Landscaping

Rancho La Puerta and its surrounding landscape are located in a biodiversity hotspot, meaning it is a region that is both rich in biodiversity and is in significant danger of destruction. The preciousness of this natural landscape is reflected in the beauty and quality of the gardening at Rancho La Puerta. Guests feel as though they are visiting a natural oasis, where native live oaks line the walking paths and wildflower fields blend seamlessly into the surrounding chaparral. Mt. Kuchumaa is “the exalted high place” of the Kumeyaay tribe. In their eyes, Kuchumaa was the womb of the world, the place from which creation sprang.

Rancho La Puerta gardens thrive within our wild landscape.  Our large staff of gardeners use only environmentally friendly methods to ensure the health of our guests and the surrounding wildlife.

A large on-site nursery propagates and provides the plants used for landscaping, many of which are native species.  The majority of landscape maintenance is done using hand tools.  We use alternatives to herbicides by keeping undesirable plants out of areas using mulches or via hand weeding.

Gardens are fertilized using composted organic matter from garden trimmings and mulched in order to conserve water and suppress weeds. There is minimal to no use of chemical fertilizers to maintain Rancho La Puerta grounds, apart from nitrogen fertilizers used for lawn care.  Only environmentally friendly herbal sprays are used to control pests, such as neem oil.

Natural pest management is provided by the multitude of flowering plants that attract bats, birds and beneficial insects.  In this way, pollinator species are protected.  Palm tree fronds are not trimmed; instead, they are left on the trees to provide habitat for bats and other vertebrates.

Migrating birds depend on the lush habitat at Rancho La Puerta as a stopover point where they can “refuel” during migration.

Vertebrate pests such as snakes and raccoons are controlled using live traps. and moved to another property.

We bring creative solutions to managing our waste stream and controlling invasive species.  For example, eucalyptus and carrizo (arundo donax) are harvested, removed and then used to create garden structures, furniture and incorporated into building interiors.

At the end of the Christmas season, Rancho La Puerta brings their wood chipper into the town of Tecate to chip the Christmas trees from which they make mulch for the grounds. Community members who bring their trees are offered either a bag of mulch made from trees or a certificate to participate in a landscaping tour and instruction on eco-friendly gardening and landscaping at Rancho La Puerta.