Look before you prepare

Steve Kawaratani

“Here comes the sun”

-- THE BEATLES

“There’s always a period of curious fear between the first

sweet-smelling breeze and the time when the rain comes cracking

down.”

-- DON DeLILLO

“Here comes the sun,” declared George Harrison on KRTH-FM 101 and

for those of us in Laguna, the sun has mainly replaced the fog and

rain. But the wildest months of the season are still looming, so what

can we do to protect not only our plantings, but perhaps our homes

from the anticipated winter storms?

Readying your garden begins with personal observation. Do the

trees and shrubs need to be pruned off the house? Is there a

possibility that these plants may remove paint and roofing during

heavy winds? Why is there a big puddle of water in the lawn? Is the

front wall leaning or are there new cracks in the driveway or

walkway? Early detection and simple maintenance can often save costly

expense and/or damage later.

Always start your preventive maintenance with the trees and your

tallest shrubs. They are the largest landscape elements and

potentially pose the most problems. An improperly pruned (including

unpruned) tree is a likely candidate to be damaged during a storm,

with the possibility for property damage increasing with tree size.

Prune out deadwood, weak or diseased branches, and keep the height of

your trees under control to maintain a healthy tree.

Planting beds with foundation shrubs and flowering plants, also

require attention. Prune carefully to remove damaged or weak stem and

branches, dead flower or seed parts, and branches that have overgrown

the originally intended space. The plants prefer your artistic

pruning to amputation by storm. Don’t be afraid to prune or

pinch...the plant will grow back!

Standing water in the garden, originating from low spots, poor

grading, or lack of proper drainage can not only create breeding

spots for disease in your garden, but may also find its way into your

home. Raise low areas that are collecting water next to your house

and in garden areas, and/or add subsurface drainage to evacuate

unwanted water. In severe cases, don’t hesitate to contact a

qualified soils engineer or geologist.

Catharine and I are beginning to unpack and prepare our home for

the holidays. Three years after initially contacting our architect,

Walter Metez, we are nearly completed with our project. This included

four months of Design Review and 16 months of construction by Charlie

Williams.

Was it worth the time? Yes! See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local writer

Catharine Cooper and has three cats. He can be reached at (949)

497-2438, or e-mail to steve@lagunanursery.com.