In the fall of 1949, the City of Palm Springs dedicated 308 palm trees ... midcentury landscape architect Ralph Cornell. The variety and sheer number of specimens in Santa Monica is unrivaled.

Homeowners are transforming their backyards by creating a summer oasis reminiscent of South Florida or the Caribbean.

The real threat to the city’s palm-lined avenues is disease: lethal bronzing and lethal yellowing, said Horticulture Extension Agent Joe Willis. The two palm diseases are transmitted by species of ...