Whimsical & Water Wise

5

What was once a persistent Bermuda lawn with heavy clay soils has undergone sheet mulching and soil rehabilitation to provide a nourishing, permeable and sustainable site with a proliferation of native plantings and suburban wildlife habitat.

The planting theme in this garden is sages and other pollinator favorites, keeping to a low and cool palette. Swaths of plants were used for both visual impact and pollinator delight. Small trees and larger shrubs create multiple perches and cover for smaller birds.

A river-friendly landscape theme highlights the water management system designed to slow water flows from roofline to gutter. Rainfall is checked and reabsorbed into the soil via several permeability strategies: bioswales, a rain garden, rain barrels, rain chain and the permeable paving strips in the new driveway. In fact this garden shows no runoff onto the sidewalk until a storm event reaches three inches of rainfall or more.

The garden is irrigated using subsurface drip irrigation laid on a grid and a smart controller. The back side yard reveals a Laundry to Landscape greywater system to grow fruit trees and other moderate water use edibles (installed by GrowWater.org).

Water-wise hydrozoning is implemented. All front yard plants are low and very low water users with the exception of pots, rain garden and side yard edibles. Walnut shells are a local agricultural byproduct that provides a clean, neat, long lasting mulch.

The recycled concrete (a.k.a. Urbanite) from the old driveway was used to build the pathway, steps and garden wall. Recycled windshield glass (a.k.a. Kryptonite) is incorporated into the wall and other areas complementing the color scheme of the home, adding a sparkle of color and providing a glowing effect in the sunlight.

A collection of Mexican talavera pottery and figurines add whimsy and humor to this wonderful water-wise example of ‘greener’ gardening.

This ‘greener’ garden is within the Laguna Creek Watershed. A river friendly garden like this one reduces runoff and the pollutants that would otherwise drain into Elk Grove Creek, a tributary of Laguna Creek.

Photos Courtesy Bruce Robinson Photography

Designer: Soleil Tranquilli, Tranquill Gardens

Contractor: Eric Zemlicka, Z-Scapes

Project Cost: $23,000

Installed: Winter/Spring 2015

Plant list on back

Whimsical & Water Wise5

Plant list1. California Spicebush, Calycanthus occidentalis

2. Western Redbud, Cercis occidentalis

3. Bubba Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis ‘Bubba’

4. Cork Oak, Quercus suber

5. Elizabeth Bush Anemone, Carpenteria californica ‘Elizabeth’

6. Diamond Heights Ceanothus, Ceanothus griseus var. hori-zontalis ‘Diamond Heights’

7. Carmine Bells Australian Fuchsia, Correa ‘Carmine Bells’

8. Eve Case Coffeeberry, Frangula californica ‘Eve Case’

9. Dancing Tassels Currant, Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum ‘Tranquillon Ridge’

10. White Sage, Salvia apiana

11. Celestial Blue Sage, Salvia ‘Celestial Blue’

12. Germander Sage, Salvia chamaedryoides ‘Electric Blue’

13. Blue Note Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii ‘Blue Note’

14. Dark Dancer Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii ‘Dark Dancer’

15. Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha

16. Midnight Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha ‘Midnight’

17. Black Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’

18. Variegated Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ‘Variegata’

19. Foothill Angelica, Angelica tomentosa

20. Silver Mound Artemisia, Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’

21. Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa

22. Rock Purslane, Calandrinia grandiflora

23. Carpet Echeveria, Echeveria agavoides ‘Lipstick’

24. Western Marsh Rosemary, Limonium californica

25. Blue Anise Sage, Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’

26. Phyllis’ Fancy Sage, Salvia ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’

27. West Texas Cobalt Sage, Salvia reptens West Texas form

28. Hummingbird Sage, Salvia spathacea

29. Bog Sage, Salvia uliginosa

30. Carpet Stonecrop, Sedum album

31. Western Blue Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium bellum

32. Everett’s Choice California Fuschia, Zauschneria californica ‘Everett’s Choice’

33. Marsh Baccharis, Baccharis douglassii

34. Berkeley Sedge, Carex divulsa

35. California Meadow Sedge, Carex pansa

36. Cape Rush, Chondropetulum tectorum

37. Festina Blue Fescue, Festuca glauca ‘Festina’

38. Idaho Fescue, Festuca idahoensis

39. Elk Blue California Gray Rush, Juncus patens ‘Elk Blue’

40. California Hibiscus, Hibiscus lasiocarpus

41. Little Ollie Dwarf Olive, Olea ‘Little Ollie’

42. Everillo Golden Sedge, Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’

43. Live Forever, Dudleya cymosa

44. White Rain Lily, Zephranthes candida

45. California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Bulbs47. Bridges’ Brodiaea, Triteleia bridgesii

48. Foothill Prettyface/Golden Brodiaea, Triteleia ixioides var. scabra

49. Sierra Giant Triteleia, Triteleia laxa ‘Sierra Giant’/’Dinnerplate’

50. Long-rayed Triteleia, Triteleia peduncularis

51. Ornamental Onion, Allium species

52. Common Soap Root, Chlorogalum pomeridianum

53. Peruvian Scilla, Scilla peruviana

54. Tuolumne Fawn Lily/Tuolumne Dog’s Tooth, Erythronium tuolumnense

55. Blue Dicks/Wild Hyacinth, Dichelostemma capitatum

56. Firecracker Flower, Dichelostemma ida-maia

57. Wild Hyacinth/Snakelily, Dichelostemma multiflorum

58. Appendaged Brodiaea, Brodiaea appendiculata