Showcase Features: This oak woodland plant community garden was designed to provide summer shade, seasonal color and wildlife habitat. In the front, surrounded by a flagstone pathway, a young coast live oak takes center stage, offering dappled shade to a CA melic grass meadow, punctuated by fuchsia-flowered gooseberry. Seasonal highlights are provided by annual and perennial wildflowers, including Chinese houses, clarkia, lupine, CA poppy, blue flax, Douglas iris, CA fuchsia, coyote mint, hummingbird sage, and CA goldenrod.

Other Garden Attractions: Mature specimens include a Howard McMinn manzanita, a blue elderberry and a western redbud. Deer grass provides an informal screen in the parking strip, where a young buckeye was recently added. A storm water permeable, gold gravel & recycled flag stone pathway leads to the back garden, where a red fescue meadow stretches under a mature, fruitless mulberry and a pear. Along the fence is a mixed hedge of toyon, ceanothus and Pacific wax myrtle, edged by Douglas iris, hummingbird sage, soap plant, coyote mint & monkeyflower. Island alum root and evergreen hucklberry enjoy the dappled shade along the back of the house. A casual stone bench, accented by CA gray rush, offers a relaxing view of the garden. California Dutchman's pipe and western virgin's bower enhance the side fences.

Gardening for Wildlife: Hummingbirds, songbirds, various insects, lizards & squirrels enjoy this garden. The blue elderberry is a favored nesting spot.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 7

Garden Size: 2500 sq. ft

Designer: Agi Kehoe
Installer: Benz's Landscaping and Tree Care

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