fire defensive home construction and retrofits protect all angelenos
May 2023. By Cassy Aoyagi: It’s natural to focus on the impact of wildfires close to the wildlife urban interface (WUI), particularly when and where homes are lost. Yet, the impact of wildfire is felt well beyond the WUI due to its deleterious effect on air quality.
January 2025 Notice: This article is designed to provide long-term guidance. If you have been asked to evacuate, Get Set and Go!
Led by J. Lopez, public member, California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, this conversation explores potential solutions. Our co-panelists include: Marc Los Huertos, associate professor of environmental analysis, Pomona College; Amanda Cavallo, designer and project manager, SweisKloss; and Brian Sheridan, Coalition for Clean Air.
Architect Amanda Cavallo delivered a mic-drop moment. In calling attention to use of building materials that are “flammable, chemical, synthetic, combustible and explosive,” she honed in on LA’s greatest fire and air quality dangers. She also put the power to mitigate them in the hands of property owners and the building industries. We are grateful for perspective that helps us all fear less and take more effective action.
Watch, Count or Photograph – Here’s How to Make Feathered Friends
FormLA Landscaping client and hobby photographer Gordon Ownby regularly delights us with photos of the birds drawn to his garden – several of which we’ve shared with you!
February 2025. Even in the depths of winter, the Songbirds’ Paradise fills with opportunities for delight – and delightful photos. Ownby captured this spectacular shot of a hummingbird sipping from one of his many bloom-filled manzanitas during recent rains.
Photo: Hummingbird Drinks from Manzanita, Winter 2025. By Gordon Ownby
Allen Hummingbird, Gordon Ownby.
With the Audubon’s annual Backyard Bird Count coming up February 18th, we asked Ownby to share some tips for making feathered friends.
When did you begin photographing birds? Why?
Ownby: I’ve been a hobbyist photographer since my college days and have spent most of my time photographing people in a genre called “street photography.” Working at home during the pandemic lockdown in 2020, however, I started to notice the wildlife passing through our front and back gardens.
What sparked your interest?
Ownby: My interest started with hummingbirds – they are a great introduction to bird photography.
If you are in your garden a lot, the hummingbirds will grow accustomed to seeing you and and won’t mind sharing some quality time near you. Because they fly “still” when feeding and frequently take breaks, the chances of getting a nice sharp photo are pretty good.
Where do you take your photos? What is special about these spaces?
Ownby: Continuing a practice since lockdown, I take my camera into the front and back gardens almost daily. I like to believe that the visits by these little animals are a way of thanking us for creating a welcoming space for them.
Photo: Gordon Ownby
Which birds do you see most often in your own garden?
Ownby: House Finches, Goldfinches (above, in the Ownby’s fountain), Anna’s and Allen’s Hummingbirds, White Crowned Sparrows (left), Dark-Eyed Juncos (below), Gnatcatchers, Mourning Doves, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, plus an Asian exotic: the Red-Whiskered Bulbul.
I’ve also worked into my routine bringing my camera along hikes on the many trails up here in Foothills. Finding a trail with a lot “Lemonade” shrubs can often lead to encounters with Yellow-Rumped Warblers, wrens, and, (my particular favorite), the California Thrasher.
(FormLA Note: These birds are not alone! You may remember Ownby’s photo of an Allen’s Hummingbird resting its wings and clings to the edge of a Sugar Bush leaf.) For a view of some spectacular large birds, I recommend bringing a camera or binoculars to the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve.
How do you catch these amazing moments?!?
Ownby: If you can hear chirping or singing, your chances of encountering a bird are pretty good. If your garden is silent, come back later.
Next, look for isolated movement among the branches and leaves of the trees and bushes – that’s a good sign that whatever bird is in there is not overly concerned about your presence and may “surface” for a photo op.
With time, both of these practices will become second nature whether in the garden or on the trail. Recently, I was hiking in the Foothills and was scanning for isolated movement among the foliage. When I did spot something, however, it was not a bird but an adolescent black bear feeding on some grass about 50 yards away. After snapping a few photos with the telephoto lens, we left the area, thankful that my first bear encounter was in such a natural setting.
