Many Americans live in areas at an increased risk of both urban and wildfires. While you can't prevent all fires around you, can you take steps to make your home safer through the landscape choices around it? Yes, and here are a few ways to do just that.
1. Care for the Canopy.
Fires like to travel via trees, so look up and consider how you can stem such an advance. If you have a number of trees on your property or have trees that are close to neighbors' trees, trim these regularly to prevent overgrowth and dead or diseased branches that are more susceptible to flames. When possible, trim canopies to avoid allowing trees to touch one another.
2. Create a Buffer Zone.
Wildfire experts often recommend the creation of a zone system on your property. In a zone system, the area between the farthest parts of your property and your immediate yard should provide a buffer to discourage fire from traveling. This region should be planted only sparsely with trees, be well-watered, and use low-lying shrubbery and plants. The area immediately around the house should use minimal plants and more nonflammable materials.
3. Use Flame Resistant Plants.
While all plants are flammable, some are less likely to catch on fire than others. And the wide variety of flame-resistant plants provides plenty of choices for any yard. This includes plants like lavender and sage to ornamental strawberries to moisture-rich plants. Integrating these into your planning slows down potential fires.
4. Take Advantage of Hardscape.
Hardscape elements are the best way to prevent fires and make your yard beautiful and useful. Hardscape can be anything from gravel and landscape boulders to patios and fire pits. You don't need to replace your entire lawn with a concrete barrier, though. Hardscape walkways made of materials like pea gravel serve as firebreaks and nonflammable decks near the home keep flames away.
5. Use Automatic Irrigation.
Avoid allowing your property to become too dry and unhealthy by designing a good automatic irrigation system. This should keep lawns healthy and ensure that plants don't dry out and die during the height of summer. Use targeted irrigation like drip systems in addition to sprinklers to provide the greatest coverage for the entire yard — especially in wild areas on the perimeter.
Want more ideas for making your property into a fire-resistant bulwark against the dangers of fire? Start by meeting with a landscape design company like C & J Landscaping.
Share11 October 2021
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