Christopher Richard’s Garden
Alameda
Gardening experience: Total 18 years at this location
Garden size: Front garden only is on the Tour.
Showcase feature: You've seen this before: a small, Bermuda grass lawn, bisected by a straight concrete path. Eighteen years ago, Christopher decided to make some changes. He sculpted berms from dirt obtained from a basement creation project, piled several feet of wood chips on his lawn ("This worked great! The chips are so light that when the Bermuda grass comes back you can just lift it out!"), and then, a self-professed "woodland boy at heart," he planted a number of small redwood trees. The grove, now three stories tall, towers over Christopher's 1904 Colonial Revival home, shading a variety of redwood understory plants, such as salal, wild ginger, redwood sorrell, Douglas iris, and ferns.
Other garden attractions:
- After losing several madrones, Christopher learned that madrones don't want any summer water (at all, ever, even when newly planted). Check out this madrone, which arcs gracefully out over the driveway. Port Orford and incense cedars, black oak, and hemlock trees help create privacy for this corner lot on a busy street.
- California lilac lines the sidewalk, creating an evergreen border.
- Don't miss the display of photos on the garage door.
- Brick paths allow storm water to drain naturally into the soil.
Gardening for wildlife: Arboreal and slender salamanders live in the garden, while fox squirrels, hummingbirds, and doves are frequent visitors.
