Here in Malibu, we have just passed the second anniversary of the Woolsey Fire that devastated over ninety-six thousand acres of land, most of it our local mountains. The fire started across the San Fernando Valley in the Santa Susana mountain range. It burned 35 miles all the way to the Pacific Ocean, destroying everything in its path.

Cougars, Coyotes, Deer, from the top of the food chain were vanquished, as well as small animals and birds. Then the bees, butterflies, and insects that thrived on the bountiful land. Our environment was and still is seriously out of kilter until nature can rebalance itself again.

I cried when we lost our home and surveyed the smouldering, smokey ruins of our neighbors' homes. I cried when I would look up to the mountains or drive through our canyons and as far as the eye could see was black ash and ghostly silhouettes of burned trees. I thought of ways I might be able to nurture and coax life back to the hills and canyons. I came up with an idea called Wildfire to Wildflowers where, if I scattered wildflower seeds on the verges and gullies of our neighborhood, perhaps it might be a start. Eighteen months later I was rewarded by the sight of wildflowers, where once it was just a barren piece of land along the roadside. A cornucopia of wildflowers sprang up in a multitude of variety and color, attracting bees, butterflies, and insects to this patch of land.

It cannot be underestimated how much help our bees and butterflies need right now, their very existence is in danger according to scientists.

I feel a renewed sense of urgency to keep going forward, scattering and planting wildflower seeds as soon as the rainy season begins in December.

I want to share this joy with those who also feel the same desire to rejuvenate the land, help the insects thrive and enjoy the beauty of wildflowers growing from the ashes that still clings to the earth.

Therefore my company Malibu Fountains is giving away complimentary wildflower seeds selected especially because they are native to this area. As a current newsletter subscriber, if you are interested in receiving the seeds, please contact me at lisa@malibufountains.com

The company I chose to buy from is American Meadows, which is doing amazing work to help rebalance the ecology here in the United States. Here is their link.

Nature has its own system of checks and balances, scientists say. Fire burns off natural oils and secretions from shrubs that block competition from other plants. Clearing away old growth, fire in turn increases the diversity of chaparral plants. Likewise, fire can rejuvenate forests, too, putting nutrients back into the soil to stimulate new growth.

Generally, it’s the annuals that put on the brightest post-fire flower show, experts say. No longer shaded by overgrown trees and chaparral, golden daisies glow in the extra sunlight. Indian paintbrush and scarlet larkspur offer splashes of vivid red. Pink lupines and purple penstemons bloom in abundance.

Those flowers were always present but unseen, their seed waiting in the soil for the right opportunity. Now we have a chance to encourage more wildflowers to grow again joining those that have always been there waiting to help heal the land.

If you would like to join me in this happy and rewarding venture, please contact Lisa@malibufountains.com for wildflower seeds to scatter this winter, or to plant in your own garden.

If handling tiny seeds is not your thing, here is a fun way of doing it - you can order seed bombs as featured in this Mental Floss story.

From Wildfire To Wild Flowers