Anne and Ed Severs’ Garden
Livermore
Gardening experience: 3 years with natives
Years gardened at this location: Garden planted August 2004
Size: 2,500-square-foot front garden only is on the tour
Showcase feature: The plants in this garden, which are mostly local natives, were collected off nearby Mines Road, and grown in Livermore. Undulating berms provide drainage for chaparral plants, which are separated from a sedge meadow by a dry creek bed containing mixed cobbles and boulders. The garden, certified as a "Wildlife Habitat" by the National Wildlife Federation and beloved by the neighborhood children, was designed and installed by Alrie Middlebrook of Middlebrook Gardens.
Other garden attractions:
- Plants will receive no summer water once established.
- The original garden—lawn, juniper and ivy—was demolished. Check out the 'before' photos.
- A dandy binder of information on the native plants in the garden has been compiled; ask the gardeners if you are interested in seeing this.
Gardening for Wildlife: Native nectar, pollen, fruit, nut- and seed-producing plants—such as milkweed, coyote mint, manzanita, California fuschia, lupine, sage, and buckwheat—provide food, shelter, and nesting areas for wildlife. A birdbath provides water. Hummingbirds and songbirds, butterflies, bees, and spiders are happy residents in this garden.