Lot size: 2,300 sq. ft. front garden, 3,600 sq. ft. back garden, 65% native

Garden Age: Garden was installed in 2008

Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!

Showcase Feature Veteran Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour registrant and volunteer Judith, and her twin sister, Susan, designed and installed this garden together.  The natural design of Judith’s large garden fits in well with the rural feeling of the neighborhood.  A number of creative water features can be seen here; in the front garden an old rice storage urn and a 1,500 pound trough have been transformed into fountains.  A dry streambed and fountain grace the back garden. Other Garden Attractions

• Non-native hedges in the back garden are gradually being replaced with a tapestry of native hedge plants.  Ask about phasing out non-natives if you are interested in the slow approach.
• Don’t miss the “before” photos!

Gardening for Wildlife Judith chose plants specifically for their food and shelter value to bees, butterflies, and birds. Now that the lawns have been removed wildlife has returned in droves.  Families of western bluebirds (not jays—the bluebird is a cavity-nesting bird that is declining in population) are now seen in the garden, as are Nuttall’s woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, and black-headed grosbeaks. Throngs of happy bees gather at the massed Cleveland sages, gathering pollen and sipping nectar. The fountains and bird bath have perching places so that birds and insects have access to water.  The sound of water falling attracts wildlife and people alike. Garden Talks 11:00 and 2:00 “An amateur’s guide to creating a native garden” by Judith Sherwood Plant list