Keith Hamby’s Garden
El Cerrito
Gardening Experience: Garden was installed in 2004
Garden size: 750 square foot front garden and 300 quare foot side garden only are on the tour
Showcase feature: A gently curving path winds gracefully through this lovely front garden, leading visitors up and through an antique wrought iron gate to the attractive side garden, which is bordered with elegantly waving bunchgrasses, gum plants, and monkeyflowers. Designed and installed by Rick Alatorre of Alatorre Design, this garden features raised beds bordered by antique gold rock. Sierra gold fine covers the paths.
Other garden attractions:
- Mulch keeps weeds at bay and conserves water.
- Fragrant coyote mint, tar weeds, and sages are scattered about this
garden. - Pink lupines, purple penstemons, and yellow and white tar weeds make
this garden a visual pleasure in spring. - The coffeeberries and a variety of manzanitas—Dr. Hurd, Howard
McMinnn, Carmel Sur, and Emerald Carpet—add winter color.
Gardening for Wildlife: Crevices in the rock provide shelter for caterpillars as they spin their cocoons in the tarweed. Elsewhere, ladybugs and bees dart happily about, hoverflies and native bees zip around, and many types of birds pass the day in this colorful garden.