Michael Graf’s Garden
El Cerrito
Gardening experience: 5 years
Years gardened at this location: 5 years
Garden size: 1/10th acre; back garden only is on the tour
Showcase feature: An area formerly containing only non-natives has been turned into charming native plant garden. Wide, mounded raised beds that contain local natives, as well as those from throughout California, wrap around a reduced lawn. Artistically-placed boulders are pleasing to the eye, and provide nooks and crannies for critters.
Other garden attractions:
- Bring your copy of Plants of the Tahoe Basin, and ask the gardener
(and author) to sign it. - Don’t miss this collection of native bulbs, which includes several species
of allium, tritelia, brodeia and calchortus. - Dutchman’s pipevine, clematis, and California grape create a screen
along the fence. - Several unusual high-elevation species from the Southern Sierra are
planted on decomposed granite
Gardening for Wildlife: The diversity of natives attracts flocks of birds, including white- and golden-crowned sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, kinglets, scrub jays, towees, and sparrows. Bees love the ceanothus, bee plant, penstemon and annual wildlfower species, and hummingbirds are attracted to the black, purple, white- and hummingbird sages, as well as bush monkeyflowers and Channel Island snapdragon.