Patricia Bacchetti’s Garden
Oakland
Gardening experience: 35 years
Years gardened at this location: 5 years
Size: 1/3 acre (back garden is 3,000 square feet)
Showcase feature: Numerous huge, scraggly acacias were removed from a steep north-facing slope in the backyard in November of 2002, and local natives were planted. (The acacias were picked up by the Oakland Zoo. Giraffes later browsed their leaves, and elephants played with sections of trunk, rolling them about and happily stripping away the bark.) The neighbors comment on how pretty Patricia’s garden now looks, and how many birds there are. In addition to providing great habitat for wildlife (and people too!), after a year or two, this 3,000 square foot area won’t need any water. The rear garden, designed Lyn Talkolvsky, and installed by Lyn and the owner, was recently featured in Bay Nature Magazine.
Other garden attractions:
- Birds have been very helpful in bringing in additional natives. Now more natives, such as miner's lettuce, coyote mint, and coyote bush, are appearing as garden volunteers.
- Mulch has controlled erosion.
- Gardener is collecting seed for use next year.
- Worm tea, fish meal, and compost are used as fertilizers.
- The hill is watered once a month in summer.
- The lawn was recently converted to a native bunchgrass and wildflower meadow.
- Ask to see Pat's “before” photos.
- Certified as a "Backyard Wildlife Habitat" garden.
Gardening for Wildlife: After the garden was planted with natives, the bumblebees—which love the phacelia and the coyote mint—began to appear. Mason bee boxes were installed in the spring of 2004. The diversity of plants in this garden and a birdbath have brought in chickadees, doves, sparrows, towees, jays, finches, titmouse, Hutton's vireos, robins, and woodpeckers. A shallow dish with sand and rocks entices butterflies, and a variety of flowering plants has attracted anise swallowtail, skipper, and cabbage white butterflies. Milkweed attracts monarchs. The brush pile provides shelter for creatures both big and small. At least ten species of beneficial insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees, flies, beatles, wasps, butterflies, and skippers were attracted to the flowering toyon.