Showcase Features: This self-sustainable, habitat garden is a wonderful example of how to make a home garden diverse and interesting by introducing local native plants from the coastal sage scrub and oak woodland plant communities. The garden is mostly native with the exception of a few fruit trees.

Other Garden Attractions: The focus of the front yard is a young coast live oak, planted next to a meandering path and surrounded by drought tolerant shrubs and perennials, such as coffeeberry, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, hummingbird sage, manzanita and various bunch grasses. The left side-strip features a dry creek bed, spotted with California rush, and a persimmon tree with prostrate form of coyote brush and black sage. On the opposite side of the driveway, alkali saccaton mingles with California fuchsia. In the sunny areas, towards the front door, white sage, Saint Catherine's lace buckwheat and mallow share the space with sulfur buckwheat, foothill penstemon and Idaho fescue. The backyard is partially shaded on the left side by two mature Monterey pines which are under planted with coffeeberry, carpenteria, Douglas iris, California fescue, ferns, yerba buena and woodland strawberry. A toyon hedge runs along the back fence towards a blue elderberry in the right corner. Chaparral currant lines the west side fence, and in the mid section, a small red fescue meadow shares the space with a dark star ceanothus, and a California sunflower.

Gardening for Wildlife: Fresh water is provided by birdbaths; the food source includes berries, seeds, nectar and pollen; cover and shelter is abundant from the native trees and shrubs. Regular visitors include birds, butterflies, bees and other insects.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 5

Garden Size: 4560 sq ft

Designer: Agi Kehoe and homeowner
Installer: homeowner

Click here to download the plant list in PDF format (from year 2006).