Lot size: 15,000 sq. ft. back garden on tour, 80% native

Garden Age: Garden was installed in stages, beginning in the spring of 2007

Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: 2

Showcase Feature Not long ago the back garden was an inaccessible hill covered with eucalyptus, juniper, and pampas grass. Now the lower part of the garden, terraced with meandering moss rock retaining walls, is planted with a colorful mix of fuschia, buckwheat, and yarrow.  At the top of the slope are vibrant, raised veggie and cut-flower beds, fruit trees, and a greenhouse and lath house. The garden was designed by Michael Thilgen of Four Dimensions Landscape Company; the stone retaining walls were designed and installed by Ricardo Hernandez. BJ did the planting.  The happy owners report that they have used the garden more in the last year than in the previous twenty.  Gardeners, take inspiration!  If this large lot can be cleared and maintained without the use of pesticides, you can do it, too!

Other Garden Attractions

• Watering has been greatly reduced now that the natives are established.
• The East Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society will have an information table and membership offers.

Gardening for Wildlife Hummingbirds love the fuschia and sages. Woodpeckers can be heard tapping away at the oaks; dragonflies can’t resist the water gardens. At least eight kinds of native bees frolic around the California fuschia, buckwheats, monkeyflowers, and other natives. Garden Talk Meet the Designer, Michael Thilgen of Four Dimensions Landscape, from 12:30 – 2:30pm. Talk at 1:00 “Easy natives for the hillside garden” by Michael Thilgen and BJ Ledgerwood. Native Plants for Sale GardenNatives will sell native plants. Plant List