Don and Kathy Brancheau's garden
San Ramon
Garden Lot size: 1,200 sq. ft. front garden on tour, 95% native
Years gardened at this location (Gardening Experience): Native garden was installed in November, 2006.
Years on the "Bringing Back the Natives" Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase feature: Don and Kathy are Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour graduates; they attended one tour, volunteered at the next, and this year, having transformed their own garden, are delighted to host. These do-it-your-selfers hired Kat Weiss of Kat Weiss Landscape Design to design their small front garden, and to help select the plants. Don and Kathy did the rest, including shoveling dirt, placing many large rocks, installing the handmade spill fountain, and purchasing and planting the natives. These include the purple and lavender-flowering native flax, sage, California lilac, and seaside daisy; red columbines and fuchsia; and creamy yarrows. Now that the work is done Kathy and Don love to sit out front in the evening and enjoy the fruits of their labors. This shady, restful garden, with its curving flagstone path, receives many compliments from passers-by. Stop by and you’ll see why!
Other garden attractions:
- This low-maintenance garden is watered once a week.
- The coast silk tassels and redbuds will create privacy screens when mature.
- Don’t miss the “before” photos!
- The attractive back garden, while containing only a few natives, will also be open for viewing; the pond and fountain are particularly welcoming to people, while birds love the feeders, bird house and bath, and the sound of falling water.
Gardening for Wildlife: Hummingbirds love the fuchsia and hummingbird sage, and butterflies enjoy the yarrow.
Garden Talks: 11:00 and 2:00 “Evolution of a garden: from crabgrass to natives!” By Don and Kathy Brancheau.