Los Angeles Aeroponics

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Grow good health

Grow your own organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers

EnviroscapeLA Founder Mike Garcia talks about the many reasons organic gardening is far superior to anything else which grows seed to salad in less than a month.  A professional in Los Angeles gives organic gardening two thumbs up!!!

Put a farmer’s market on your back porch
Tower Garden® is a state-of-the-art vertical aeroponic growing system. It’s perfect for rooftops, patios, balconies, terraces—just about any relatively sunny place outside.

 

Tower Garden®  is versatile enough to grow almost any crop, including fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce, herbs, and flowers. Tower Garden®  simplifies traditional gardening, using a unique vertical garden system that makes it easy to grow your own fresh fruits and vegetables at home.

Click here  https://losangeles.towergarden.com

 
Tower Garden® Growing System
The Tower Garden Growing System comes with everything you need to start growing vegetables, herbs, and fruits at home—including our specially formulated plant food and gourmet seeds. This aeroponic 5-feet-tall vertical garden allows you to grow up to 20 plants in less time than it takes in soil.
 

https://losangeles.towergarden.com

Tower Garden®  is versatile enough to grow almost any crop, including fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce, herbs, and flowers.

Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor and Certified Pond Builder
Phone: (310) 374-1199
Email : mike@enviroscapela.com
Founder of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,
Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
Los Angeles South Bay, California

Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California

Ponds and Pesticides

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As pond contractors and installers, our job is to creates beautiful living spaces with water. This includes ponds, fountains and rainwater harvesting. Once the projectis finished, we see the client’s elated face, they reach for a checkbook and make the final payment, and this story has a happy ending.

Koi Pond enviroscape LAIs this the end of the story? No. This is simply the end of the chapter. The next chapter begins with, “What are the green plants popping up all over my new paradise?” Weeds!

Electing to do pond maintenance is a money-maker. Part of the maintenance of a pond might be maintaining the plant materials around the pond.

Weeds are a normal part of a landscape. There is no place on the planet where weeds don’t grow. In the old days, picking weeds out by hand was the only way to handle these eyesores. Then came herbicides and pesticides. Then came environmentalists, clamoring that the use of herbicides like Round Up are destroying our environment and us! The current debate on GMO’s has Round up (a selective herbicide by Monsanto) at the center of the debate.

What do we know about Round-up? The active ingredient in Round Up is glyphoshate. Once it comes into plant contact, it is absorbed into the plant and kills it. Round Up contains a surfactant that binds glyphoshate molecules onto plant tissues.

The products marketed and sold under the trademark name are not registered for use in aquatic environments. Does this mean it can or cannot be used around fish ponds? Have you used it around fish ponds in the past?

Is it safe if some of it drifts into fish water? Will it kill fish? Would you personally use it around a clients fish pond, especially a pond stocked with very large, expensive koi?

If you don’t use Round Up around ponds, what do you use as a substitute?

Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor & certified Pond Builder
Phone: (310) 374-1199
Email : mike@enviroscapela.com
Founder  of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,
Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
South Bay, California

Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California

BackYard Landscape Design Project Videos

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Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor & Certified Pond Builder
Phone: (310) 374-1199
Email : mike@enviroscapela.com
Founder  of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,
Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
South Bay, California

Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Los Angeles.
ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California

Ponds and Waterfalls

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Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor & Certified Pond Builder
Phone: (310) 374-1199
Email : mike@enviroscapela.com
Founder of EnviroscapeLA  Landscaping,
Manhattan Beach, LA South Bay, California

Landscape Design and Installation of Low Water Use native Garden, Waterfalls and Ponds.
Drip Irrigation, Rainwater Harvesting . Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, CA.

La Ballona Students Growing Great This Spring

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La Ballona Students Growing Great This Spring
Growing Great garden Enviroscapela

In a flurry of activity before Spring Break, all six grades at La Ballona Elementary School completed their garden lessons and planted in the school’s newly built garden. Each grade followed a curriculum created by the nonprofit Growing Great.

