Showcase Feature
While browsing on NextDoor Jong saw a post from his neighbor, Stefanie Pruegel, about native plants; his interest piqued, Jong and his wife, Olivia, toured Stefanie’s garden, she loaned them books on native plants, and he began reading up on natives.
Jong and Olivia chopped down the chest-high weeds in their own yard, sheet mulched, really piled the wood chips on, made the low mounds that provide the drainage most natives need (and that create visual interest), then began visiting native plant nurseries, researching plants and slowly designing the garden. They anchored the garden with a coast live oak, and chose hardy, evergreen shrubs, such as California lilac (‘Dark Star’ and ‘Ray Hartman’), California sagebrush, coffeeberry, and coyote mint, that provide stability and structure throughout the year.
This hard-working couple installed the garden themselves, buying a few plants every spring and autumn, and planting in stages. In spring the garden contains a cheerful array of purple and blue California lilac, bright orange poppies, lavender phacelia, and the cream-colored flowers of the buckwheat. Jong and Olivia love the attractive, low-maintenance, water-conserving garden they wound up with—and no wonder!
Other Garden Attractions
- Only new plants are watered regularly; the rest of the garden is watered about four times a year.
- Dense plantings keep the weeds under control, and Jong notes that there are fewer and fewer weeds with each passing year.
- Stroll around the corner to visit Stefanie Pruegel’s garden.
Gardening for Wildlife
In late spring and early summer sphinx moths, also called hummingbird moths, because of their ability to hover and their size, sip nectar from the tubular flowers of the native fuchsia.
Actual hummingbirds also love this garden! They are attracted to the fire-engine red blossoms on the fuchsia, and also to the long, tubular flowers on the monkeyflower.
Happy bumblebees roll around in the poppies like puppies.
Keystone species (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include coast live oak, California lilac, manzanita, California sagebrush, sages and buckwheat.
Green Home Features
Solar panels reduce the couple’s PG&E bill, and power their electric vehicle.
At least partially wheelchair accessible? Yes.
Parking will be tight. Be prepared to walk a block or two.
Photos
Click to see as a slideshow:
