The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) is a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to promoting the statewide landscaping industry and its associated causes. In addition to licensed landscape and landscape-related contractors, the organization’s membership includes public officials, educators and students.

CLCA’s stated mission is “to serve and protect the interests of its members, promote professionalism, and advance public awareness of the landscape industry.” Read more

Most of us spend more time outdoors during the summer doing activities like gardening, playing sports, grilling meals and socializing with friends. If you’re trying to create the perfect yard for enjoying the warm weather, it’s important to focus on both landscaping and hardscaping. A pathway, patio, retaining wall or any built-in feature in your yard is part of its hardscaping. Below, we’ll explain how hardscaping features can make your yard more beautiful, better for entertaining and even safer. Read more

Like all plants, trees have basic nutritional and maintenance needs that must be met in order for them to thrive. However, meeting these needs isn’t as simple as it often seems, which is why property owners need to follow proper protocol when caring for their trees. To learn about this in greater detail, we’re joined by seven Diamond Certified Expert Contributors in the tree service industry. Read more

California’s steep terrain and forceful winter rainstorms make soil erosion and landslide risk a yearly threat to homes. After months of bone-dry conditions, strong storms can quickly alter hillside terrain. While soil erosion is an inherently natural process, homeowners can take steps to reduce the negative effects erosion may have on their properties.  Read more

Homeowners in the Bay Area are increasingly turning to gravel for their landscaping projects. That’s because gravel can be the right solution for many local landscaping problems. Gravel helps reduce soil erosion by slowing the flow of rainwater, and it’s an attractive groundcover option for areas where plants have difficulty growing. Also, since it doesn’t need irrigation, it’s a great solution for homeowners who want to reduce their water usage. Gravel can even help protect your home by acting as a barrier against encroaching wildfire.  Read more

The Bay Area has already seen numerous destructive wildfires in 2020, and there are still several weeks of hot, dry weather ahead of us. As wildfires become an increasingly common threat to the region, many homeowners are turning to “firescaping,” which is the coordinated use of fire-resistant plants and building materials around the home. With the right plants and hardscaping features, you can make it harder for wildfire to take hold and spread. Firescaping is a type of landscaping, which means you still have many options to create a garden that reflects your personal style. Aside from improving safety and adding beauty, firescaping can increase the value of your home. Read more

After being hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, California seems due for a summer reprieve. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be the case. Not only are many areas of the state seeing a resurgence of novel Coronavirus cases, we now face another, more familiar yet equally concerning issue: wildfire season. Each summer, wildfires destroy thousands of acres and homes throughout California, and this year looks to be no exception. That’s why residents (particularly those situated in the wildland-urban interface) must be vigilant about maintaining fire-safe conditions on their properties. Consider the following advice for defending your home against wildfires. Read more