Kindergarten and first-grade students planted sunflowers and pumpkins, second-grade students planted flowers to attract pollinators, while the upper grades planted colonial, mission, and Native American crops. All of the children appeared happy to get their hands in the earth and the garden instructors were peppered with questions about the soil, plants, and insects that make up a healthy garden.

“We are so grateful to the many members of our community who donated their funds and services to make our garden a reality!” said Solange Bumbaugh.

The Culver City Education Foundation along with La Ballona’s booster club donated the funds and bought organic seeds. The garden and its eco-friendly irrigation system were installed by Mike Garcia of Enviroscape. Finally, UCLA donated the tools, shed, and composter.

“Our goal is to use the garden to teach the children about caring for the earth by reusing our resources and caring for our bodies by growing healthy food,” Bumbaugh said. “We will collect rainwater and recycle garden and lawn waste in our composter. We look forward to our first harvest in June and to holding our first farmer’s market to be staffed by the school’s newly formed Garden Club.”
Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design  Contractor
Founder of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,

Phone: (310) 374-1199

Email : mike@enviroscapela.com

Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
Los Angeles South Bay, California
Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California
Serving the Los Angeles South Bay.
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Lomita, Carson, Torrance, Lawndale, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Playa Del Ray, Englewood, Marina Del Ray, Venice, Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air Estates, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, and Compton areas.

 

Couple turns pool into sustainable tropical paradise

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Dina Cramer wanted to turn their  barely used backyard pool into a green garden with fountain, waterfall and a creek.

She and her husband, Irl, both retirees, mentioned it to Mike Garcia of Enviroscape L.A. when he came by to trim their trees. Mike Garcia recommended the Manhattan Beach couple, who have grown children, turn the pool into a rainwater-harvesting garden. They already had the hole in the ground, he noted, which is usually the greatest expense for a rainwater garden.  The EnviroscapeLA Crew made their dream come true , the barely used swimmingpool is convertd into a  is stunningly beautifulwater garden paradise with fountains, a stream waterfalls and native plants.
Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design  Contractor
Founder of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,

Phone: (310) 374-1199

Email : mike@enviroscapela.com

Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
Los Angeles South Bay, California

  
Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California  

Serving the Los Angeles South Bay.
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Lomita, Carson, Torrance, Lawndale, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Playa Del Ray, Englewood, Marina Del Ray, Venice, Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air Estates, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, and Compton areas.

Underground Drip Irrigation By Mike Garcia, EnviroscapeLA

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The Manhattan Beach, California project features more than 1,000 square feet of Pacific Sod (Medallion) yard, adding more than 2,000 pounds of Kelloggs Gromulch soil

Enviroscape LA installed a lawn with subsurface drip irrigation to maximize water savings in a Manhattan Beach, California residence. Taking eight workers three days to complete, the project illustrates a relatively quick and affordable way to improve irrigation efficiency in an era of continuing watering restrictions.

After they dug trenches using a Honda trencher (three inches deep and 12 inches apart), workers laid down more than 1,500 feet of the subsurface drip irrigation tubing.

Under a tight deadline, the contractor set to work removing the old turf grass and irrigation system and replacing it with a subterranean irrigation system and a new lawn of Pacific Sod Tall Fescue.

 Workers stripped off the old turf layer by hand, and then rototilled the earth beneath using a Honda 77RTB Rototiller. After mixing in new soil, they dug a series of trenches, spaced at 12 inches apart and dug at a set three inches deep. Workers used a Honda Trencher #RTV7721 to trench the canals.

After the drip lines were installed and covered, but before the sod was laid, the contractor turned on the valve to make sure the system worked as designed.


The Subterranean Irrigation System

Enviroscape LA chose the Rain Bird XFS Dripline sub-surface drip irrigation system for this project. Workers laid more than 1,500 feet of the subsurface drip irrigation tubing, and attached 200 fittings.

The Rain Bird system is the latest in the company’s Xerigation Family. According to the company, the Copper Shield Technology protects the emitter from root intrusion, creating a long-lasting, low maintenance sub-surface drip irrigation system for use under turf grass or shrub and groundcover areas.

