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This garden's evolution began when the owners moved into the home 15 years
ago. The front yard was dominated by a
sloping, shade-defeated lawn. The
backyard lacked variety in its plantings: one Italian Stone Pine surrounded by
Rosemary, a lawn that sloped toward the house causing drainage problems and a
hillside of iceplant. The side yards
were covered in English Ivy. Finding
vermin in the Ivy and Iceplant convinced them that things had to change.
Following a one-day class on hardscaping, the
make-over was soon underway. After the
hardscaping was complete, Stephen Gabor, a landscape architect and family
friend, helped to select sandy-loam loving plants for the front, side and
lower-back areas. After several years
pause, they added the terracing on the hillside and with an eye to helping our
environment, planted California Natives.
To reduce water consumption, they converted the traditional lawn to UC
Verde Buffalo Grass. They discovered an
unforseen benefit of this choice- Buffao
Grass is hypoallergenic).
A wider variety of birds and insects now visit the garden - the garden has
become an ecosystem - it is so alive now.
They planted the hillside plants this winter and last winter, so it is a
young garden. The long term goal is to
bring the California Natives into the established areas of the garden.
