Jan. 22 – -An unexpected hailstorm rushed through South Robertson and Culver City today dumping a large amount of hard ice on the ground. Very exciting, and quite beautiful to see. Four Pacific storms throughout the entire week brought rain, thunder and lighting, hail and even tornadoes. In this El Nino year, hail is still an unusual occurrence that was quite welcome in these times of drought. Luckily the feared mudslides, in the Los Angeles Forest ravaged by last year’s fires, did not materialize, so far, even though many homes had to be evacuated. Also lucky – the small tornado that hit Ventura Thursday January 21 did not
cause casualties. It was great to see the green color of our gardens sparkle in the wet air!
Noontime hailstorm - Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
Ice garden in SoRo. Aftermath of hailstorm Jan.22, 2010
We are blessed with a wide variety of trees in our neighborhood; at this time of the year, they delight us with a gamut of colors, from reddish fall leaves to pink flowers.
If you would like to add some shade trees to your lawn or backyard, the DWP is giving them away free, after you complete an online workshop and submit a site plan.
They offer many choices of Evergeen and Deciduous trees, described and pictured in their online brochure.
For more info, call: 800-473-3652
Tree.Program@ladwp.com. www.lapdwp.com
Did you know that the green garbage bins supplied by the city are not just for garden trimmings and clean wood?
You may use them to dispose of fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea bags.
I set up a reusable container on my counter, I throw in all my organic scraps from the kitchen, especially while cooking, then I empty it in the green bin at the end of the day.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble of composting for your own use, let the city do it.
The green bins contents will be composted.
If you do want to learn how to compost, to feed organic soil to your backyard vegetable garden, the city offers free Composting Workshops and Bin Sale events in Griffith Park.
Replace your grass lawn with native plants?
Grow vegetables in your backyard?
Install drip irrigation to save water?
Recycle rainwater?
You can learn about these sustainable techinques at the
Green Garden Academy, and earn a diploma.
Saturday classes at the Santa Monica library, starting in 2010.
Sign Up Now to Qualify for a Free Rainwater Harvesting System…
You may qualify for a free rainwater harvesting system installation that can save you money on your water expenses, help conserve water, and reduce urban runoff that pollutes the ocean.
With a rainwater harvesting system, you can capture rainwater on your property that can be saved and used for outdoor plant irrigation. This will save you money on your water bill, reduce water waste at a time when we are experiencing a severe water shortage, and reduce urban water runoff that brings debris and chemicals into the storm drain system and pollutes the ocean.
Under this program, the installation and equipment for a rainwater harvesting system, which cost up to $250, are offered for free to L.A. residents.
The pilot program is now available in West Los Angeles, but it will soon become available citywide on a first-come first-served basis, so sign up now at www.LArainwaterharvesting.org.
NOTE: First preference is going to be given to those residents and businesses that live in the pilot program’s 3 neighborhoods of Jefferson, Sawtelle and Mar Vista, but ALL properties located in the Ballona Creek Watershed are encouraged to apply as the program will soon begin accommodating some of those outside the pilot areas listed on a first come first served basis.
For more information on the program or if you have questions please contact Codi Harris at (562) 597-0205
Now it’s a good time to get that insulation project done, walls and attic, to keep your house warmer during the coming winter and save on your heating bill.
The Gas Company is offering a rebate until December 31 of 15-cent per square foot. The federal government will give you a 30% tax credit (up to $ 1,500) on the cost of energy-efficient windows, doors, roofing, wall and attic insulation, furnaces, air-conditioning systems and heat pumps.
We were hesitant to break up the walls of our home, but we did it and already we feel warmer at night. All you need is to paint over the patched up holes.
You may look up the various processes, the materials used (in our case blown cellulose) and other choices on these websites. www.everguardinsulation.com www.WhatADifference.com (they’ll even repaint the walls for you)
Call the Gas Company for more details: 888-431 2226.
Check out their website www.socalgas.com
They also offer rebates on Energy Star qualified appliances: cloth washers, dishwashers and water heaters.
The boys and girls of the Robertson Activity League (RAL) were at Reynier Park on Wednesday July 29 picking up trash and litter. The participants to this 10-week summer program at the Robertson Recreation Center, aged 12-16, perform community service projects to earn points that can then be cashed in for field trips. They also did a trash clean-up along Robertson Blvd, North of Cadillac, they planted a garden at the Recreation Center, they wrote letters to Soldiers deployed overseas, they help weekly at the Robertson Library restocking books, etc.
