Robert Watkins
photo by Robert Watkins

 

California Landscapes - Save Water and Enrich Biodiversity

Use these plans to inspire your lawn replacement or California native plant conversion.

Living Learning Landscapes Demonstration Gardens

Visit LivingLearningLandscapes.com for eight wonderful plans

to download and use. You can also visit four of these landscapes near the Santa Rosa Junior College - the addresses are on the plans.

Living Learning Landscapes Extremes of drought garden. These landscapes are installed along Elliot Avenue in Santa Rosa. Go visit and pick your favorite one!

Small Garden Replacements  - Hot and Dry

These 900 SF gardens were created for Habitat For Humanity in the Fresno County Region.  They include an extensive Central Valley Plant list as well.  They should cost less than $3000 to install.  These plans will translate anywhere in California - if it can grow in the central valley - it can grow in your yard!

Habitat For Humanity -SIMPLE AND COLORFUL PLAN

SWALES AND MOUNDS PLAN

GRASSES AND LARGE SHRUBS PLAN

PERENNIAL FLOWERING MEADOW PLAN

Habitat Garden - Front or Back

A habitat garden is simple.  Provide water, cover and food and a variety of California native plants and watch your garden explode with life.  This one will work all over the state in Part- Sun in the Western Regions mostly sunny.  This garden was originally installed in Healdsburg, California where it gets REALLY warm in the Summer.  It is delightful with some of our favorites:  Eriophyllum lanatum (Wolly Sunflower), Juncus patens (Blue Rush) - in the swale, Cercis occidentalis (Red Bud), Ceanothus 'Anchor Bay' (Groundcover Blue Blossom), Arctostaphylos 'Howard McMinn' (McMinn Manzanita) to name a few!

Click here for the SONOMA COUNTY Open Source Prelim Example

Click here for the Swale and perennials with shrubs WEST FACING CALIFORNIA

 

Coastal Garden

Coastal gardens are a great source of biodiversity.  Some of our favorite coastal plants are Leymus condensatus (Giant Wild Rye), Iris douglasiana (Douglas's Iris) and Atemesia douglasiana (Sage).  Use this plan to replace your lawn with a beautiful garden.

Click here for the COASTAL GARDEN-PLAN