My name is Mike, and I am a life-long Camarillo resident. I live on 4 acres in the Heights in a 'thermal incline' - an area with enough of a slope for cold air to drain away, leaving us frost-free. The property was once a commercial avocado orchard, but root-rot killed the majority of the trees The property was then used for field trials of root-rot resistant root stocks in a UCI ag program.

In the frost-free zone, we can grow some pretty tender plants. Bananas, Cherimoyas, Sapotes, 3 kinds of Guavas and a number of other tender fruit trees grow here.


Not so tender fruits also do well - we have very good luck with Pomegranates, Citrus, figs, Japanese apples and persimmons, etc.

We have been (re)introducing a lot of native vegetaion to the property. Native salvias, penstemon, and Galvesia (Island Snap-Dragons) all have tubular flowers that attract humming birds. These, with the mixes of wildflowers, gardens, areas of Toyons and Matilija Poppies, plus a few well placed watering stations, also support a large quail population, hawks, falcons, owls, doves, rabbits, squirrels, gophers (and gopher snakes). Over 128 species of birds have been identified on the property.


Rounding out the population, we have a huge coyote population and problem (they love cats and small, tasty dogs), and a frequent visitor - a bobcat.






As evidenced by the bibcat, we are also a certified Wildlife Refuge...