Foothill Apartments: Canopy on the Corridor

We’re excited to share our recent habitat landscape project at 311 E Foothill! Below are some pictures of the work in progress. We typically plant small 1-gallon plants to give the roots the best chance to establish and grow healthy, thriving plants. Because of this, the landscape will take some time to fully come to life, but observing and celebrating plant growth is an important way to connect with nature.

Before

The goal of this project was to transform an underused, water-wasting lawn into a vibrant, resource-efficient landscape that enhances the area for tenants of this apartment complex. We’ve created inviting spaces such as a BBQ area, a walking path around the building, natural garden beds, and strategically placed trees and shrubs to block the noise from Foothill Boulevard. Our vision also includes planting large trees to soften the view of the building from the street, all within a limited budget.

In addition to the two Valley Oaks we planted on the property two years ago, we’ve added 9 more trees: three sycamore, three western redbuds, 1 desert willow and two toyon (this is part of the 40+ trees that we have planted along Foothill Blvd in Monrovia so far). Our inspiration for this project came from the apartment complex at the north corner of Foothill and Mountain Ave, with its closely planted sycamore and oak trees, and the lush, tree-lined stretch of Foothill in Arcadia past Santa Anita, a route that many of us prefer to take over the freeway for the beautiful “tunnel of greenery.” Once mature, our planted trees will shade nearly an entire block along our main thoroughfare Foothill Blvd.

Another key focus was improving water management. We’ve rerouted the building’s gutters to a bioswale and dry river designed to capture and direct rainwater away from the foundation and back into our local aquifers, rather than letting it flow into storm drains and out to the ocean. This system helps conserve water right where we need it.