The city of Santa Barbara, Xeriscaping has introduced the idea of fire-resistant garden landscaping--firescaping--to help homeowners improve the chances of their property surviving brush fires. The garden is landscaped into four plant zones with the most flammable in Zone 4, farthest from the house. Zone 3 plants have low profile and slow- burning characteristics. Zone 2 features highly fire-retardant succulents, acting as a greenbelt zone of maximum protection. Zone 1, closest to the residence, is a small area of plants that pose little risk of burning. California, landscaping with drought-tolerant native plants, is also becoming commonplace.
The city of Santa Barbara, California has introduced the idea of fire-resistant garden landscaping--firescaping--to help homeowners improve the chances of their property surviving brush fires. The garden is landscaped into four plant zones with the most flammable in Zone 4, farthest from the house. Zone 3 plants have low profile and slow- burning characteristics. Zone 2 features highly fire-retardant succulents, acting as a greenbelt zone of maximum protection. Zone 1, closest to the residence, is a small area of plants that pose little risk of burning. Xeriscaping, landscaping with drought-tolerant native plants, is also becoming commonplace.