Which photo is your favorite?
Ownby: The Ruby Crowned Kinglet (above). It seems to delight people and it conveys a sense of connection.
If you had to recommend one native plant for attracting birds, which would you choose?
Ownby: Our Toyons (above, hosting a matching house finch) provide good cover for birds most of the year and their holiday red berries guarantee some “snacking” bird photos in the late fall. The Ceanothus (California lilac) shrubs provide good cover for the Ruby Crowned Kinglet and White-Crowned Sparrows. The Sugar Bush keeps the hummingbirds busy… and everyone visits our fountain.
Recently retired from a career as general counsel for a physicians’ organization, Southern California native Gordon Ownby now leans into his lifelong interest in photography. Training at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and classes at the Art Center College of Design public program inform his practice.
January 2024. By Isara Ongwiseth: We look forward to engaging The Garden Conservancy for its LA Open Days again this year – this time in Studio City! Clients Michael Solberg and Khoi Pham have generously agreed to open their Sustainable Storybook Garden for the event (Thank you!).
I caught up with Michael to ask about the distinctively charming additions he and Khoi made to the garden. Here’s what I learned.
You create extraordinary container gardens that amplify the storybook feel of your space. What inspired you? Do you have tips you’d like to share?
I’ve always loved succulents and have learned over the years how to put together combinations that I think look great. Inspiration for succulent containers comes from a few different places… the first being the plants themselves! They come in so many different colors, shapes, and sizes that it’s really fun to mix and match. They’re also so easy to care for which makes it stress free.
I’m a big fan of @lauralovessucculents on Instagram. She has a YouTube channel where she shares all the landscaping projects she works on using succulents and drought tolerant plants. Love her!
I also love getting inspiration from creative pots/pottery. Sometimes you see a pot and instantly know the right plant combo to go in it… like it was meant to be. When it comes to container planting 2 tips come to mind. Do what looks good to you – it’s your garden for you to enjoy so create what you like. Also, PACK it in… really fill in the pots. I always end up needing more than I think to make a nice looking full arrangement.
The Dustin Gimbel sculptures in your back garden amplify the through-the-looking-glass aesthetic. Can you tell us how they came to be?
I saw one of his pieces at a garden shop in Atwater Village (Potted) that I loved so I started looking into his work from there. I never really had the space to display one so I just admired his work from pictures online.
When we were putting this garden together, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to showcase some interesting art and thought of his work immediately. I contacted Dustin Gimbel and we sort of went back and forth on a few different options. The one we ended up with was a first for him and the purple whorls are inspired by a salvia calyx.
We’re so happy with how they turned out and everyone that walks through our backyard always points them out and wants to know more! FormLA Team Note: Watch our Instagram for photos of these fanciful structures!
We set the expectation that smartly planted native plant gardens take 3 years to fill in. Your experience was a bit different… When was your garden planted? What did you do to bring it to its present state?
Our garden was planted in mid-February 2022, I remember thinking when the crew was putting the plants in that it would be years before it would look like a full grown landscape. I was wrong BIG TIME!.
A couple months in there was some noticeable growth, but by the end of 6 months, it was hard to find open ground/mulch space. It’s hard to believe that 1 gallon plants could grow so quickly, but they did. FormLA Team Note: We got lucky with the garden’s growth! Michael’s garden was planted in an exceptionally high rain year.
We have two swales in the front that catch rain from the roof and those were almost completely filled in with neighboring plants. I think it’s a real testament to “the right plant in the right place.” Plus, the amazing work the FormLA team did to choose the right plants and set them up for a healthy life. I did nothing, but stand back and admire! There have been a couple adjustments from the original installation, but 90% of what you see now is still in place.
You’ve made your front garden an educational resource with botanical markers and native plant signage. What inspired you in that direction?
My own curiosity I think. When I see a plant I like on a walk or out on hikes, I always wonder what it is. So I thought it would be fun for neighbors and anyone that happens to walk by our house to learn what kind of plants they were enjoying. I also think it’s really important to share as much as possible about planting native. The more information we can put out there, the better off our gardens, neighborhoods, city, and environment will be.
