Shary Rosenbaum’s garden
Moraga
Lot size: 4,500 sq. ft. front garden only on tour, 65% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in 2005
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase feature:When Shary and her husband considered making changes to their front yard, what they wanted was a low-maintenance garden that wouldn’t require much water. (What they had was a long-dead lawn and a tangle of blackberries.) The resulting garden, planted with a mixture of Mediterranean plants and drought-tolerant natives, such as the low-growing forms of coyote brush and manzanita, fits the bill. Spectacular in spring, the garden is abloom from March through June with California lilac, blue-eyed grass, and Douglas iris. The garden was designed and installed by Michael Thilgen and the team at Four Dimensions Landscape Company.
Other garden attractions:
- A long, narrow section of concrete under the long front porch roof was removed and replaced with plants.
- A decomposed granite path now wraps around the front of the house, allowing a comfortable stroll around the garden.
- This garden is freely grazed by deer; what’s left is what the deer don’t eat.
- A meadow of melic grass, fescue, blue-eyed grass, and yarrow was planted near the house.
Gardening for Wildlife: Quail, finches, jays, wild turkeys, and numerous other small birds frequent the front garden. Hawks soar overhead. Deer often pass through.