- 1). Draw a diagram of your house on graph paper (this is called a base plan). Include flowerbeds, trees, shrubbery swimming pools, pathways, driveways, sheds and the perimeters of your home. Measure the length and the width of your property and indicate the measurements on your diagram.
- 2). Write down a list of your existing plants. Indicate if they are native plants. Native plants are oftentimes more fire resistant than plants from other regions. More fire resistant plants include succulents, evergreen trees, salt-rich plants, conifers, vegetables, herbs and eucalyptus. Less resistant plants consist of lavender and ornamental grasses.
- 3). Dig up bush that are growing near and around your trees. While trees can slow down the winds that fuel fires, bush planted near the trees will add more fuel to the fire. Water the area around the bush. Press a shovel next to the bush and at least 6 inches deep. Lift the bush from underneath, so that you remove all of its roots.
- 4). Plant fire resistant plants where the old bush grew. Types of fire resistant shrubs include common yarrow, sage, monkey flower and California redbud. Dig a hole that is twice the diameter as the plant's root ball and at the same depth as the plant has been planted in its container. Place the plant in the hole and pack soil around its base. Water the plant at the base, so that the soil is moist but not saturated.
- 5). Remove existing grass ground cover with a shovel. Broadcast a fire resistant ground cover such as wild strawberry seeds over the area. Roll a lawn roller over the seeds to ensure good soil contact. Spread 1/4 \inch of compost over the seeds and water thoroughly.
- 6). Replace organic mulch like pine needles with inorganic mulch such as gravel or stone. Spread 3 inches of the mulch in flowerbeds and around trees, out to their dripline.