Lot size: 0.75 acre
Garden Age: 30 years at this location
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: 3
Showcase feature: Created and planted by Idell to provide food for people, and food, shelter and nesting areas for insects and wildlife, this garden has succeeded admirably on all counts. Near the house is an astonishing variety of fruits and other edibles. A large selection of native plants is found near the oak woodland at the bottom of the property. Idell has had to overcome a steep slope, very shallow soil, a lot of wind, and a plague of gophers.
Other garden attractions:
- Idell creates experimental ‘lizard homes’ of various sizes and shapes to test which makes the best habitat.
- Check out the fabulous reference lists of mammals, birds, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians and mushrooms in this garden (see below).
Gardening for Wildlife: Trays of water attract birds, as do brush piles, bird houses, fruit, nuts, berries and insects, which provide shelter and food for more than fifty species of birds. A succession of flowering plants attracts hummingbirds, bees, and twenty-five species of butterflies. The beautiful pipevine swallowtail butterfly is a common sight, both fluttering through the garden and caterpillaring about in a large patch of Dutchman’s pipevine. Seasonal frog ponds are home to Pacific chorus frogs. Nine species of amphibians and reptiles have been seen in the garden.
Garden Talk: 11:00 and 2:00 “How to attract birds, butterflies, reptiles, and amphibians to your garden”, and 4:15 “How to grow organic fruit and flowers for birds, butterflies, and people” by Idell Weydemeyer
Native plants found in Idell’s garden
Butterflies seen in Idell’s garden
Mammals seen in Idell’s garden
