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Showcase Features: In 2020, the owners designed and installed this garden with wildlife in mind. The garden demonstrates how a few very old, non-native plants and an edible garden can complement native plantings.

Near the street, foundation plants will mature to different levels providing food, shelter, and nesting areas for wildlife, as well as privacy. The January blooms of the 'Dr. Hurd' manzanita attracts hummingbirds and is complemented by the dense, dark leafed coffeeberry, a few ceanothus, and sugar bush. Two varieties of California fuschia bloom summer through fall. Other nearby plants include Salvia "Pozo blue", sticky monkey flower, and prolific re-seeding wildflowers (Elegant clarkia, varieties of California poppy, globe gilia, bird's-eye gilia).

Near the entrance of the garden, a small pond with a few bog plants encourages birds, butterflies, and lizards to stop by for a drink. Plants near the pond include 'Louis Edmonds' manzanita, Abutilon palmeri, malva rose, california aster, chaparral currant, and various seasonal wildflowers.

Gravel pathways meander through the garden, edged by wattle fences constructed by the owner. Plantings along the pathways include a variety of grasses, Salvia Apiana, Woolly bluecurls, coyote mint, penstemon 'Margarita BOP', red-flowering buckwheat, and others. Large and small rocks in many areas of the garden provide interest and hiding places for critters.

Preparation: Starting about 8 years ago, the owners stopped watering the front yard entirely. The roses did OK, and the other non-natives also did well on just rain-water. But the rest of the yard became compacted and overcome with Bermuda grass. The owners planted and hand-watered two manzanita 'Dr. Hurd', but only one survived. In spring and summer of 2020, the owners solarized the yard then sheet mulched.

Other Garden Attractions: Visitors can't help but notice the two raised vegetable beds among the native plants, which provide vegetables and edible native and non-native flowers. Nearby, a 'Rogers Red' grape grows along a trellis.
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View the the 2021 garden talk on YouTube: The Penney Garden - A Transformation Story

Gardening for Wildlife: The garden is a Certified Wildlife Garden by the National Wildlife Federation by providing food, water, cover, and places to raise young. For more info go to www.nwf.org.

Years of CA Native Gardening at this Location: 5

Garden Size: 1000 sq.ft

Designer: Homeowner
Installer: Homeowners

Click here to display the plant list in a printer-friendly format (from year 2024).