Community Garden in Sebastopol
Location: Sebastopol, CA
Design Goals:
Remove 8,000+ sq ft of thirsty lawn and replant to attract wildlife
Celebrate local native plants in naturalistic plantings that add cohesion and harmony throughout the condo community
Add color, texture, and habitat into the communal spaces with drought tolerant plants and fieldstone boulders
Cluster plantings into bouquets for maximum visual impact and firescaping benefits
Reuse on site soil and removed lawn to create planting mounds. Reduce waste!
Add seasonal dry creeks to slow and sink stormwater and recharge groundwater.
Project Ecological Benefits:
Native + pollinator plants support native bats, birds, hummingbirds, bees, caterpillars, moths, and butterflies
Mulch improves soil health, reduces water loss, regulates temperatures Dry creeks provide habitat crevices for lizards + bugs
Significant reduction in supplemental water usage from previous lawn
Mounded plantings reused removed lawn to build planting islands
Featured Plants:
California native evergreens including Eriogonum fasciculatum (CA buckwheat), Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky Monkey Flower) and four varieties of Arctostaphylos (Manzanita).
Pollinators love Epilobium canum (CA Fuchsia) and Achillea ‘Sonoma Coast’ for long lasting blooms through the summer heat.
Freshly planted perennials under existing Ginkgo and Japanese Maples
New Schinus molle (CA Pepper Tree) planted uphill of a dry stream bed to catch stormwater
Local moss rock boulder anchors this corner planting
Blue skies and pink blossoms
View of the dry creek bed through the branches of an established plum tree
Agave peaking around the corner
Magnolia blossoms bursting like confetti
Mature canopy over freshly planted understory