Glen Schneider’s Garden
Berkeley
Gardening experience: 38 years
Years gardened at this location: 10 years with local natives
Size: 5,200 square feet
Showcase feature: More than 75 species of local native woodland and grassland plants grown from seeds and cuttings gathered in the Strawberry Creek watershed can be found in this garden, which was designed and installed by Glen, a native plant enthusiast and landscape designer. The total cost of converting this garden from an English cottage garden to a native haven for wildlife was about $150. The native plants receive rainfall only; they are not watered in summer. The driveway has been removed and turned into a productive and attractive vegetable garden.
Other garden attractions:
- There are few snail and slug problems here, because Glen doesn’t water in this extremely low water-use garden.
- The soil was not amended; natives love this heavy clay soil. Compost and occasional pigeon manure are used as fertilizer on the vegetables.
- On the way to or from Glen’s, stop at the California and Dwight traffic island (1.5 blocks south of Glen’s) and check out the natives that neighbors planted there.
Gardening for Wildlife: Berries, seeds, nuts, nectar, pollen, nesting areas, and shelter for wildlife are amply provided, and there is no dead-heading in this wildlife- and insect-friendly garden! Native bees spend the night under dried yarrow flowers, and Glen recently watched a swallowtail butterfly tie its chrysalis to a yampah. Forty-four species of birds and twelve species of butterflies have been sighted in the garden. Crickets chirp cheerily in the evenings—a coup, as Glen’s is the only garden on the block that has them.
Garden Talk: 11:00 and 2:00 "How to Create a Wildlife Habitat Garden Using Local Native Plants"