests, depriving us of something we really enjoy, or too focused on achieving a particular goal rather than improving our lives by increasing or reducing behaviors. Life is difficult enough without us being hard on ourselves or setting ourselves up for failure by establishing unrealistic goals. So, this year, maybe we should all consider focusing more on progress than perfection, setting intentions instead of rigid goals, and sticking with resolutions that we can keep and that will improve our lives, health, or community involvement at least a little. One of the key components in making resolutions you can keep is making them measurable and being specific. For example, instead of a vague goal like “I am going to walk more,” try something you can easily quantify like, “I am going to walk three additional miles each week.” Secondly, your goals are going to be easier to achieve if they help you live in line with your values. As I mentioned in last year’s New Year column, one thing that many of us gained in the pandemic is clarity regarding our priorities. We now have a better understanding of what is important to us and deserves our energy. If your resolutions help you live in line with these values, they will be easier and more satisfying to accomplish. Something else that will help you keep your resolutions this year is building on goals you are already achieving. An example would be expanding the water-saving efforts you have already fully incorporated into your life to gently push yourself to up your water-conservation game even more. This might include adding another rain barrel to your gutter system, expanding your drip system, or reducing your family’s meat consumption. Whatever you choose for your resolutions this year, remember to be kind to yourself, grateful for the loved ones in your life, and committed to making time for self-care. Here’s to the new year! May it bring you peace, joy, love, and prosperity however you define each of those. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Your front porch is the space where you shrug off the outside world before entering your sanctuary, where you send your family off with well wishes for the day, and where you welcome guests to your home. How this space looks influences the first impression your neighbors and guests have of your home and lets them know what they can expect to find inside. Most folks want their homes to be welcoming and inviting. If this is your goal, your front porch is the ideal place to start. Here are five ways you can freshen the look of your front porch to start the new year off right. 1. Paint Your Front Door Painting your front door is an easy, affordable way to instantly increase your home’s curb appeal and add a fun pop of color to liven up your home’s façade. You might simply choose your favorite color for your front door, or you might want to do a little research to find the perfect color based on current trends, historic trends, or feng shui principles. For example, in Early American tradition, a red door was a symbol of hospitality to welcome people into your home. If inspired by feng shui principles, a red door would represent the element of fire and might be chosen for good luck and protection. 2. Wash the Windows If you are looking for an even more affordable way to freshen the look of your front porch, wash the windows. It is amazing what a difference clean windows can make. 3. Clear the Clutter If your porch has become a catch-all for work boots, sporting equipment, dog leashes, or toys, you can easily improve the look of your front entry by clearing the clutter. If you do not have anywhere else to conveniently store these oft-used items, create some simple storage solutions to keep them organized. Even muddy work boots look more organized if they are sitting on a boot tray by the front door. 4. Replace Your Porch Light If you have not replaced your porch light in the last decade, this small home improvement project is a quick way to update the look of your home. This task is best completed by a professional, so hire a local electrician for this one. 5. Add Seating Even a small porch likely has room for some type of seating. A small bistro set, a bench, or even a stool provides a spot to take off your shoes, set packages, or enjoy your morning coffee. Having some type of seating on your porch also creates a more welcoming space to invite neighbors and guests into your home. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
One of the many benefits of living in Southern California is that we can enjoy fresh produce from our backyard gardens any time of the year. There is a wide variety of foods that can be grown even in the coldest months, but winter is a particularly good time for growing lettuces and leafy greens for use in salads, juicing, and side dishes. Some varieties, such as kale, taste better when grown in cooler weather, while others are simply too fragile to thrive in Ojai’s summer heat and must be grown in winter. Here are 10 tips for growing your own winter greens to get you started with this healthy hobby. 1. Raised garden beds are a great option that allow you to better control your soil content. While kale likes nutrient-rich soil that is not high in nitrogen, many winter greens thrive with a bit of nitrogen added to the soil, so amend your soil according to the greens you are growing. 2. Many leafy greens like their soil moist, which is another reason it is best to grow them during the rainy season to reduce the need for supplemental irrigation. 3. Avoid wasting water by growing your greens in shallow containers with plenty of soil for their shallow root systems but no excess soil to soak up water. 4. Consider starting your seeds indoors if you are planting early when the weather is still pretty warm or planting late and the temperature is already regularly dipping below 50 degrees. 5. Succession planting is the key to enjoying an ongoing harvest throughout winter and spring. Plant a few seeds of each variety each week to significantly extend your harvest. 6. You can also extend your harvest by taking only what you intend to use right away and harvesting leaves at the outer edges of the plant. 7. Growing winter greens from seeds is pretty easy; however, if your thumb is not all that green, you may achieve better results by starting your garden from seedlings from one of our local nurseries. 8. Another way to help ensure success is to choose easier-to-grow greens, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or rocket lettuce. Most greens are easy to grow, but these are even easier, so they might be better options for beginner gardeners. 9. If you do not have room for a vegetable garden, grow your greens in containers on your patio, a vertical garden, or in small pots on a windowsill. 10. Add a layer of mulch around the base of your plants to help retain moisture and protect the roots. 11. Consider a simple hydroponics system for growing leafy greens indoors. I grow leafy greens both in soil and hydroponically and would recommend either one for gardeners with any level of experience. Using a hydroponic system allows you to grow greens indoors all year – not just in winter – so that is a bonus. You can purchase an indoor hydroponics system that is complete with grow lights and a pump, but it is also possible to start with a much simpler and more affordable, do-it-yourself option, such as using the Kratky method, which you can easily learn with a quick Internet search. