Lot size: 1 acre back garden on tour; 95% native

Garden Age: Native garden was installed in stages, beginning in 1980

Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: 3

Showcase Feature: Stately coast live and valley oaks, buckeyes, and a grove of redwoods grace this woodland garden. Steep terraced slopes meander through bunchgrass meadows containing remnant patches of wildflowers, offering a magical glimpse into the past. Wear sturdy walking shoes.  (Did we say this garden was steep?) Near the house an elaborate Trex deck (through which a hole was thoughtfully sawed to accommodate a large oak) leads to a gazebo that offers magnificent views of Suisun Bay. This garden, affectionately called Buena Vista Acre, was designed and installed by Rich.

Other Garden Attractions:

• Note the animal artwork, which includes a bear loveseat and bighorn sheep.
• Garden receives little or no summer water.

Gardening for Wildlife: Mature trees and a diversity of native plants create a haven for wildlife in this peaceful garden. Four bird baths provide water, and a plethora of under story plants provide food, shelter and nesting areas for wildlife. Twenty species of native wildflowers drive the pollinators into ecstasy in the spring. Bats flit overhead in the evening. Barn owls nest in their nest boxes, and bluebirds and squirrels nest in the houses provided for them. Red-tailed, sharp-shinned, and sparrow hawks; barn, screech and great horned owls; acorn and downy woodpeckers; purple martins; lazuli buntings; evening grosbeaks; and California quail are a few of the 40 species of birds that live in or are seen from this garden. Garden Talk:  11:00 and 2:00 “Gardening with natives on a steep slope” by Rich McDrew Plant list