Elise and Mike McFarland’s Garden
Livermore
Gardening experience: 1 year
Years gardened at this location: Garden was planted in February 2004
Size: 500 square foot front garden only on tour
Showcase feature: A lawn and straight cement path were removed and replaced by native chaparral plants, which were selected for their character, beautiful bark, and seasonal flower colors. The garden, which wraps around a dry creek bed, was designed by Kat Weiss of Kat Weiss Landscape Design and installed by Middlebrook Gardens. A bouquet of colors, the garden contains plants from the blue, purple, and yellow range, with highlights of orange and red. A self-professed “black-thumb gardener,” Elise reports that this garden, which she and her husband maintain, is “really low maintenance.”
Other garden attractions:
- The garden receives little water now. Summer water will be reduced or eliminated after two years.
- Berms provide drainage for chaparral plants.
- Former cement walkway was re-used in the attractive, curving path.
- Weeds are pulled by hand.
- Garden plan will be available for viewing.
- Insects are tolerated, picked off, or sprayed with water.
- Flagstone softens the driveway's edge.
- “This garden is one of the most worthwhile things I've done,” says this happy homeowner.
Gardening for Wildlife: Crickets now sing in this garden, which never had crickets before (and none of the neighbors have crickets, either). While little in the way of wildlife visited the garden prior to its redesign, birds and bees now find a haven here.