California Landscapes - Save Water and Enrich Biodiversity
Fire-Safe Landscape: Keep it defensible, keep it hydrated.
Enjoy our newest set of plans appropriate to many regions in California but designed specifically for Sonoma County.
1. Gardening under the Oaks is easy and drought tolerant with the right plant choices and care not to water in the summer
2. Perennial Meadow - Perennial bunch grasses and flowering shrubs create a gorgeous garden full of habitat
3. Fire-Safe Landscape - protect your home with defensible space and fire resistant plants
4. Extremes of Drought Tolerance: Desert and Coastal Plant Communities - Gardening by plant community is important because these plants have evolved together. West of Hwy 101 many can use the coastal plant community East desert plants are well adapted to heat and no water for long periods of time.
Use these plans to replace the water thirsty lawn in your garden! These are a free downloadable resources sponsored by multiple agencies. We provide them to promote biodiversity by using California native plants.
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
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!
SONOMA COUNTY Open Source Prelim Example
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.