koenig15

Jason Koenig’s and Rachel Roisman’s garden

Berkeley

Lot size: 840 sq. ft. front garden, 700 sq. ft. back garden, 480 sq. ft. side garden, 90% native

Garden Age: Garden was installed in November 2009

Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!

Showcase Feature: Inspired by the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, and having fallen in love with Glen Schneider and his natural-looking local native plant garden, Jason and Rachel asked Glen to design a garden with a wild look, drought-resistant plants, color, variety, and beautiful scents.  Glen delivered—creating a garden with a delightful selection of native plants naturally found within 30 miles of their Berkeley home.  In spring this new garden is ablaze with a show-stopping array of wildflowers—Chinese houses, clarkia, poppies and more. koenig16 Other Garden Attractions:

  • The front yard recreates a California meadow while shady areas contain plants found in California woodland areas.
  • New homeowners Jason and Rachel wanted to do something for the neighborhood, and did; children from the nearby school now take field trips to the garden. And on a number of mornings last spring an amateur painter set up her easel under the tree in the front garden, entranced by the vibrant display of color.
  • The Bolero Dwarf Fescue lawn was watered three times last summer.
  • Wood chip paths allow rainwater to seep naturally into the ground.

koenig11 Gardening for Wildlife: Native bees adore this garden; the poppies have a special effect on the bumblebees, which roll in them like aerial-borne puppies.   Butterflies appreciate the broad landing pads of the cow parsnip. The delicate, orchid-like flowers of the soap plant bloom in the late afternoon and early evening, attracting moths, which pollinate them. Hummingbirds are drawn the California fuchsia. Plant list



Photos

Click to see as a slideshow: