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 6 mature coast live oak, two 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 ceanothus, Oregon grape, toyon, California fuchsia, yarrow, blue-eyed grass and monkey flower . 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, Bee's Bliss sage, California aster, Calamagrostis and common rush. An existing bed of non-native plantings between the drive and the house is enhanced with California aster, blue-eyed grass, and seaside daisy.

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 the new garden and other areas of the yard are in transition to Native Plants. Two large incense cedars and a coast live oak anchor the left side of the lot while on the right side 5 coast live oak form an oak wooodland habitat. This area is still being planted by the homeowners as they gradually remove non-native vinca major.

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: 21

Garden Size: 15,000 sq ft

Designer: Native Revival Nursery (front) Central Coast Wilds (back)
Installer: Native Revival Nursery (front) Central Coast Wilds (back)

Click here to display the plant list in a printer-friendly format.