Lot size: 3,300 sq. ft. front garden, 99% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in stages, beginning in the fall of 2015
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour:
Showcase Feature
Nancy is passionate about both nature and archaeology; these interests intertwined in the development of the garden she designed and installed, which was modeled on ancient Roman gardens. The rectangular courtyard, planted with a riot of colorful natives, leads past art pieces, such as the captivating sculpture of a woman with flowing robes and thick, wavy hair; a black-on-white geometric patterned mosaic (designed and created by Nancy); a fountain; and pedestals that both frame the garden beds and function as seats. The plants in the wide, densely planted beds were installed in choreographed, semi-formal groups in order to create a sense of symmetry in this collector’s garden, which contains more than one hundred varieties of native plants.
Other Garden Attractions
• The fluted fountain provides water for wildlife.
• The beautiful garden nymph sculpture faces the street, to provide enjoyment for passersby.
• Check out the photographs of the frescoes found on the walls, and mosaics found on the floors, of excavated Roman buildings; these guided Nancy as she designed her garden.
• Until 2015 this garden was a large lawn; water use in the front yard has dropped by 75% since the lawn was removed.
• After strolling down the paved paths, take a seat in the shade of the porch and enjoy this delicious combination of art and nature; you won’t want to leave.
• Visit the Contra Costa Water District’s table, chat with their friendly staff member, and find out how you can receive a rebate of up to $2,000 to remove and replace your lawn with a water-wise garden! Information will be available on CCWD’s Lawn to Garden Rebate Program and how you can get a free landscape garden design. If you include 70% or more natives in your new plan you can have your own garden on the Tour!
Gardening for Wildlife
Nancy reports, “To me, the summer birds, especially the juveniles, are more interesting than the winter migrants because they indicate the birds are breeding nearby. I see almost three times the number of summer bird species now than I did before I had my native garden.” Birds breeding near Nancy’s garden include Western bluebirds, bushtits, chickadees, hummingbirds, nuthatches, black phoebes, quail, oak titmice, and Bewick’s wrens.
Native bees, ladybugs, butterflies, finches, and quail have been seen in the garden. Rock piles provide homes for fence and alligator lizards.
Keystone species in this garden (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include oak, currant, huckleberry, California lilac, manzanita, lupine, sage, buckwheat, woodland strawberry, and penstemon.
Videos of Nancy’s garden
2021 video Tips for gardening with natives by Nancy Niemeyer
2020 video Nancy Niemeyer’s garden
