Showcase Features: The homeowner did a front yard lawn conversion to California natives. Completely self-taught, he started with the Water District's drought tolerant list. Incorporating other sustainable strategies, like composting the many leaves from the Sycamore street trees, converting sprinklers to drip and creating a rain garden, he is starting to influence the neighbors. The backyard is primarily fruit trees mixed with some natives.
Front yard: Non-natives were retained next to the house. There are dwarf Coyote bushes on the street strip under the street trees, a stunning row of Ceanothus 'Dark Star' along the property line, several varieties of Manzanita and Ceanothus ground covers, and both tall and low growing California Fuchsia (Epilobium).
Ground dwelling birds can hide in the large Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla) and hummers sip at the Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea). Here and there are small treasures like Soap Root, Native Iris (Iris douglasiana), California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica), and Island Snapdragon (Galvesia). The view is punctuated by access paths and 3 Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia rigens).
The downspout is directed to a lowered rain garden with Grey Rush (Juncus patens), Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) and Pacific Reed Grass (Calamogrostis nutkaensis).

Other Garden Attractions:

Gardening for Wildlife: A birdbath in the backyard that is filled automatically using drip irrigation is frequented by several birds. An Anna's hummingbird is currently nesting in the sheltered patio area.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 4

Garden Size: 1,500 sq.ft.

Designer: Homeowner
Installer: Homeowner

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