El Sobrante Library Garden
El Sobrante
Years gardened at this location: 5 years (creekside garden); 1 year (entrance garden)
Size: 1/2 acre restoration; 1,000 square foot garden
Showcase feature: The El Sobrante Library features a local native plant garden located near the library entrance, and a creek restoration project behind the library. The native plant garden was designed by Glen Schneider and planted by volunteers on Earth Day, 2004. The garden consists of a young woodland area in north-slope shade, and a California meadow in the sunny areas. The woodland includes a young coast live oak and a grove of buckeyes; it also contains snowberry, irises, and wild strawberry. The meadow features five species of native bunchgrasses, wildflowers, and meadow perennials such as yampah, yarrow, and asters. The garden looks both exuberant and quite full, and it is a great place to see what can be created in just a year.
The creek restoration project is directly behind the Library, on the north bank of San Pablo Creek, a perennial stream. This shady area, once unsafe due to crime, is now an inviting spot with picnic and reading areas that are safe and clean. Volunteers cleared the non-native ivy (Hedera helix), periwinkle (Vinca major), and Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor), which formed a dense plant cover, choking and killing mature native trees. These same invasive plants are found on many creekside properties. This restoration project demonstrates how a diversity of local native plants increase both the aesthetic and wildlife values of creekside properties.
These educational and restoration projects were carried out by SPAWNERS (San Pablo Watershed Neighbors Education and Restoration Society). SPAWNERS’ long-term goal is to expand the garden and restore native habitat down the bank to approximately 240 linear feet of San Pablo Creek. SPAWNERS is administered by the Watershed Project.
Other garden attractions:
- Excellent collection of native bunchgrass
- Mature riparian (streamside) woodland featuring buckeyes, black walnuts, oaks, and sycamores
Gardening for Wildlife: Deer, woodpeckers, ducks, flickers, songbirds, and many kinds of butterflies and bees frequent this garden and restoration site.