Debbie Rheuark’s Garden
Richmond
Gardening experience: all my life
Years gardened at this location: 4 years
Size: front yard only – 400 square foot front, 200 sq ft parking strip, 100 sq foot side
Showcase feature: This small, charming garden, designed and installed by the owner, delights the gardener and neighbors with the “comforting, earthy” scent of sage. California grape climbs gracefully up the porch rail and across the front of the house. Milkweed, clarkias, buckwheat, and yarrow reseed and move about the garden at will, creating changes the gardener hadn’t expected. This pleases Debbie, who “didn’t want a lawn, and did want plants that would grow with little attention paid to them.”
Other garden attractions:
- Removed lawn, built up a small berm, and planted with 100% natives.
- Great ‘before’ photos.
- Sacrificial milkweed plants are left for the aphids (which bring in
birds). - Received a rebate from EBMUD
Gardening for Wildlife: A variety of butterflies (buckeye, monarch, skipper, West coast and painted lady) are attracted to the abundance of flowers in this garden. Doves began to visit the garden once the lawn was removed, hummingbirds love the many fuschias, penstamens, and monkeyflower, and leaf cutter bees gnosh on the redbud leaves.
Plants for sale or free: Buckwheat, seaside
daisy, blue-eyed grass, beach strawberry, hummingbird sage, milkweed, Catalina
island snapdragon, and yarrow will be available for a nominal charge, while
supplies last.