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A proposed low-impact landscape refresh for Aiglon Pocket Park
Proposal note
This is a proposed landscape plan for review. It is intended to improve the appearance of the site with low-profile planting and cleanup, and any future planting would follow city direction without new permanent structural improvements.
The Park
We are proposing a low-impact landscape refresh for Aiglon Pocket Park, using drought-tolerant California plants to improve the appearance of the site and support local butterflies, bees, and birds.
This traffic island is a 5,200 sq. ft. triangle in the El Medio Bluffs, at the triple intersection of Aiglon St, Almar Ave, and Tahquitz Pl, on the edge of the fire perimeter. The park itself had minor damage from the fire. Most of the agave growing there burned and has since been removed. There was also a little free library, which was undamaged.
The park is divided into two sections. The "top" section has historically been grass with one tree and the library. The "bottom" section had mostly agave and some trees. This proposal shows how those areas could be cleaned up and replanted with a low-profile native palette while keeping the existing trees and library in place.
This proposal focuses on low-maintenance, relatively inexpensive plants that can improve the neighborhood appearance and the health of the soil and ecosystem. The planting palette may be adjusted based on city feedback and future site constraints, including DWP undergrounding work.
Our Plan
Phase 1: Preparation
- Grind out the two tree stumps to make more room for the proposed planting areas.
- Remove one small palm tree (4ft tall, 1ft diameter) that is growing directly under the podocarpus tree and too close to the curb.
- Remove weeds from the top grass section, and till the soil.
- Remove weeds from the bottom shrub section.
Phase 2: Planting
- The top section is proposed to be seeded with Molate Red Fescue, a CA native grass.
- In the bottom section, the planting plan identifies 1 gal native plants.
- Sage
- 8 × Salvia leucophylla
- 8 × Salvia apiana
- 8 × Salvia clevelandii
- 8 × Salvia 'Allen Chickering'
- Buckwheat
- 8 × Eriogonum fasciculatum
- 8 × Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
- 8 × Eriogonum cinereum
- Ceanothus
- 2 x Ceanothus megacarpus (Big Pod Ceanothus)
- Manzanita
- 2 × Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’
- 3 x Baccharis pilularis (Coyote Brush)
- 10 x Epilobium canum (California Fuchsia)
- Sage
- The proposal also includes a mixture of shade-tolerant wildflower seeds under the Podocarpus tree.
- Clarkia amoena
- Clarkia unguiculata
- Collinsia heterophylla
- Nemophila maculata
- Nemophila menziesii
This proposal diagram shows large existing plants. There are also a few natives including Coyote Brush, sages, and buckwheat already on site.Phase 3: Maintence
Palisades Beautiful will maintain the site with regular watering during the first year of plant establishment. There will also be quarterly volunteer events for weeding/pruning/mulching. After this, the plants will be fully established, and the garden will no longer require regular watering.
The site already has a LADWP water meter, we plan to move the LADWP account to Palisades Beautiful and pay for watering costs. Volunteers will water manually once a week using the on site water connection.
Estimated Costs
These are preliminary estimates for the proposed scope, we have secured a grant that will cover these costs.
1-gallon plants (x73 total, each covers ~25 sq ft) $936:
- 8 × Salvia leucophylla $96
- 8 × Salvia apiana $96
- 8 × Salvia clevelandii $96
- 8 × Salvia 'Allen Chickering' $96
- 2 × Ceanothus Megacarpus $32
- 2 × Arctostaphylos ‘Howard McMinn’ $24
- 8 × Eriogonum fasciculatum $96
- 8 × Eriogonum grande var. rubescens $112
- 8 × Eriogonum cinereum $112
- 3 × Baccharis pilularis $36
- 10 × Epilobium canum $140