Lot size: 4,500 sq. ft. back garden, 70% native
Garden Age: Years on Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour New this year!
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Hillside gardeners, this one’s for you! You won’t need an oxygen tank to reach the bottom of this garden (maybe bring one for the trip back up), but you will need strong legs, good balance, and sturdy shoes to navigate the seven flights of stairs that lead you down this steep slope. Inspired by the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, Susan found Liz Simpson on the Tour’s website; together they planned and installed this large garden. Extreme microclimates required creative solutions: the sunbaked areas are now home to hardy, fragrant chaparral plants; formerly barren shady spots have been transformed into tranquil woodland oases; and the creekbanks, previously covered with ivy, are now cheerfully abloom with scarlet and yellow monkeyflowers.
Other Garden Attractions
- The creek at the bottom of the lot is being restored. A (very small) viewing area near the creek will be open for those who would like to take a peek.
- Mature elderberry, oak, buckeye, and bay trees provide shade.
- Terraces and soil-stabilizing plants have been used to tackle the garden’s vertical challenges.
Gardening for Wildlife
Native bees and honeybees, butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbirds flit through the garden. Salamanders find comfy homes in damp, cool areas.
Garden Talks
11:00 “Got a tough spot? Hillside lot? Baking sun? Shady or wet areas? Natives to the rescue! Solving difficult garden design issues with native plants” by Liz Simpson
12:00 “The beginner’s approach to deer, drought, finding a designer, maintenance, innocence, and learning to identify weeds ” by Susan Weber
