Showcase Features: This garden is a beautiful example of how to deal with a sloping space, using native plants and sustainable hardscape features.

Other Garden Attractions: This sloping front yard was creatively terraced using dry stacked stone retaining walls. Compacted soil was amended with organic compost, and the concrete front walkway was replaced with a decomposed granite pathway. Urbanite from the original walkway was reused to make stepping stones leading to the back gate. Downspouts from the property are routed to a percolation pit to keep rainwater on site.

Ray Hartman ceanothus and western redbud provide shrubby vertical focal points in this lovely garden, along with deer grass and leafy reedgrass. Shorter grasses such as Berkeley sedge and Idaho fescue accent the lines of the retaining walls, while creeping ceanothus and sages provide cover on the sloping areas, flowing over the rock walls when they mature. Accent plants include yarrow, Humboldt County fuchsia, sulfur buchwheat, island alum root, California gray rush, California poppies, beach strawberry, sticky monkeyflower, and Cedros Island verbena. The garden was designed by Stephanie Curtis and installed by Curtis Horticulture.

Gardening for Wildlife: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and even deer visit this suburban garden.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 2

Garden Size: 1200 sq ft

Designer: Stephanie Curtis, Curtis Horticulture
Installer: Homeowner

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