CA Sycamores Welcome You To ECLWRF OFG
People attend our Watershed Basics Classes and say that the California native garden is dead and dry in summer. HUH? For anyone who still believes that myth (no doubt perpetuated by someone in the turf industry), make the trip to the Ocean Friendly Garden designed by G3 at West Basin’s Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility (ECLWRF) in El Segundo and see for yourself the bloomin’ California native garden in summer. During winter months, this runoff-reducing garden holds on to more than 1,200 gallons of rainwater at each rain event. The mulched beds, walkway and underground infiltration pits capture the equivalent of a First Flush (1″ of rain after a dry period) from a 2,000 sq. foot roof. The actual footprint of the adjacent building is more than 8,000 sq. ft., so this garden is receiving and holding on to a lot of water during the typical rainy season.
But now we are enjoying the sunshine of summer, and the only evidence of the previous season’s rainfall lies in the voluptuousness of the garden.
Hummingbird At ECLWRF OFG
Salvia greggii (Autumn sage), Mimulus aurantiacus (yellow monkey flower), Tecoma stans (trumpet bush — ok, so maybe calling this one California native is stretching it, but Texas and Baja can do so) and Achillea ‘Island Pink’ are still glowing strong in the August sunshine.
The evergreens like Heteromeles ‘Davis Gold’ (toyon with gold berries), Baccharis pilularis ‘Pidgeon Point’ (coyote bush), Rhmanus californica (coffeeberry) and Arctostaphylos(manzanita) are vivid green, perky, showing their little flowers or nascent berries, and supporting the “bones” or structure of the garden.
CA Natives Keep Cool In August
Our favorite part of this garden is the trio of Platanus racemosa (California sycamore) trees popping up at the entry to the garden, and now so tall that they are almost peeking out of their enclosure. Entering this garden from the “sycamore side” reminds us of entering a cool dell in summertime and immediately we are breathing easier and feeling more relaxed. Two years after its completion, West Basin’s ECLWRF Ocean Friendly Demonstration Garden truly IS demonstrating that EVERY urban garden could bring beauty and relaxation into our lives if we concentrated on converting our properties into Ocean Friendly landscapes.
West Basin ECLWRF OFG August 2011
The world-renown West Basin ECLWRF is located at 1935 S. Hughes Way, El Segundo, CA. Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot. The ECLWRF gives tours of the facility on a regular basis. Call 310.414.0183 for more information.
