Showcase Features: This garden illustrates a gradual transition from a lawn infested with Bermuda grass to nearly 100% CA Native garden. The backyard became a native retreat in 2013. Now a brick-paved seating area provides a vantage point to watch birds and insects among the native shrubs and grasses. The plants include deer grass, eriogonums, salvia, manzanita, native currants and an elderberry, along with edibles and a California grape. In 2014, the conversion was completed by removing the remainder of the lawn and replanting it with shrubs (ceanothus, manzanita, buckwheats, mock orange, hillside gooseberry), perennials (horse mint, hummingbird fuchsias, lilac verbena), deer grass and field sedge, with poppies and clarkias providing additional splashes of color. In the shady parts, wild ginger, several fern species, redwood sorrel, and alum root found their home. This water-thrifty landscape is only watered every 2 to 3 weeks.

Other Garden Attractions:

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 5

Garden Size: 822 sq ft

Designer: Homeowner
Installer: Homeowner

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