Lot size: 5,000 sq. ft. front, 5,000 sq. ft. side, and 10,000 sq. ft. back gardens, 90% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in 2018
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase Feature
Roger and Amy spent a lot of time hiking in the Livermore hills observing and photographing the natural world in order to replicate it in their own garden: their hope was to create a landscape reminiscent of what this area might have looked like three hundred years ago. The garden their son, Ethan, and landscape architect Joseph Huettl designed fulfilled their dreams.
Low-maintenance, water-conserving, and wildlife-attracting native bunchgrass meadows replaced the front and back lawns. The back garden contains a seep, which is filled with the bright yellow blossoms of the seep monkeyflower in spring and summer. After passing under a large, single-stone bridge the water emerges as a slender stream that splashes through the garden, flows past sedges and rushes, cascades down small drops, and wends its way to its final destination in a tranquil pond.
Blueschist boulders local to the area are scattered about, contributing to the lost landscape ambience of this lovely landscape.
The slope on the sunny side of the house was planted with an attractive mix of hardy native trees and shrubs, including oak, toyon, manzanita, sage, and bunchgrasses.
Drop down in one of the many seating areas in this peaceful garden—you won’t want to leave.
Other Garden Attractions
• Sycamores, once emblematic of Livermore, were planted in front of the house: seventeen species of butterflies and moths, including the beautiful Western tiger swallowtail, can lay eggs on these fast-growing trees.
• The dense plantings outcompete weeds.
• No pesticides are used in this—or any!—Tour garden.
Gardening for Wildlife
Thirty-two species of birds, including Nuttall’s woodpeckers, hermit thrushes, cedar waxwings, Western bluebirds, red-breasted sapsuckers, and Western tanagers have been seen in the garden.
The pond is a magnet for wildlife: owls bathe in and foxes drink from it. Recently, three racoon kits splashed and tumbled about in its shallows—under the unamused eye of their mother, who had clearly wanted to teach them how to catch native aquatic snails. Not long ago a great egret spent a couple of hours plucking mosquito fish out of the pond. A dozen species of dragonflies and damselflies have been seen near the pond: eleven types of bumblebees and wasps pollinate the plants that grow adjacent to its banks.
Morning trail cam viewings revealed a bobcat strolling through the yard, among other interesting wildlife sightings.
Keystone species (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants— in this garden include coast live oak, holly leaf cherry, vine and bigleaf maples, California lilac, currants, huckleberry, manzanitas, sages, madrone, coffeeberry, and penstemon.
Green Home Features
A ducted heat pump heats and cools the house. Solar panels generate energy that reduces the Roger and Amy’s PG&E bill. They no longer pay for gas as their two electric cars are charged at home, using energy from the solar panels.
Garden Talks
11:00 “Water features for Livermore gardens” by Roger Aines
Wondering what to make for dinner? Try this great recipe!
“My daughter shared this recipe a few years ago, and it’s been a staple in my freezer ever since. It’s a great way to get your greens. My family loves it too. I use olive oil instead of coconut oil and two leeks from Trader Joe’s instead of onion. I skip the garlic and lime juice too because I love the pure flavor profile of all these vegetables together. I discovered many ‘green soup’ recipes online when I was searching for the link to this one. Lots of flavor options and vegetables that you can add – especially if you have a supply in your garden. Enjoy!” Amy Aines
Green Soup recipe
At least partially wheelchair accessible? No