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Fall is my favorite time of year. While we may not enjoy the beautiful displays of entire forests of leaves changing color, it is nice to finally ditch sundresses and sandals for cozy sweaters and boots. It is also nice to be able to spend time working in the garden now that the temperature has dropped enough to actually enjoy outdoor activities. Here is some fall garden inspiration to help you get as excited as I am about getting back out in the garden. Plant an herb garden. Fall is a great time to plant an herb garden for you and your family to enjoy. Since our climate allows for year-round growing, you can plant just about any herb you would like, but you will have the best luck starting herbs that prefer cooler weather, such as mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, parsley, or thyme. Any of these can be used both as culinary herbs and as ornamental plants, so consider planting an edible border or incorporating culinary herbs into your flowerbeds. Remember that mint is a thug, so it is best to manage its growth by planting it in a container. Plant leafy greens. Sweater weather is on its way, which means it is time to start planting our leafy greens. Varieties of kale, lettuce, and spinach do well throughout fall and winter, so these are good choices for your fall garden. To extend your harvest period, practice succession planting by sowing seeds every two weeks. This will allow you to enjoy fresh greens from your garden well into late spring. If you have limited space, skip the lettuces, and opt for kale or spinach, which offer greater nutritional value and more versatility in the kitchen. Plant fall vegetables. While it is generally best to start your fall garden a bit earlier in the year, there is still time to plant cool season vegetables, like beets, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, peas, carrots, cauliflower, onions, garlic, and celery. Like with your leafy greens, you can extend the harvest period by practicing succession planting. With foods like radishes or beets, determining how many you and your family will eat each week will help you decide how many seeds to sow for each round of succession planting. Consider container gardening. If you have limited space for gardening or want to expand your garden beyond your raised beds, there are many food plants that grow well in containers. I like using fabric containers to expand my garden area so that I can fold them up and store them when not in use. I particularly like tall, fabric containers for growing potatoes and sweet potatoes, since this makes them easier to move around and easier to dump out at harvest time. Home maintenance tip: It is time to start using our heaters, which means it is time to change our HVAC filters. The coming months will also likely bring some rain, as well as the Santa Ana winds, so it is a good time to clean your gutters to reduce the risk of water damage or gutter debris catching fire. If you need a professional to perform these tasks, remember to support our local economy by hiring local contractors. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Living in California means treating the entire year as one big fire season. Weed abatement and tree trimming should be regular activities and choosing fire-resistant plants for landscaping should just be the norm at this point. However, as we now that we are well into the official fire season, it is a good reminder to take a look at our defensible spaces and ways to harden our homes against potential wildfires. As the drought worsens and increases the risk for wildfires to spread quickly, reducing the potential for wildfires and limiting the spread of fires as much as possible is even more important. If we reduce the spread of fire, we reduce the amount of water needed to fight that fire. While there is no way to make your home completely fireproof or to create an impenetrable firebreak around your property, there are things we can all do to reduce the risk of losing our homes to fire. Here are six home-hardening options to get you started. 1. Follow weed abatement and Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP) guidelines. Okay, you don’t have much choice here. If you are one of the many property owners in Ojai or Oak View who get an annual notice from the fire department reminding you to abate fire hazards on your property and you don’t do it, they will send a contractor to complete the work, and then send you the bill with an added administration fee. This means the abatement is going to happen one way or another, but you can avoid the additional fees and make sure your home is safer from wildfires as soon as possible by taking care of this yourself and maintaining your defensible space throughout the year. 2. Clean your gutters and your roof. We have all heard about homes that are lost due to windblown embers igniting the roof. The thing folks often do not think about is that it does not always matter what kind of roof you have. Fire-resistant roofing materials, such as tile, composition, cement shingle, or metal, are an important part of keeping your home safer from fires, but simply having a roof made from these materials is not enough. If your roof is littered with dry, flammable debris or your gutters are filled with dead leaves, these materials can ignite and increase the risk of losing your home to wildfire. Keep your roof and gutters clear of debris to reduce this risk. 3. Store firewood away from structures and vegetation. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), you should stack your firewood at least 30 feet from structures. Additionally, CAL FIRE recommends maintaining a 10-foot, vegetation-free area around your firewood storage. 4. Choose drought-tolerant, fire-resistant plants. Water conservation efforts can make it more difficult to keep vegetation green and reduce flammability, so it might be time to consider replacing water-loving plants with native, drought-tolerant plants that thrive with little water. There are no plants that are truly fireproof, but there are many that are fire resistant. As part of the FHRP, the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) provides their Plant Reference Guide to assist homeowners in choosing plants. The guide provides information on common ornamentals used in landscaping, including plants that should be avoided. The guide also includes information on each variety’s drought tolerance, which can help you find the best options for saving water and creating a beautiful yard that is fire resistant. You will also want to refer to VCFD Standard 515 – Defensible Space and Fuel Modification Zones for spacing and maintenance requirements, as well as Guideline 410 – Prohibited Plant List to find out which plants and trees are prohibited in new required defensible spaces and fuel modification zones. The publication also encourages homeowners to remove these plants and trees from existing defensible spaces. You might be surprised at some of the trees on this list that are commonly found near structures here, such as olive and pepper trees, so this list is worth a look. These publications can be found on the Ventura County Fire Department website at VCFD.org. 5. Choose fire-resistant patio furniture, cushions, and covers. Whenever possible, choose patio furniture and textiles that are fire resistant. Unfortunately, this means avoiding some popular options, such as wood or wicker furniture and doormats and outdoor rugs made from natural fibers. Instead, choose options that are less flammable, such as rubber or metal doormats, metal furniture, and flame-retardant fabrics for cushions, awnings, and umbrellas. 6. Look for places where flammable materials may collect. Flammable materials, such as leaves, twigs, and sometimes even trash, can accumulate under bushes, in shrubs, under decks, around the base of trees, or in corners. Find these spots in your yard and make sure to clear debris from these areas regularly. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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