The most "lush" areas of San Diego? (Chula Vista: condo, credit)

[NinjaSteve]

Obviously San Diego is pretty dry. Not a whole lot of rain, so things are not always very green or thick. But with that known, what areas have you noticed are the most "lush"?

Interestingly, Chula Vista gets about 9" of rain per year while a place in north county which I've never been to, called Hidden Meadows, supposedly gets 18". While I have noticed North County does seem more lush than South Bay, that seems like quite a variance. This is according to Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed. It also says Rancho Santa Fe gets 8" but that's a pretty darn lush place to me (maybe bazillionaire super sprinklers). I guess there's more to lushness than just rain.

Thoughts?

[esmith143]

Lushness is a combination of factors, 1) wealth (common areas, trees, sprinklers), 2) precipitation. Unlike grass lawns, trees don't require that much water to thrive. Clairemont is more barren than RSF with the same amount of precipitation, because there are fewer tree-lined common areas.

The further you move from the coast, the more rain you get. I'm not sure about Hidden Meadows, but Escondido averages 15" and Palomar Mountain and Laguna Mountains get more than 30".

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ipitations.gif

[clouded]

Mission Beach on a Saturday Night, oh wait you mean trees? Fauna and such?

Close to town that title belongs to Balboa Park. Some of the oldest and most diverse trees in SoCal creating a nice canopy for smaller plant life to thrive. But I know what you mean, you're talking big blinding sticky humid east coast green right? Northeast into the mountains, where desert air meets coastal, say Ramona, Julian off of 78 east -- places like this are getting closer because they experience seasons and much more rain. Still even that doesn't compare.

[pittsteelers247]

Originally Posted by esmith143

Lushness is a combination of factors, 1) wealth (common areas, trees, sprinklers), 2) precipitation. Unlike grass lawns, trees don't require that much water to thrive. Clairemont is more barren than RSF with the same amount of precipitation, because there are fewer tree-lined common areas.

The further you move from the coast, the more rain you get. I'm not sure about Hidden Meadows, but Escondido averages 15" and Palomar Mountain and Laguna Mountains get more than 30".

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ipitations.gif

It's not necessarily how far away you go from the coast, but how high in elevation you go. (Which in San Diego is the same thing I guess. haha). The higher you go, the more rain gets squeezed out of the clouds, thats why we have deserts, its called a rain shadow, where the mountains squeeze out all the precip. and the land behind it gets little to none.

[ranzchic]

Precipitation is also bit deceptive. The coasts don't get as much rain but those areas experience much more foggy weather that basically wets everything.

[mini_cute]

Yeah Balboa Park is lush. Scripps Ranch is lush due to the landscaping. La Jolla is lush. The little park in Casa Bella at Renaissance La Jolla (UTC) is lush because of extensive landscaping. That is all I can think of for now.

Here's a video showing Balboa Park from the 163 S:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWl6rltCjXU

Here's a video of Scripps Ranch (the newer development side):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tusv8P7KXO8

La Jolla with an ocean view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRda8Dyfg_k

Renaissance La Jolla at Casa Bella luxury condo community:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXuSGizEscY

http://www.sandiegoturtle.blogspot.com

[T. Damon]

My garden is pretty darn lush for an area that for that last few years gets about the same amount of rain as the Sahara desert.
Gotta love living next to a heavily irrigated, wonderfully designed 100 year old park in the middle of the city, ...
yeah' there is a bit of watering involved but it actually is a compact city garden borrowing landscape views from adjacent Balboa Park canyons

[mini_cute]

Originally Posted by T. Damon

My garden is pretty darn lush for an area that for that last few years gets about the same amount of rain as the Sahara desert.
Gotta love living next to a heavily irrigated, wonderfully designed 100 year old park in the middle of the city, ...
yeah' there is a bit of watering involved but it actually is a compact city garden borrowing landscape views from adjacent Balboa Park canyons

That's beautiful. I wish I could have a garden like that, let alone keep a single plant alive.

[T. Damon]

Thanks for the kind words, it is not a low maintenance garden to be sure and I give all the credit to its beauty to my partner who spends many hours a week tending and watering it. But instead of expensive traveling and going out often we find hanging out here and actually taking "garden tours" walking through the levels a nice way to spend some time.

[sdurbanite]

Beautiful yard, T. Damon! Was that shot taken from a second floor or does your yard go into the canyon?