Ann and Paul Kasameyer’s garden
Livermore
Garden Lot size: 2,040 square foot front garden only on tour
Years gardened at this location (Gardening Experience): Native garden was installed in 2005.
Years on the "Bringing Back the Natives" Garden Tour: 2 years
Showcase feature: Inspired by the first Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, Ann and Paul asked Alrie Middlebrook of Middlebrook Gardens to design and install an allergy-free California native plant garden. The owner’s favorite part of the garden is a dry meandering stream bed containing mixed cobble and scattered rushes. Undulating raised berms provide drainage for low growing manzanita and California lilac groundcovers. Native grape softens the fenceline.
Other garden attractions:
- Red fescue, used as a lawn alternative, is an emerald-green oval.
- Thick mulch and a drip system conserve water. The garden will need no summer water next year.
- Recurrent invasive non-native periwinkle was finally stymied by much hand-pulling and weed cloth.
- Accent boulders provide visual interest.
Gardening for Wildlife: Log and boulders provide shelter for wildlife.
Garden Talks: The designer, Alrie Middlebrook, will be available from 2:00 – 4:00 to discuss how she worked with Ann and Paul to design the garden, review the problems they encountered, and describe the merits of the plants that were installed. Bring photos of your own gardens to obtain design advice and plant recommendations!