Kathleen McCabe-Martin's garden
Fremont
Garden Lot size: 5,500 sq. feet
Years gardened at this location (Gardening Experience): The garden was planted with natives in the summer of 2005.
Showcase feature: The Bermuda grass lawn is in the process of being defeated with cardboard covered with about a ton of mulch; what still comes up is hand-weeded. The front garden, still a work-in-progress, is planted with colorful drought-resistant natives and Mediterranean plants. The back garden is a sea of vibrant wildflowers and beautiful perennials. Kathleen loves the look of native grasses, which are scattered about the garden
Other garden attractions:
- Mulch discourages weeds. (It was free, and a huge pile of it was delivered by an arborist.)
- Raised, undulating beds provide drainage.
- Cement used to create raised beds was found on Craig's List.
- The many types of sages have a fabulous scent in summer.
Gardening for Wildlife: Numerous birdfeeders, houses, and baths, as well as a wide variety of annuals, shrubs, and trees, attract a variety of birds. Cooper's hawks, peregrine falcons, barn swallows, hummingbirds, mourning doves, white-crowned sparrows, gold finches, wrentits, and bushtits, and many types of butterflies have all been seen in or above the garden.
Garden Talks: 10:30 and 2:30 "How to convert a garden—piece by piece—into a native plant garden: Pitfalls, how to remove the lawn, where to get plants, and what I've learned"