Lot size: 900 sq. ft. front garden, 60% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in stages, beginning in 2004
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: 2
This shady corner lot, once all lawn, is now a buoyant, diverse mixture of plants, in which native aster and buckwheats rub shoulders with daylilies and fringe flowers. A continuing experiment, this garden, designed and installed by Cyrus and Andi, features a dynamic mix of native and Mediterranean plants. A meandering flagstone path leads through the garden, while a plethora of boulders provide visual interest and logs provide shelter for critters. Poppies, clarkia, and Douglas iris brighten the garden in spring. Contoured mounds provide the drainage most natives need.
Other Garden Attractions
• Shady areas of the garden contain Douglas iris, island alum root, and California currant; sunny areas are home to ninebark, checkerbloom, sea thrift, and a variety of sages.
• Coffeeberry and rushes provide greenery throughout the year.
• Part of the back garden will also be open for viewing; a seating area invites one to linger. Rest awhile and admire the lemonade berry, Mendocino bushmallow, and spice bush that line the fence.
• A drip irrigation system has worked well in establishing and maintaining both native and non-native plants, with some plants weaned entirely off summer water after getting established.
• Don’t miss the “before” photos!
Gardening for Wildlife
Bird houses, a bird bath, and a high diversity of plants invite chickadees, Nuttall’s woodpeckers, lesser goldfinches, dark-eyed juncos, Anna’s hummingbirds, and black phoebes into the garden. A neighborhood hawk watches the avian action with keen interest.
