Lot size: 2,000 sq. ft. section of front garden, 95% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in stages, beginning in the fall of 2010
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase Feature
Joanie, a Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour fan, wanted to replace the understories of grass and ivy in their majestic oak woodland. This large garden is being reworked in stages; the left side of the garden is now bordered by wide, gracefully curving garden beds, and contains a potpourri of natives that love dappled sunlight, such as currants, bunchgrasses, coffeeberries, hummingbird sages, and irises. On the right side of the driveway is a bioswale—a gently sloping drainage course planted with natives, and created to keep soil and water on site. The back garden is planted with a variety of shade-loving natives. Rick Alatorre of Alatorre Garden Design designed and installed the native sections of the garden. Take a seat and relax a while on one of the many benches found in this inviting garden.
Other Garden Attractions
• Two charming stone bridges cross the bioswale; a bucholic wishing well is nestled in the rear of the property; rustic brick walls border the garden.
• The driveway is made of permeable pavers.
• Bountiful veggie beds were placed in sunnier parts of the garden.
Gardening for Wildlife
Cooper’s hawks soar overhead; owls call to each other from their perches in the oaks; hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies flit from flower to flower. Last year a garter snake was found tangled in fencing; after recuperating at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum it was brought back to the garden, named Oscar for its rescuer, and released.