Michael Horn’s garden

Showcase Feature
Inspired by the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Michael decided it was time to remove the dull lawn and thirsty birch in his large, sunny front yard, and replace them with native plants. Becky Perrine designed the resulting inviting, natural-looking, water-conserving garden, which is now a vibrant haven for both wildlife and people.

This garden shines in the summer months, when seeds from the sages attract birds, and the flowers of the numerous pink-to-creamy white California and pink-to-red rosy buckwheats attract people. As summer becomes fall the California buckwheat blossoms slowly turn a beautiful chocolate color, and the rosy buckwheat flowers turn rusty-red: their dried flower clusters are lovely when left in the garden over the winter, and they are also beautiful additions to flower arrangements.

The repetition of California buckwheats—a theme in this garden—is both calming and inviting. Punctuating the buckwheats are a variety of evergreen perennials, including six species of sage (white, ‘Pozo Blue’, ‘Winnifred Gilman,’ ‘Dara’s Choice,’ hummingbird, and ‘Desperado’), and three types of manzanita (‘Pacific Mist’, ‘Howard Mcminn’, and ‘Dr. Hurd’). Three kinds of coyote brush (upright, ‘San Bruno Lady’, and ‘Pigeon Point) also keep the garden green throughout the year. The coyote brush are deer resistant, and magnets for wildlife, attracting birds, butterflies, skippers, and other beneficial insects, as coyote brush flower and provide nectar in late summer and fall.

A hardy blue oak graces the front garden: relatively small now, it will be a majestic addition to the landscape in time.

Other Garden Attractions
• This garden is watered once a month in summer.
• A moss-rock lined swale retains rainwater, keeping the garden green longer, and helping to replenish the aquifer and protect the local creek from scouring.
• Leaves are left on the ground to provide shelter over the winter for the small creatures that need it.
• Robust and hardy deergrass border the driveway.
• The sweet scent of sage wafts across the garden on warm days.

Gardening for Wildlife
Nearly twenty species of birds have been seen in this wildlife-friendly garden; they include oak titmice, Western bluebirds, black phoebe’s, Bewick’s wrens, and Hutton’s vireos. Dried seed heads are left on the plants for birds to consume (delighting finches and other seed-eating birds), and water is provided in the bath. The dense plantings provide birds with shelter and nesting places. Hairstreak and other butterflies and skippers sip nectar from the numerous and large buckwheat flowers (aka “landing pads”).

Keystone species (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include blue oak, snowberry, California lilac, buckwheat, manzanita, sage, coyote brush, coffeeberry, and penstemon.

At least partially wheelchair accessible? Yes.