© Saxon Holt Photography
Kern and Arlene Hildebrand’s Garden
Walnut Creek
Gardening experience: 34 years
Years gardened at this location: 14 years
Size: 2/3 acre
Showcase feature: Oak woodland, chaparral, grassland, and redwood forest plant communities have replaced a former “hill of weeds.” A natural seasonal spring, which once created a muddy problem, was redirected by Michael Thilgen, of Four Dimensions Landscape Company, into a series of pools and waterfalls. Steps and branching paths now meander up the hillside, allowing easy access to this steeply sloping garden. Bunchgrasses form a lovely hillside meadow.
© Saxon Holt Photography
Other garden attractions:
- Pruned material and kitchen scraps are composted in a series of impressively
sized homemade compost bins. - The gardener cares for oak seedlings that have sprouted up in neighbor’s
gardens (note beige deer-proof tubes). - Only two oaks were purposefully planted in this garden; the rest are
volunteers. - The wide variety of plants are grouped by water needs and only watered
as needed. - A peaceful view of this garden’s secluded valley setting is available
from paths at the top of the property. - Color, texture, and pleasant smells are available in this garden year-round.
- This garden was featured in EBMUD’s recently published, Plants and
Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates.
© Saxon Holt Photography
Gardening for Wildlife: The front garden, though planted to discourage it, is available for the deer to browse. King snakes, fence lizards, salamanders, and lots of bumblebees, butterflies and pollinating flies visit this garden. Quail are one of the dominant birds along with sparrows, finches, thrashers, titmice, towhees, doves, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, flickers, chickadees, mockingbirds, grosbeaks, and juncos. Red-tailed hawks high over head, and an occasional wild turkey sometimes appears.