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Ember Range
Resilient Landscaping
The Calendar

A garden is a practice.

Resilience is not a one-time install. It's a quiet seasonal rhythm — a few hours a month — that keeps both beauty and safety compounding.

Maintained fire-resistant garden

Winter

Dec – Feb

The structural season. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs while you can see the architecture. Limb-up oaks. Renew gravel beds.

  • Limb up trees to 6 ft clear trunk
  • Renew DG and gravel mulch in Zone 0
  • Inspect roof, gutters, vents
  • Plan plant additions for spring

Spring

Mar – May

Plant. Establish irrigation early so new plants are deep-rooted before drought. Light pruning to shape.

  • Install new plantings before May
  • Pressure-test drip lines
  • Mulch all beds (mineral, never bark within 5 ft)
  • Shear lavender and santolina lightly

Summer

Jun – Aug

Vigilance. Deadhead, hydrate, and edit anything that looks tired. This is the season your garden earns its name.

  • Deadhead salvias, yarrow, lavender
  • Remove all dead material weekly in Zone 0–1
  • Mow native grasses in Zone 2 to 4″
  • Confirm 100 ft defensible space is clean

Fall

Sep – Nov

Cleanup, then rest. The single most important season for ember resilience.

  • Deep clean gutters and roof valleys
  • Cut perennials back; haul away cuttings
  • Move firewood 30+ ft from any structure
  • Photograph the garden for next year's plan