 

 

Eight workers spent three days completing the project.

It is designed for small, narrow and tight planting areas, as well as areas with tight curves or many switchbacks. The system accepts a number of 17mm barbed insert fittings, including the company’s Easy Fit Compression Fittings, and its XF Dripline Barbed Insert Fittings.

Rain Bird’s Copper Shield Technology protects the emitter from root intrusion without requiring EPA-approved handling procedures. The low-profile emitter design reduces in-line pressure loss, allowing longer lateral runs, simplifying design and reducing installation time.

 

 Here a worker makes the drip irrigation manifold of 3/4-inch piping.

A variety of emitter flow rates, emitter spacing and coil lengths provide design flexibility for either sub-surface turf grass or sub-surface shrub and groundcover applications. The pressure-compensating emitter design provides a consistent flow over the entire lateral length, ensuring higher uniformity for increased reliability in the pressure range of 8.5 to 60 PSI.

The dual-layered tubing (copper over black) provides resistance to chemicals, algae growth and UV damage. Also, the emitter design resists clogging by use of an extra-wide flow path combined with a self-flushing action.

The first step was for workers to remove the existing lawn by hand and then rototil the area with a Honda Rototiller.

Last Steps

Once the irrigation system was installed and tested to make sure there were no leaks and that all the fittings were working, workers laid down more than 1,000 square feet of sod. They wired in and installed FX luminaire lighting, flowering succulents, blue fescue, dragon tree, echeveria ”Afterglow,” and Blue fescue.

The homeowner received their first water bill since their old system was torn out. According to the contractor, ”Their bill has been cut in half, due to direct watering to the grass root system. With drip irrigation, there is no waste, not runoff, no misting. The future of landscape irrigation is summed up in one word….DRIP!”
 
Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor
certified Pond Builder
Founder of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,

Phone: (310) 374-1199

Email : mike@enviroscapela.com

Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
Los Angeles South Bay, California

  
Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California  

Serving the Los Angeles South Bay.
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Lomita, Carson, Torrance, Lawndale, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Playa Del Ray, Englewood, Marina Del Ray, Venice, Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air Estates, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, and Compton areas.

CLCA Renovates the Richstone Family Center

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Under the leadership of Mike Garcia, the CLCA took on the task of renovating the Richstone Family Center, located in Hawthorne, Calif. The crew from Enviroscape began by taking down a dying tree before attempting to conquer the concrete-like adobe clay soil.

Ask what the California Landscape Contractors Association means to its members, and you will get a variety of answers. However, one view that all members will agree on is this: The CLCA exists to make a difference for the good in the lives of others. If this is the standard by which the CLCA has been set up, then the morning of May 12 saw the CLCA fulfill its highest and loftiest of goals. This was the day the chapter embarked on the Richstone Family Center.

The Richstone Family Center, located in Hawthorne, Calif. was founded in 1973 to provide child victims and their families with therapy that promotes healing and enrichment opportunities, which enhance healthy functioning. Their goal is to keep children safe and in their homes, while helping to prevent abuse.

There could not be a better cause with which the CLCA might align itself. Along with myself, the Enviroscape crew took down a dying tree and spent days working with and tilling the nearly concrete like adobe clay soil. A trencher had to be rented in order to dig the irrigation trenches. The job was not as labor intensive due to the fact that the irrigation nozzles used on the project were none other than the MP Rotators donated by Hunter Industries. Using a conventional irrigation system would have required using more valves and sprinkler heads. Since the MP Rotators work off a very small volume of water, more heads can be put on a single valve, thus reducing the need for more materials and saving in labor as well.

 
Thanks to Jose Robles, on the morning of May 12, over 4,000 square feet of Marathon sod was delivered for free courtesy of Southland Sod. Prior to laying the sod a trencher was rented in order to dig the irrigation trenches.

The day of the event over 4,000 square feet of Marathon sod was delivered for free courtesy of Southland Sod. Jose Robles was instrumental in making the sod arrangements and also donated tons of necessary irrigation materials.

