Thrive, Rain or Shine

It’s not clear what to expect in the next few months. While NOAA expects a dry year in the southwest, it calls the trajectory of LA weather “a toss-up.” How do we simultaneously prepare to thrive whether we see rain or shine? We’re friends, so we are happy to share our secrets!

When In Rain

Just in case our rainy season is, indeed, rainy, we prepare for high rainfall. This looks like slowing, spreading and sinking rain. To do that, we check the health of tree canopy, prepare native foliage for growth spurts.

We’ll also secure slopes with fill-ins of deep rooting native foliage and clear waterways, from gutters to bioswales.

When In Shine

If our rainy season runs dry, we’ll need to do all we can to help our foliage and soil hold onto its hydration – this means slowing, spreading and sinking as much rainfall as we can.

Of course, we’ll also want to do all we can to fight fire without water. That looks like choosing native foliage with roots that will grow deep to find water. Critically, we also need to keep the five feet closest to the home, including gutters, free of litter.

We’re Here Rain or Shine

You can see, because we orient ourself to the long term good, our actions remain pretty much the same. Whether the weather aims to saturate or desiccate, we’ll be digging, planting, and pruning alongside you to ensure LA thrives.

LEED-ing an HPOZ, Windsor Square

LEED Platinum, Sustainable Innovation Award-Winning Matloff Family Home

The Matloff Family Home in the Windsor Square neighborhood of historic Hancock Park showcases the ability to unify historic architecture with robust water savings. Allen Schaben’s lush, leafy photos in the Los Angeles Times illustrate the ability of the garden’s mostly native foliage to thrive through three summer months of high, dry heat and deep water restrictions.

For decades, the Matloffs’ Windsor Square neighborhood has been
lined with stately homes bordered by sprawling lawns…
the pervasive water waste involved… prompted the Matloffs
to consider their footprint, as well as L.A.’s future water independence.

Los Angeles Times, 2022

Project Snapshot

The property earned LEED Platinum Certification in 2018 and a USGBC-LA Sustainable Innovation Award for water conservation in 2019. These photos were taken just one year after installation.

See the full project gallery and save your favorite ideas in Houzz.

Plant Palettes

We chose a plant palette that would keep the Windsor Park property lush and leafy in drought while capturing any stormwater that came LA’s way. If you are looking to follow the Matloff’s LEED lead, there are several Ideal Mow lawn and meadow grasses from which to choose. We’ve curated a few palettes for you in Pinterest.

Adored Meadow, La Canada

Homeowners recognized for their contributions to town’s sustainability

Theodore Payne Foundation selected the Taylor’s lush, low water, La Canada meadow for the 2019 Native Plant Garden Tour. During the tour, the Taylors were recognized for their water-saving leadership. See coverage of the garden and tour in Earth Day coverage from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Thank you for hosting! Native Plant Garden Tour 2019
Vickie Taylor | Edible Garden

The variety of color, form, texture
and movement created by the plantings
… we enjoy every day – as do birds, bees, butterflies, etc.

Every single member of the FormLA team
was a delight to work with, and we
never could have achieved the
garden of our dreams without their
knowledge, expertise and guidance.
We continue to engage FormLA to handle
our garden maintenance.

Vickie Taylor, Houzz Review

Project Snapshot

Tour visitors delighted in the front meadow’s vivid green mix of IdealMow grasses, including Dune Sedge, Deer Grass and Juncus. Punches of pink, from Pink Ribes’ chandalier-like blooms to the bubble gum blooms of Western Redbud, inspired selfies.

See the garden’s seasonal changes in the full project gallery in Houzz, where you can save your favorite ideas, and hear about lawn free life from Vickie and others.

Plant Palettes

Looking for lush, lovely, livable space? Check out the plant palette for the Taylor Garden, and save your favorite IdealMow Lawn and Meadow ideas in Pinterest.