Lot size: 500 sq. ft. front, 160 sq. ft. parking strip, 80 sq. ft. side, and 500 sq. ft. back garden, 80% native
Garden Age: Garden was installed in the fall of 2022
Years on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour: New this year!
Showcase Feature
When Yen and Hai bought the house in 2022, this large corner lot contained two huge palm trees, lawn, and an eclectic collection of non-native shrubs. Shortly after purchasing the home they had the palms removed; then these hardworking DIYers took the rest of the garden down to bare dirt. As the soil was heavily compacted, they then covered yard with a thick layer of wood chips (like, 6 to 8 inches).
Yen is passionate about gardening for wildlife: knowing the ecological value of keystone species she and Hai planted a coast live oak, as more species of butterflies and moths can lay eggs on this tree than any other. Yen also chose a pleasing array of California lilac, manzanita, sage, buckwheat, and coffeeberry, which provide structure and stability, and keep the garden green year-round.
Their garden is a certified Monarch Waystation: meaning the garden contains at least 10 narrowleaf milkweed plants (as milkweed is the only plant the monarch can lay eggs on, and narrow leaf milkweed is our local species); numerous nectar plants, such as goldenrod, lupine, and buckwheat. And, they don’t use pesticides (of course!).
The beautiful wildflower meadow in the front of the house—a colorful and rambunctious mix that includes orange poppies, baby blue eyes, purple Chinese houses and gilia, yellow goldfields and tidy tips, pink clarkia—has been a great conversation starter with passersby: people have pulled their cars over to take photos, or knocked on the door to ask for seeds.
To create more room for plants—and more plants for wildlife—concrete was jackhammered out of the parking strip. This low-maintenance, water-conserving garden was designed and installed by Yen and Hai.
Other Garden Attractions
• New plants are watered by hand once a week until they are established. The established plants are not watered at all.
• You are invited to take a seat under the shade cover in the back yard and enjoy this peaceful garden.
• Rain barrels capture water from the roof.
• Compost from a tumbler and pile helps improve the soil.
Gardening for Wildlife
Nectar, pollen, acorns, berries, and insects (which chicks need to be fed while they are in the nest, and even after they leave it), and a bird bath, which provides fresh, clean water, invites flying friends of all types to visit. Bumble- and many other types of native bees are commonly seen on the sages, California lilacs, buckwheats, and buttercups. Monarch butterflies lay eggs on the narrowleaf milkweed, which is spreading about the garden, much to Yen’s delight. Anise swallowtail, painted lady, blue azure, acmon blue, painted lady butterflies, and a variety of moths, including the orange tortrix, sip nectar from the flowers in this garden. Hummingbirds, white-crowned sparrows and mourning doves flit about, searching for insects, nectar, and seeds. 
Keystone species (watch this talk by Doug Tallamy!)
Keystone species—our own, local ecological powerhouse plants—in this garden include coast live oak, hollyleaf cherry, California lilac, currant, manzanita, California rose, lupine, goldenrod, sage, buckwheat, native strawberry, coyote brush, honeysuckle, and penstemon.
Green Home Features
Yen and Hai have solar panels, an electric vehicle, and cook on an induction range.
Garden Talks
12:00 “Garden Metamorphosis: How we transformed our lawn into native plant garden and butterfly sanctuary” by Yen Bui
At least partially wheelchair accessible? Yes
