Lot size: 1,000 sq. ft. front, 1,200 sq. ft. back, and 1,500 sq. ft. side gardens on tour, 90% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in stages, beginning in the spring of 2008
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: 5
Showcase Feature
This stunning garden is a must-see for anyone with a small garden in the flats. In place of the sterile lawn they once had, Nalani and Anna designed and installed a sinuous path that leads past undulating, raised garden beds filled with attractive, drought-tolerant natives grouped by similar water needs. Bunchgrasses (Festuca rubra, F. californica, and F. idahoensis, as well as hairgrass and deergrass) wave gracefully in the breeze. Native grape twines around the porch. And, yes! Those interesting rails really are rebar!
Other Garden Attractions
• Don’t miss the “before” photos.
• Delicious sage scents waft from the garden on warm days.
• Anna and Nalani (the neighbors we all wish we had!) are redoing their neighbors’ parking strip. Check out this recently sheet mulched and planted area.
Gardening for Wildlife
Skinks are at home in this garden, as are bees, ladybugs, and butterflies. Hummingbirds are seen “all the time.”
Garden Talks
At 11:00 and 2:00 irrigation consultant and educator extraordinaire Lori Palmquist will demonstrate the design and function of this garden’s drip system. Curious about how you can conserve water in your own garden? This is the right place—bring your questions! Lori will be available to answer questions throughout the day. (Visit Lori’s terrific website www.waterwonk.us to learn about the water requirements of specific native plants, and also to see a great collection of photographs; select “California natives” to stay focused on the plants that will provide the best habitat for wildlife.)
Front garden plant list
