The Real Dirt

It has been two years since the Camp Fire destroyed most of the foothill community of Paradise. In the years since, residents have been steadily returning to reclaim their town.

Hardscapes are the constructed features such as paths, patios and pergolas that make a landscape human-friendly. Their permanent and relatively costly nature calls for careful planning before construction.

Gardening from the Ground Up, a recent three-part Master Gardener Workshop series, focused on gardening practices that use natural methods and systems to create healthy soils and beautiful plants grown in an environment without using chemical pesticides.

One approach to dealing with drought conditions in the garden is to turn to native plants that are well-acclimated to our local environment. Some gardeners new to planting natives may be concerned that these plants might require special care, but in general they need not worry.

I first heard the term hydrophobic soils on the local news after the Camp Fire ravaged the Ridge and Butte Creek Canyon. This potentially catastrophic natural phenomenon seems counterintuitive: soils which are damaged by the intense heat of fire become water repellent.