The event was not only to improve the environment for the kids, but it was all about teaching the kids about water conservation. Which is why the West Basin Municipal Water District donated two smart ET controllers to the project with an approximate value of two thousand dollars. California has already passes a law which will make it mandatory to install only ET based controllers, such as Weathermatic, into new construction by the year 2008…thus the CLCA is keeping ahead of the new technology curve.

Many people donated their time and materials to this incredible project, without demanding credit for all of their hard work. They did not do it for the accolades, but merely to make a difference, and the CLCA is proud to have been involved.

 

 
To help in irrigation of the new sod two new smart ET controllers were donated by the West Basin Municipal Water District. The smart controllers by Weathermatic automatically adjust down in the winter and up in the warmer months and completely shut off when it rains, thus resulting in saving water.
 
 
 
Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor
certified Pond Builder
Founder of Enviroscape L.A. Landscaping,

Phone: (310) 374-1199

Email : mike@enviroscapela.com

Redondo Beach, Ca 90278
Los Angeles South Bay, California

  
Landscape Design and Installation of sustainable Low Water Use native Garden Design, Waterfalls, Fountains and Ponds. Drip Irrigation Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Systems. ENVIROSCAPE LA – Your Gardening Guide in the Los Angeles South Bay Area, California  

Serving the Los Angeles South Bay.
Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Lomita, Carson, Torrance, Lawndale, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Segundo, Playa Del Ray, Englewood, Marina Del Ray, Venice, Culver City, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air Estates, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Long Beach, Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, and Compton areas.

 

 

Rainwater Capture Installations

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Rainwater Capture Installations: A Good Business Opportunity
This backyard used to have a swimming pool, but the yard was transformed into a rain-harvest collection system complete with a pondless waterfall. Harvested water keeps the landscape green year round, and drought-tolerant plants and porous materials add to the sustainable elements of the project. Paving stones were placed on top of an installation of Flexi-Pave, a porous product that allows for the capture of more rainwater. The rainwater storage tanks sit about five feet below this section of the backyard. Photo: Gregory Harris, LCDBM

 

Rainwater collection does not have the cache of ”cloud computing” and ”4G” cell phones and hand-held devices, but the capturing and reuse of rainwater for landscape irrigation and water features is a growing business.

Traditionally, rainwater harvesting was used as conservation tool. Areas with limited supplies of groundwater would urge its residents and small businesses to harvest rainwater as method to lessen the use of groundwater. This did not become a widespread phenomenon because the cost of water is usually low and the few incentives in place urging rainwater harvesting did not justify installing the equipment necessary to harvest rainwater.

City, state and the federal government are increasingly touting the benefits of capturing rainwater as a stormwater best management practice tool. For example, Los Angeles, Calif. is promoting low impact development (LID).

Atlantic Water Gardens’ Clean Rain Ultra Downspout Diverter features a rain head that deflects leaves and debris and a first flush water diverter that prevents contaminants in the initial surge of water from being collected. Rainwater from the gutter flows into this system, with the white PVC pipe serving as the ”first flush.” The rainwater flows into the storage containers via the black pipe. Photo: Gregory Harris, LCDBM

Rainwater for Irrigation

Using rainwater for landscape irrigation would seem to be the ideal use of a natural resource and many landscape contractors are embracing rainwater harvesting as a tool to achieve more sustainable projects.
Mike Garcia, owner of Southern California-based Enviroscape, believes in the big-picture view of rainwater capture.

”Los Angeles gets 14 to 15 inches of rain each year,” he said. ”Most of that water gets caught in the streets. That water picks up chemicals from the streets, it goes down the storm drains and eventually gets pulled into the oceans. In order to help save the oceans, we should be reusing rainwater.”

Capturing and reusing rainwater is a key component of Garcia’s business. In addition to using rainwater for irrigation, Enviroscape installations use rainwater for pondless waterfalls and water features projects.

