What part of LA, Brock? There are a dozen microclimates at least in the LA area. If the area has marine influence, the plants are different than if it doesn't.
I have a food forest in Sunland and can tell you what is thriving there, or you could come and see it at our Sunday gatherings. I've worked with a food forest in Crenshaw (which has the marine influence) and can tell you what thrives there. He has a lot of tropicals and semi-tropicals there which can be quite suitable for many areas of LA. Banana, tomato tree, mango, papaya, ice cream bean, jak fruit, brazilian jungle flowers, etc, etc. He also has cherry, nectarine and other more cold loving fruits growing right next to the tropicals. Guava does well in Sunland which has more extreme temperatures (110 or above sometimes in summer, freezes and snows a couple of times in the winter, also heavy winds). Banana gets chewed up but I know of someone who has had
fruiting bananas even in that climate. We lost our mango in the freeze, but have sugar cane, and lots of stone fruit of all kinds, a tomato tree (which hasn't borne yet, just a year old), some semitropical flowers that bloom, passion fruit, etc.
As for rainwater, I doubt the LA city water is any better, probably worse. And the plants are exposed to pollution whether it rains or not. Really rich, microbe laden soils help counteract the effects. You could always filter the captured rainwater through a wetland or soil system that has lots of microbes in it or just a regular filter of some sort.
Best, Cory
Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture
Network <lakinroe@silcom.com> wrote:
> Los Angeles backyard garden request from PC Designer
>
>From: Brock Anderson
>To:
>Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 18:13:52 +0000
>
>
>Reply-To: permaculture
>
>
>I have a client in LA who wants a veggie garden
>in her backyard and possibly a rainwater
>system. I´ve mostly worked in the tropics so
>i´m not familiar with what plants
>permaculturists are using in the LA
>bioregion. Can someone give me some ideas for a
>backyard permaculture garden in LA? Also, given
>the high level of pollution in LA air, is it
>possible to use rainwater in the garden? Thanks a
million!
>
>Saludos,
>
>Brock
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