Pat and John Hierro’s garden
Castro Valley
Lot size: 800 sq. ft. front garden only on tour, 99% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in 2007
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase feature: Prior to its transformation, the front garden was junipers (which Pat is allergic to!) and exotic shrubs. Pat and John wanted to get away from both sneezes and that “blah” look—and they also wanted a neat, manicured appearance. The new garden, designed by Rick Alatorre of Alatorre Garden Design, and installed by Rick and John, has a reduced lawn surrounded by wide garden beds planted with a colorful array of natives.
Other garden attractions:
- Shady areas are planted with flowering currant, monkeyflower, and coffeeberry.
- Thick mulch helps to reduce weeds; those that get through are hand-pulled.
- The neighbors love the new garden.
- The garden and lawn are irrigated with Netafim Techline CV, a self-flushing subsurface system that maximizes water efficiency by watering at the plants’ root levels. Fliers on this product will be available.
- Meet the designer, Rick Alatorre from 10:30-Noon. Talk at 11:00 pm "How to remove (or reduce!) a lawn" by Rick Alatorre
Gardening for Wildlife: Native bees love the coyote mint; hummingbirds are attracted to the California fuschia; butterflies nectar around the rosy buckwheat. Wildlife feel so comfortable here that recently a family of finches (including 6 babies) nested in the holiday wreath on the front door!