Drought tolerant plants including Senecio, Aeonium, Kalenchoes bring color to the landscape. Rain Bird’s subsurface drip irrigation system (as seen by the copper-colored line) is used to deliver the captured rainwater to the plants. Photo: Gregory Harris, LCDBM

After excavating an area for the rainwater storage, a 6-inch minimum sand base is installed. This is followed by the placement of rain tanks. After the tanks are positioned, landscape fabric is used to cover the tanks. A 12-inch sand layer is placed on top of the tanks, followed by a layer of 45 mm pond liner and a final course of sand base. Photo: Enviroscape

Replacing the Pool

 

Mike Garcia converted his own backyard swimming pool into a rainwater collection system that includes a pondless waterfall.

”I can keep the landscape green all year using two months of tap water instead of 12 months thanks to the rainwater that has been captured,” he said.

Garcia’s backyard includes underground storage for 4,000 gallons of rainwater, the waterfall and a permeable surface of the storage unit. The rainwater is collected from the roof, flowing from gutters down through to a downspout diverter that filters the rainwater. The filtered rainwater then flows down into the storage tanks.

Garcia’s installation uses a downspout diverter from Atlantic Water Gardens. The company’s Clean Rain Ultra Downspout Diverter features a rain head that deflects leaves and debris and a first flush water diverter that prevents contaminants in the initial surge of water from being collected.

 

Storage System

Garcia uses EcoRain modular rain tanks for the water storage, preferring the use of subsurface storage rather than storage barrels or tanks that sit on the surface.

The installation of the rain tanks is relatively straightforward but labor intensive. After excavating an area for the storage or using space occupied by a swimming pool that is being replaced with rainwater capture equipment, a 6-inch minimum sand base is installed. This is followed by the placement of the rain tanks. After the tanks are positioned, landscape fabric is used to cover the tanks. A 12-inch sand layer is placed on top of the tanks, followed by a layer of 45 mm pond liner and a final course of sand base.

For his project, Garcia installed Flexi-Pave on top of the area that houses the rainwater storage area. This product allows for the capture of more rainwater.

”The Flexi-Pave is made from recycled tires, which adds to the overall sustainability of this project,” he said. ”The recycled tires are ground up to a pea-gravel size. It is hand-mixed, laid down and smoothed out similar to how concrete is installed.”


Collected rainwater is stored underground where it is ready to use for irrigation and the pondless waterfall at this residence. Looking down into the vault that sits next to the rainwater storage tanks, the downspout that delivers water to be stored and pipes that transport the water to the irrigation and waterfall systems are visible. This opening is typically covered, preventing debris from entering this chamber.


A computerized control system by Leader Pumps was installed to allow for the automatic operation of the pump, preventing it from dry running. The Pro Eco pump used on this job is a submersible model that was placed inside the cylindrical vault. Photo: Gregory Harris, LCDBM
 

Benefits of Drip Irrigation

The abundance of plant materials on this project are being supplied water via a drip irrigation system, which Garcia says is key in water conservation.

”A subsurface or underground sprinkler system makes great sense,” he said. ”Choosing subsurface irrigation over conventional sprinklers will prevent overspray, the main cause of wasted water and money.”

Garcia’s drip irrigation system of choice is Rain Bird’s subsurface drip line with Copper Shield Technology.

”This system protects the emitter from root intrusion, resulting in fewer irrigation problems after installation,” he said. Garcia noted the benefit of the subsurface irrigation is to distribute water only where it is needed, at the roots of a plant.

”Drip irrigation is the world’s most efficient type of irrigation, and subsurface drip is especially so because it is unaffected by wind and evaporation,” he said. ”This results in 70 percent less water use than conventional overhead sprinklers.”

Homeowners may not choose to install as many landscape features as Garcia has for his home after getting a rainwater capture system, but Garcia believes there is no harm in adding amenities.

Thank you for taking the time to connect. 

Mike Garcia,
Landscape Design Contractor & Certified Pond Builder
Founder of Enviroscape LA Landscaping
Los Angeles, California

Email : mike@enviroscapela.com

Phone:  310.374.1199

2701 Artesia Blvd,
Redondo Beach, CA 90278