Lot size: 1,400 sq. ft. front and 625 sq. ft. side garden, 90% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in the fall of 2023
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase Feature
Inspired by the Tour, Christine, a garden tour attendee, volunteer, and YouTube garden tour channel browser, was ready for the lawn to go: she had never felt good about watering crab grass, and the front yard looked awful when it wasn’t being watered.
Christine received $1,700 from the Contra Costa Water District’s Lawn to Garden program for sheetmulching the lawn, and another $200 through the District’s Landscape Design Assistance program, which covered the cost of the front yard garden design, which was created by Kelly Marshall, of Kelly Marshall Garden Design.
This is a new garden, planted in the fall of 2023, and it is a great garden to visit f you’d like to ask about how the garden was designed and installed while the details are fresh in the owner’s mind. However, if you prefer to see mature gardens, this is not the stop for you.
The wide flagstone path at the entrance to the garden creates a welcoming feel. Follow the gently curving decomposed granite walkway past the California lilac, manzanita, rosy buckwheats and white, black and Cleveland sages, to the shady part of the garden, where monkeyflower, Island alum root and sweetly scented hummingbird sages flourish under the large mulberry trees.
Other Garden Attractions
• Purple, pink, magenta and orange were the colors of choice: they are provided by the flowers on the purple penstemon and coyote mint, magenta hummingbird sage, bright pink Western redbud, and orange monkeyflower.
• This garden should not need to be watered at all when it is established.
• Toyon and elderberry, small now, will create privacy screens when mature.
• Visit the Contra Costa Water District’s table, chat with their friendly staff member, and find out how you can receive a rebate of up to $2,000 to remove and replace your lawn with a water-wise garden! Information will be available on CCWD’s Lawn to Garden Rebate Program and how you can get a free landscape garden design. If you include 70% or more natives in your new plan you can have your own garden on the Tour!
Gardening for Wildlife
The plants were chosen because they provide food, shelter, and nesting places for wildlife. Like us, birds must have fresh, clean water to drink—every day—and bathe in. The birdbath near the entry path provides a great opportunity for the family to see the birds it attracts.
Western blue birds, oak titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, and chickadees have been seen in the garden.
Alligator lizards, which weren’t seen in the garden before it was transformed, can now be spotted sunning themselves on boulders.
Keystone species (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include California lilac, manzanita, sage, snowberry, coyote brush, elderberry, and penstemon.
At least partially wheelchair accessible? Yes
Parking
Patterson is a really busy street, and the cars go fast. In order to keep the side mirrors on your car, it would be best if you parked on Monte Cresta, Monte Vista, or Santa Barbara.
Wondering what to make for dinner?
Try this pasta primavera recipe from Cooking Classy, which was submitted by Christine.