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Comment by cnity | Hacker News Reader

It's always worth checking out the native species that work best with your terrain, weather, and soil[0]. Though you may not be able to grow much food, you can grow a wonderfully rich, low maintenance garden with natives that will attract a diverse set of insects, birds, and animals. It in some ways might be more rewarding even than growing food, depending on your inclination.

My in-laws have an incredible native garden in California that is beautiful enough to have appeared in a couple of publications as an example (this is not some extravagant and rich family either, by any means). They rarely have to water their garden, compared with their neighbours who seem to have to hose/sprinkle their lawns every other day, practically.

0: https://www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/local_info...

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But ... keep in mind it will attract insects, birds, and animals, and they may not be cute :). Be prepared for more insects in your house, more bird poop and more possums etc

All good things to have around your home. Possums eat insects =)

They’re almost* entirely harmless too. They’re not very photogenic but the most they do is hiss and show their teeth, and if that doesn’t work they… play dead.

* Possums spread fleas like nobody’s business

The big issue in much of California are rats. So many god damn rats.

I spent 25 years there and didn't see too many of those. Then again they don't really like to be seen. I wouldn't call it a nuisance though? They aren't an overwhelming threat, just a minor nuisance.

Bay Area - especially Palo Alto and San Jose - I’ve seen rats the size of small cats. And had to remediate multiple houses where they got into it and made a huge mess.

Only in areas with fruit trees though.

They’re fruit rats that like to live in trees so it’s pretty rare for them to make it inside the house - I’ve only had one rat make it into the walls in 20 years of living in a 100 year old house despite a dozen fruit trees surrounding the property. I’m in LA though so maybe the Bay Area winters drive them inside more often.

They absolutely ruin the harvest though. We manage to pick maybe a tenth of the pomelos and pomegranates that ripen before the rats get to them. I made a deal with one of my neighbors to tear down the fence and hedges separating our properties to prevent them from easily moving between trees on that side so at least the avocados are safe.

We’ve got rats in California but they’re a minor suburban nuisance, not a giant public health problem like in New York.

Literally had a dozen houses over the years with big problems in the Bay Area. Most people don’t notice until it gets really bad.

Or go into a crawl space or an attic - and then yikes.

LA does have a lot fewer of both of those though eh?

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