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AFTER THE FIRES: CULTIVATING PLACE IN LA with STUDIO PETRICHOR






For our final episode of January, we honor gardening and Cultivating

Place often in spite of the odds. It’s been a full year since the devastating fires of Los Angeles, California in January of 2025. Many lives were lost, many acres and homes were burned. And many gardens, cultivated spaces, and gardeners were profoundly impacted.


This week, we check-in with two humans who are cultivating their place with care in the wake of this catastrophe. Leigh Adams and Shawn Maestretti are Studio Petrichor, based in Los Angeles. They join us this week to share so much more about, working with nature’s intelligence to co-create outdoor

environments that are free spirited, functional, and ecologically integrated. And how as of January of 2025, they are doing this in the long shadow of the devastating LA Fires.


Enjoy!



Follow Studio Petrichor online:

and on Instagram:


All Photos courtesy of Studio Petrichor, all rights reserved.


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JOIN US again next week, when host Ben Futa is in conversation with artist, activist Gardener Tanja Hollander. Tanja works with gardens, social practice, photography, video, and installation to understand how cultural and visual relationships help us make sense of our chaotic world. Very Specifically, her Mourning Flowers project brings awareness to the ripple effects of trauma and fear that communities sustain after acts of violence, specifically gun violence. In these chaotic and frequently violent times, we can all use some mourning to compost trauma into healthier minds, hearts, and communities. That's right here, next week. Listen in!



Cultivating Place is made possible in part by listeners like you and by generous support

from

in honor of Bailey Shaw


supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.





 recent image of Leigh Adams' place demonstrating the power of soil building and water harvesting.  The area above the retaining wall has regenerated.  It was an orchard with many native plants.  
 recent image of Leigh Adams' place demonstrating the power of soil building and water harvesting.  The area above the retaining wall has regenerated.  It was an orchard with many native plants.  

Thinking out loud this week...


Hey, it's Jennifer—


Gardening IS a human impulse; all humans across time and space, cultures, religions, socioeconomic levels have, do, and will respond to this impulse whenever and wherever they can.


The fact that we as humans turn to this in the wake of some of the world’s most challenging events – war, fire, hurricane, loss – perhaps says it all about where and how we really value this.


In public growing announcements this week, with this episode, the last of January 2026, Cultivating Place is now 10 years old and we are entering our 11th year of production, and our second decade. This is a proud and happy growth ring mark, my friends. Thank you all for being along for this joyful adventure! Feel free to send us a Happy Birthday comment over on Substack, or Instagram, or by email: cultivatingplace@gmail.com we’d love to hear what Cultivating Place well looks like in your life, and what it means to be part of this CP community.


In other announcements, while I am resting, dreaming, sleeping till the sun wakes me (which is later than I usually sleep), and savoring the seed catalogues. As we all know, in the garden world winter is a rich season for learning and coming together. It is perhaps the richest season of all for lectures, symposia, conferences. Make sure to check out your own local gardens, nurseries, hort groups, and museums, but here were a few of note in my reading over the last few weeks:


And one reminder about this year’s Northwest Flower & Garden

Festival in Seattle WA February 18 – 22nd, living out this belief each day

when I will bring Cultivating Place - to life on stage in lively, thought-provoking

conversations celebrating the people, plants, and places that shape our horticultural world.


Across three special sessions, I will welcome keystones Dan Hinkley, Doug Tallamy, and Rochelle Greayer for engaging interviews and panels exploring the beauty, science, and legacy of gardening today… and tomorrow I really hope you can be part of the audience as these conversations are recorded live for

Cultivating Place… a rare chance to witness the stories, insights, and inspiration that help us all cultivate our own sense of place. Link for tickets HERE. SEE YOU THERE!

WAYS TO SUPPORT CULTIVATING PLACE

Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating Place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.org


The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, weekly communications support by Sheila Stern and Carley Bruckner, and regular hosting by Founder, Jennifer Jewell, as well as Abra Lee in Atlanta, Georgia, and Ben Futa in South Bend, Indiana. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse..


SHARE the podcast with friends: If you enjoy these conversations about these things we love and which connect us, please share them forward with others. Thank you in advance!

RATE the podcast on iTunes: Or wherever you get your podcast feed: Please submit a ranking and a review of the program on Itunes! To do so follow this link: iTunes Review and Rate (once there, click View In Itunes and go to Ratings and Reviews)

DONATE: Cultivating Place is a listener-supported co-production of North State Public Radio. To make your listener contribution – please click the donate button below. Thank you in advance for your help making these valuable conversations grow.

Or, make checks payable to: Cultivating Place Foundation EIN #33-1665277

PO Box 37

Durham, CA 95938


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