Reynier Village Blog

Our good neighbor who grows bananas in his backyard, tipped us off about the Good Karma Gardens (GKG) in Mar Vista. They provide free guidance for people who wish to grow sustainable food in their backyard. Check it out!

Visit over 100 gardens, to learn about drought-tolerant landscapes, edible gardens, rainwater capture and more, during the

5th annual
Mar Vista GREEN GARDEN Showcase
Sunday April 20 from 10am to 4pm

Get inspired to start similar initiatives in Reynier Village.
Please let us know if you volunteer to do this and we’ll help you organize it.

Thanks!

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

I had seen inventive redwood fences with horizontal slats around the neighborhood (Holt and Halm), so, when it came to replace the old wood fences behind the thick bamboo hedge we had removed, I inquired about those custom choices, but they proved too expensive.  I settled for pre-assembled 6×8 feet dog-ear panels from Lowe’s; they only cost $70.31 each.  Then the lattice panels would be nailed on top to reach the more desirable 8-feet height and still conform to LA City codes.  I only discovered later, after the fence was built, that they had bought common not premium grade panels from Home Depot for $54.97 a piece. It would have cost only $150 more (out of a $10,000 total expense) to get the better quality panels, but I was never informed of this change.  Eventually, after the fence was painted with a transparent redwood stain to protect the wood from heat and humidity, it looked better, but you can still see through the knot holes.
Another problem that was too late to fix was that the landscape designer had assured me that the fence would all be the same height, even though one of the neighboring lots was higher than the other; but they did not adjust for the difference, so now I have a 6 inches gap where the 2 sides meet.
I was inexperienced and did not pay close enough attention, I trusted that the people I hired knew what they were doing. So I’m writing this warning for you to be more careful, if you attempt a similar project.  Please keep us posted if you do.

Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli

soil-ready edge for planting

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?

Read this Los Angeles Times article for more ideas

Text and photo by Elisa Leonelli

From our neighbors Lew and Lynn Rakowsky

modernist fence

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.

Share the hidden beauty of your backyards!

Photos by Elisa Leonelli