Michael Escobar’s Garden
Walnut Creek
Gardening experience: 15 years
Years gardened at this location: 6 years
Size: 11,000 square feet
Showcase feature: "Too much lawn, a poor sprinkler system, no plants beneficial to wildlife, and no native plants" was the state of this garden prior to its redesign and installation by the gardener. Stripped to bare ground, the front garden was leveled, and a wide native border installed around the periphery of the reduced lawn. A fountain near the front door adds the sound of splashing water to attract wildlife. The back garden, which contains expansive curving garden beds around a lawn big enough for active children to play on, also contains a pond, waterfall, and fountain, and a variety of natives mixed with Mediterranean plants.
Other garden attractions:
- Weeds are controlled with corn gluten and pulled by hand or burned.
- The lawns are fertilized organically; compost, kelp, and fish or bone meal are used as fertilizers.
- Dense planting outcompete weeds.
- Check out the gardener's list of "Native Plants That Attract Wildlife."
- Certified by tbe National Wildlife Federation as a "Backyard Wildlife Habitat."
Gardening for Wildlife: The gardener, who is very knowledgeable about habitat gardening, provides food, shelter, and nesting areas for creatures large and small in a number of ways. Wildlife are attracted by the sound of falling water, which also soothes the family when they are sitting nearby. Five bird feeders containing seed, one containing suet, one hummingbird feeder, plus nectar plants for the hummingbirds, keep all the feathered visitors happy. Plants with seeds, nectar, and fruit provide food for the insects, birds and mammals. Three birdnest boxes, dense grasses, rock piles and brush tangles provide shelter and nesting areas for wildlife. Thirty-two species of birds have been seen in this garden, including barn owls—which digest their food in the front yard pine tree—and California quail, oak titmice, golden crowned sparrows, and yellow rumped warblers. Thirteen species of butterflies visit the flowers in this garden. When the pond was installed, Pacific chorus frogs found it by themselves. These tiny frogs are now joined in the garden by western toads, slender salamanders, and western fence lizards. Six species of bees, including two types of bumblebees, and leaf cutter, mason, digger and honey bees also frequent the garden (ask to see the bee box).