Taking It To The Street

Worth the Work: Meet Hatti Hamlin

Hatti Hamlin from the Sleepy Hollow Firewise neighborhood has lived in the same home for 35 years — but it wasn't until she caught the gardening bug that she saw her property differently: as a blank palette waiting to be reimagined.

She started by clearing out the many plants that had grown in over the years. With a small budget to help with clean up, Hatti ripped out the overgrown, unwanted plants crowding her yard, keeping just one native tree. Closest to the house, she went further still — removing everything within five feet of her home and replacing it with gravel, creating a clean, non-combustible buffer.

Creating beauty around that defensible space zone became Hatti’s passion. By planting  strategically from the street back into the property, the area within five feet of the house became invisible from the street., Hatti used native, pollinator-friendly plants, starting small to keep costs low, filling in with one- and two-gallon containers and watching them mature. One of her favorite tricks: using cuttings from friends and neighbors, especially succulents, which now show up throughout the garden.

The street view of her landscape is lush and active. With something blooming nearly year-round, the yard has become a haven for birds and bees and their happy sounds.

Hatti’s garden proves that defensible space and beauty can coexist: with the right plant choices and a little patience, a fire-resilient yard can also be a thriving one.

Want to start your own project? A free, personalized Wildfire Safety Assessment from a Community Wildfire Safety Ambassador is the best first step to understand how you can make your home safer from wildfire — and Orinda residents may qualify for matching funds through the Measure R Fuels Reduction Incentive Program.