Michael Graf’s garden
El Cerrito
Gardening experience: 7 years
Years gardened at this location: 6 years
Garden size: 1/10th acre; back garden only is on the tour
Showcase feature: An area formerly containing only non-natives has been turned into charming native plant garden. Wide, mounded raised beds that contain local natives, as well as those from throughout California, wrap around a reduced lawn. Artistically-placed boulders are pleasing to the eye, and provide nooks and crannies for critters.
Other garden attractions:
- Bring your copy of Plants of the Tahoe Basin, and ask the gardener
(and author) to sign it. - Don’t miss this collection of native bulbs, which includes several species
of allium, tritelia, brodeia and calchortus. - Dutchman’s pipevine, clematis, and California grape create a screen
along the fence. - Several unusual high-elevation species from the Southern Sierra are
planted on decomposed granite
Gardening for Wildlife: The diversity of natives attracts flocks of birds, including white- and golden-crowned sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, kinglets, scrub jays, towees, and sparrows. Bees love the ceanothus, bee plant, penstemon, and annual wildlfower species, and hummingbirds are attracted to the black, purple, white, and hummingbird sages, as well as bush monkeyflowers and Channel Island snapdragon.