This program is made possible through a grant from: The Los Angeles Police Foundation, SoRo Neighborhood Council, Council District 5, Council District 10 and Robertson Recreation Center.
Their goal is to teach community responsibility in a fun exciting way.
Please let us know if you have any suggestions on how to control littering in our Reynier Village or would like to help with further clean-ups.
You can email your thanks to the Facility Director of the Robertson Recreation Center Brooke.Powers@lacity.org
The Los Angeles Board of Public Works would like you to participate in an online survey!
The survey will take 5+ minutes to complete - It is about Green Gardens (which are residential and commercial landscapes that use drought tolerant plants and rainwater harvesting techniques to reduce water use and prevent stormwater pollution).
The survey will be invaluable to the Board of Public Works in gauging public interest in a program that trains and certifies “Green Gardeners” in the City of Los Angeles.
The City of Los Angeles is giving away FREE Mulch for your garden. Mulch, as you probably know, conserves moisture, reducing your need to water frequently and it can prevent weed growth. It also gives a “finished” look to your garden. This is a great program by LA City Bureau of Sanitation.
Bring your own shovel and bags or container.
Load up your own containers and take as much as you need
Available at 6 Locations throughout L.A. County.
IT’S FREE & IT’S MADE FROM YARD TRIMMINGS!
Closest location to Reynier Village is in:
West LA 6000 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Moved ; go towards 6000 Jefferson but turn south on Holdredge and then right (west) on Bowcroft (a dead-end). Mulch will be on the right side of the street.
Time of Operation: 7:00 a.m. To 5:00 p.m Seven days a week.
UPDATE! Note new location above – also, this stuff SMELLS like fertilizer! It’s not like decorative bark mulch; it’s more like compost to mix in with your soil.
Reynier Village has an abundance of tropical hibiscus flowers. They’re large, colorful, and not that difficult to grow here. With over 200 species, the genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, woody shrubs and small trees . Hibiscus is also a primary ingredient in many herbal teas. White hibiscus, is considered to have medicinal properties in the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda.
We recently met new residents of Reynier Village. Huli and Raphael Sloane, a wife & husband of considerable artistic talent are transplants of Mar Vista. They brought with them 28 of their mature rose bushes and a large Bird of Paradise. They are going to replant them in the yard of their colorful 1914 Craftsman bungalow which is a rare sight in Reynier Village as most homes here were erected in the mid 1920’s-late 30’s. Rumor has it that this house was moved to Reynier Village from some other part of the city. (Anyone with information, please let us know!).
What is particularly special is that Mr. Sloane is a fine art photographer, whose specialty is an expansive study of flowers that also includes blossoms from endangered plants.
Craftsman style built in 1914
“1 out of 3 plant species in the United States is under threat of extinction! Non-native, invasive species are the No. 2 threat to native plants.These facts have instilled an urgency in the direction of my work to include more endangered plant species as subjects and ultimately heighten peoples awareness of their plight.” –Raphael Sloane, photographer
We are pleased to have permission to publish two of Mr. Sloane’s photos.
Do enjoy, and be sure to visit his delightful Website.
“Exactly what you’re looking for – Close in, low priced, Westside lots”
“Westview Park is the real estate opportunity of 1924″
Los Angeles Times advertisement, January 6, 1924
As shown on the map, it appears that Robertson Blvd. was first named Arnaz; then called Preuss Rd. By 1927 however, it was already renamed Robertson Blvd. (see post below).
Anyone with information about Westview Park is welcome to email us as we’d like to publish more!
In doing a little historic research on our area, check out this Sanborn map of our neighborhood in 1927.
Our neighborhood in 1927
Beverlywood Street used to be Emmalee Street;
25th Street was Henry Butt Avenue;
24th Street was Kelson Avenue;
and it looks like Sherbourne (just North of Cadillac) used to be Kalamazoo.
Note that south of Cattaraugus was considered Culver City back then.
Now, Robertson Blvd. wasn’t always called Robertson. In a 1924 real estate ad (I’ll post later). it was called Preuss Rd (Arnaz). Go figure.
To our delight, not all houses in Reynier Village are ‘Spanish Colonial Revival’. We have some fine examples of Tudor/English Revival, Transitional Arts & Crafts, and lesser known as ‘historic’ but nevertheless is, a style called Minimal Traditional, homes that were built in the late 1930’s-1940’s (and lasted until the early 1950’s).
You’ve seen Minimal Traditional all over Beverlywood and Beverlywood-Adjacent and Reynier Village has a few as well.
