We believe in the power of plants. Our mission at California Wild is to improve our environment and its aesthetics through smart, beautiful landscape design.
What makes our gardens environmentally friendly?
- Climate adapted
- Wildlife friendly
- Native habitat friendly
- Food producing (eat the local-ist!)
- Plants designed in diverse communities
- Plants that improve air quality & capture carbon
- Low resource input
- Low maintenance
Our ethical foundations are in Permaculture; a design theory based on the creation of self-supporting living systems in homes, landscapes and agriculture. Permaculture was inspired by the design of the environment.
founder & Director Briana Lyon
Swale Expert, Plant Palette Powerhouse & Chic Ecofreak
"I love creating new styles of drought-tolerant landscaping and prioritizing plants that are adapted to a broad range of climate extremes."
After living abroad in the rainforest, she would come back to the paved and beaten ecosystem of her native L.A. and long to see more of the secret wilderness she knew was hidden in the hills. So she decided to start making more of it … in people's yards!
Just how EcoFreaky are you??
"Jugelkuelters, sheet mulches, chinampas, polycultures, swales, vermipost, hydroponics - you name it - I’ve gotten my hands into it at least once! Want to learn more about Eco Gardening? Click the link below to check out my fav's reading list."
~Briana
Favorite Facts About Lawn Alternatives
Are you as shocked as we are by watching lawns die in such record numbers this summer in California? Water conservation has adopted some extreme tactics as of late. So if you're thinking about replacing that grass here's a few good things to know.- Groundcover Lawns like California native succulent Kurapia are common lawn replacements in other parts of the world like Japan but are just becoming fashionable here in California
- Native Lawns are awesome. Just be aware they have seasonal dormancy cycles. Most get brown patches in the peak of summer while Buffalo Grass (Bouteloua gracilis) gets patchy in winter. California lawn grass breeders are working hard to create new fully green low-water options but it'll be a few years
- Artifical Turf exacerbates climate heating and creates huge amounts of non-recyclable plastic - think 20 water bottles per sq.ft. - so don't use it on a large scale. Keep turf areas as small as physically possible
- Part Shade keeping your lawn in partly shaded areas seriously reduces water needs and enhances greenery. Plant open shade trees at the edges of lawns or utilize existing shade in your yard wherever possible.
drought ready california
3 Easy Lawn Replacement Options
Looking for more intel on lawn replacing? Here's the basics on the 3 materials you have to work with & how to use them.
