Showcase Features: This professionally-designed garden is the beautiful result of removing large amounts of pavement and ivy in favor of native plantings and an attractive flagstone path. The back yard features a panoramic view of Silicon Valley and the southern bay. There are 5 mature coast live oak, three incense cedar and an established Toyon Hedge.

Sustainable practices: Oak leaves are collected and used for mulch throughout the garden.

Other Garden Attractions: The former ivy-covered area in front of the driveway, planted in 1993, invites wildlife with a variety of shrubs and perennials including Nevin's barberry, toyon, woolu blue curl, California fuchsia, yarrow, blue-eyed grass and poppies. An area to the left of the drive was installed in 2006 after removing a large section of driveway. A structured area containing Idaho fescue, Dr Hurd manzanitas, groundcover Sandmat manzanita, California aster, Calamagrostis, Douglas Iris and ground cover California fuchsia is to the left of of the flagstone path. To the right is a large area of Bee's Bliss sage with more Idaho fescue and California aster. In the back yard, with views of the Santa Clara Valley, a small lawn was replaced by a professionally landscaped garden in January 2011. It features a flagstone path, an establish boxwood hedge, many of the plants found in the front with the addition of Heucheras, Yerba Buena and hummingbird sage. A metallic statue, viewing bench, container plantings and moss rocks accent the garden, shaded by mature trees. There is an established Toyon hedge below this garden. Below and to the left of the house along a new fence several plants are being trained as espaliers. Two large incense cedars anchor this left side of the lot while on the right side 5 coast live oak form an oak wooodland habitat. This area includes several ribes species, 2 bush anemone 'Elizabeth',douglas iris, and other shade loving plants. The sunny slope is still being planted by the homeowners after removing vinca major and oxalis. Penstemon 'Margarita BOP', nodding needle grass, blue eyed grass and several shrubs are helping to stablilize the slope. The homeowner still finds new seedlings of vinca each year even after 8 years of fighting it as well as stray oxalis.

Gardening for Wildlife: Deer, fox, coyote, racoons, skunks, possum, wild turkey, and quail all visit this garden near an open space preserve and Alum Rock Park. Numerous native bees are attracted to the various flowering shrubs, perennials and annuals A recently added bird bath in the back yard has attracted robins, cedar waxwings, northern flicker, acorn woodpeckers and others.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 27

Garden Size: 15,000 sq ft

Designer: Native Revival Nursery (front), Central Coast Wilds (back), and owner
Installer: Native Revival Nursery (front), Central Coast Wilds (back), owner and California Nativescapes

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