Here’s a typical Minimal Traditional home (location: Glendale)
Typical Minimal Traditional style home Late 1930's-1940's
The style was loosely based on the Tudor Revival and Eclectic Revival styles of the 1920s and 30s, but with much less ornamentation and decorative detailing. Although they are simplified versions of historic styles, they were still built with high quality materials (lathe & plaster walls, traditional fireplace mantles, crown moulding, paneled doors, and wood cabinetry). Exterior architectural detailing is restrained – the use of ornament is kept to a minimum. This type of house was built in great numbers in the years immediately before and after World War II.
Features: bay windows, multi-paned windows, sand-finish stucco,attached or detached one and two car garages, intermediate hipped, gabled or gabled on hipped roofs. Minimal Traditional features are sometimes mixed with later Ranch styles.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is on a mission to convince consumers to save water in these years of record drought in California, due to the global climate crisis.
On June 1 they passed an ordinance that using your sprinklers to water your lawn is only permitted 2 days a week, Mondays and Thursdays and never between 9 am and 4 pm, the warmest hours of the day, to avoid evaporation.
Now they would like you to get rid of you turf grass lawn all together and replace it with drought-tolerant plants, mulch or permeable ground cover; and as an incentive they will give you a rebate of $1.00 per square foot, from 250 feet minimum up to 2,000.
Many of our neighbors have already chosen that alternative for their front yard, we encourage you take a walk around Reynier Village and get some ideas and inspiration. Share your thoughts here!!
Automatic sprinklers can operate ONLY on Monday and Thursday
If you use a hose equipped with a self-closing shut-off device then you are permitted to use it to water your garden by hand before 9am or after 4pm on any day.
The waiting lists for community gardens in the Los Angeles area is growing longer. It seems that there are many would-be gardeners willing to work with no land available for their passion.
Why not offer your backyard to someone who can create a fruit and vegetable garden for you and share in the produce?
Let’s get together with like-minded neighbors to share chores, tips, expenses and locally grown food.
I offer a small area for now, cleared out recently for painting, along the wall of my garage. It’s always in the shade, so drought resistant plants and shade vegetables could be combined, but my arthritis prevents me from doing to work myself. Any volunteers to help?
LEW: When we bought the house in 2002, we were drawn to the its Spanish Revival style. Unfortunately, the small backyard was entirely covered in concrete, surrounded by a 4-foot tall brick wall covered in ivy and vines. It was very neglected.
We had some gardeners come in and jack-hammer out all that, remove the concrete, the brick wall and ivy to open the space up. Then we installed a simple, modernist fence to provide privacy, but still allow for air flow.
LYNN: Given its small size, we really wanted to maximize the outdoor space as much as possible. It was important to create usable space throughout, including a garden, seating areas, places where friends could gather, and a place to simply read a book. Ultimately, we wanted a welcoming, usable environment; an extension of the house.
cat and bouganvillea
LYNN: We put in a drip-line sprinkler and we used drought resistant plants, we also grow some vegetables each season, focusing on tomatoes, lettuces, peas and broccoli. We usually buy them at the farmers markets as little seedlings.
LEW: One of the highlights of the property is the 70-year old bougainvillea which creates a beautiful canopy over the dining area. In the summer, it becomes a solid wall of red blooms; a cool place to escape the heat.
The next project is to pave the patio dining area with terra-cotta tiles, as we did in the walkway along the side of the house.
Learn about edible gardens, perma culture, water conservation, next generation barbeques, worm bins, solar cookers, composting, fun outdoor toilets, and fertilizer.
“There is probably no better way to gain access to the healthy organic foods your body craves most than by growing them yourself. More and more people are getting on the home-gardening bandwagon as food, fuel and energy costs continue to rise. Home gardening, especially organic gardening, can be a great help in avoiding the consumption of manufactured foods and offset some of the cost concerns with organic produce.
“Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t growing the world’s biggest tomato or tallest stalk of peppermint. Maybe all you can get to grow at first is a few lettuce leaves for salads or sandwich toppings and some of your favorite herbs to spice up your cooking. Don’t expect too much from your little garden. Try to enjoy the organic gardening experience itself and other health benefits it brings, like exercise, time spent outdoors in the fresh air, and a sense of well being. Try to think of the chemical-free, vitamin-filled, fresh, natural foods it yields as an added bonus.
