Showcase Features: This small suburban lot is a bit of native paradise and a water-wise wildlife habitat garden, nestled among the old, conventional style landscapes of the surrounding neighborhood. The large lawns and neatly sheared exotic shrubs were replaced many years ago with a mostly native landscape throughout. Many potted natives and unique garden art and paintings by local artists are also showcased. One of the owners is a landscape professional, a Master Gardener and a long time CNPS member, who uses the garden as a demonstration site as well as a learning lab. The owners take pride in gardening with eco-friendly methods, without the use of gas-powered garden tools or chemicals, and they also do on-site recycling and composting.

Other Garden Attractions: The front lawn was converted into a bunch grass and wildflower meadow, and is planted with a mix of cool and warm season grasses, perennials, bulbs, and shrubs, providing an extended blooming period and habitat value. Mature shrubs include a spice bush, 2 multi-stem western redbud, a Ray Hartman ceanothus and 3 Louis Edmonds manzanita. The back yard's patio includes a wall fountain, and is surrounded by a pitcher sage, coast silk tassel, pink flowering currant, bladderpod, Sentinel manzanita, chamise, and an assortment of perennials, including smaller buckwheats, CA fucsia, and CA oat grass. CA Dutchman's pipe, western virgin's bower, CA blackberry, pink honeysuckle, and a Yankee Point Ceanothus are trained on the fences. A meandering stepstone path leads around the back garden among the various, rock-edged planting beds, toward the tool shed & compost area, and 2 rain barrels. A wooden bench offers a view to most of the back garden and patio, and to an urn fountain, underplanted by watering-loving natives: torrent sedge, western columbine, stream orchid, etc. Tall screening is provided by California wax myrtle, toyon, hollyleaf cherry, and their shade is enjoyed by an assortment of woodland shrubs and perennials, including snowberry, cream bush, pink flowering & evergreen currants, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, vine maple, evergreen huckleberry, hummingbird sage, CA hedge nettle, western sword fern, woodland sanicle, fringe cups, coral bells, yerba buena, Douglas iris, woodland strawberry, false solomon's seal, etc. A notable feature in the backyard is a 20' high blue elderberry, trained into a single-trunk tree, which offers summer shade for the house.

Gardening for Wildlife: The garden was designed for, and is certified by the National Wildlife Federation, as a wildlife habitat. Food, water, shelter, and places to raise young are all provided.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 22

Garden Size: 5000 sq ft

Designer: Agi Kehoe Landscaping
Installer: Homeowners and Benz's Landscaping & Tree Care

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