“If the idea of organic gardening and growing your own food seems more like a chore than a blessing, try to remember all the benefits – and the next thing you know, you’ll be sitting down to a delicious meal made with your own favorite, healthy, homegrown foods.
Here is a beautiful example of how to preserve the character of a Spanish Colonial Revival home.
This new second-story remodel is only a few years old and yet it looks all original, thanks to good planning by an architect and homeowners who have a keen sensitivity for historic design and details (see the wrought iron work in their front yard) .
Spanish Colonial Revival with a new 2nd story addition
The Spanish Colonial Revival period style (1915 – 1940) features:
1. Stucco surfaces
2. Low pitched pantile roofs
3. Use of decorative iron work for windows, doors and balconies
From our neighbor Martha Groves, Los Angeles Times writer
“Many years ago, with memories of the late 1980s drought fresh in my mind, I asked Susan, a horticulturist friend whose Santa Monica company is called Suzie’s Scapes, to help me design a “drought-tolerant” front garden, with native California grasses, flowering plants and bushes.
“We ended up not with a xeriscape garden per se but with a Mediterranean-style garden, appropriate for a “dry summer subtropical climate.”
“I watered regularly until the plants took hold. Since then, I seldom think about watering except in the extreme heat of August or September.
“Among plants that I love having in the garden and that seem to thrive are: Mexican sage, kangaroo paws, flax, agave plants, manzanita, Australian woolly bush (Adenanthos sericeus), California iris and California rock rose (Helianthemum scoparium). I’m eagerly awaiting the day when my Matilija poppy bursts forth with its large white blossoms with yellow centers that look like eggs sunny side up.
“Caveats: I had hoped that having a Mediterranean-style garden would save money. In the end I’m not sure it has. The garden must often be tweaked, and I apply special mulch three or four times a year (where does all that mulch go?). Who knows how much I’m saving on water costs, though. I know I am saving there.
“And I love coming home to this garden. I’m happy to see other front gardens popping up throughout the neighborhood.” – - Martha Groves
“I was reading the Los Angeles Times and this article about an Australian garden caught my eye. This vegetable garden is above ground, requires no removal of the lawn and seemed easy enough even for me. I just layed down fifteen sheets of newspaper, four inches of alfalfa, eight inches of hay and four inches of compost, bone meal and blood meal. Then I planted and watered.
“Turns out to cost a chunk of change (about $200.00) so I don’t think I’ll really be saving money over shopping, but it has been educational and fun. That’s a combination that can’t be beat. I’ve planted and harvested broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, snap peas, strawberries, and my favorite, spinach. I think I’ll tweak it a little next season and add planting soil about four inches thick and only plant tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers. I’m also adding blackberries and grapes.” – - Barry Levine
There’s such a variety of solutions that people have created for their front yards in Reynier Village.
Many people have kept the traditional grass lawns, but are becoming more aware of the necessity to save water during the state-wide drought caused by the climate crisis.
One neighbor has paved the area, maybe to get more parking, but others have planted colorful arrays of cacti and other drought-resistant plants.
California architects of the 1930s were influenced by Spain, Italy and Greece, as well as by Mexican and Native American adobe, while creating the Spanish-Mediterranean style. The most distinctive features are red tiled roofs, arched openings, carved wood doors, wrought iron gates, textured stucco walls.
The color palette of the walls tends to earth tones, including Navajo white, that can be effectively highlighted by aqua-green trims for doors and windows, a fit complement to the reddish roofs. The most common colors are a variety of terra-cotta shades, tans and beiges, matching and contrasting the color of the tiles. Then there’s greens, from pea green to forest green.
But a true innovation, confirmed by the bold choice of a two-tone gravel landscaping with succulent plants, is this chocolate brown house.
Reynier Village, as described by Los Angeles Times columnist Martha Groves, “contains fine old houses, many of them Spanish Revival in style, loaded with original charm and relatively affordable, at least by the current dizzying standards”.
According to Sunset’s “New Western Garden Book”, Reynier Village is in Zone 22, influenced by the ocean approximately 85 percent of the time. Winters are mild and very low temperatures (below 40) are rare.
Gardeners who take advantage of building overhangs or protection of tree branches can grow an impressive variety of subtropical plants – bananas, gingers and tree ferns. When I was growing up here (south of Pico, between Beverly Drive and Beverwil), we had three avocado trees, a fig tree, a peach tree, an orange tree and Meyer lemon. We also grew delicious rhubarb, tomatoes and strawberries. Mmmmmm….nothing tastes quite as good as a freshly picked ripe strawberry!
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