Common name:Coast Live Oak
Botanical name:Quercus agrifolia
The Coast Live Oak is an evergreen round headed tree. It can reach 15'-40' high and 20' wide; it grows very well from the coastal areas to the interior valleys. It is native to California, is drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies. -Cornflower Farms
Common name:California Poppy, Golden Poppy
Botanical name:Eschscholzia californica
This small annual (sometimes acts as a perennial) plant will grow to less than 1' tall and has light, small blue green leaves with gold and orange flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Common name:Deer Grass
Botanical name:Muhlenbergia rigens
The Deer Grass is a warm season perennial that forms dense clumps from the base. The spike-like flower stalks grow 2'-3' tall and this grass has striking foundation form. The Deer Grass is native to California and needs watering once or twice a month after it has been established. The more water it has, the greener it is.
Common name:Dwarf Coyote Bush
Botanical name:Baccharis pilularis
The pilularis is a low maintenance, reliable evergreen groundcover. It benefits from pruning in the spring. However, the cottony seeds from the female plant can be messy. -Cornflower Farms
Common name:California Sycamore
Botanical name:Platanus racemosa
The California Sycamore is a fast growing deciduous tree that reaches up to 40'-50' high. It tolerates heat, smog, as well as moist conditions; it is native to riparian areas. It can be drought tolerant once it's established if there is a high water table. It has interesting mottled bark when the tree is bare in winter. Leaves in fall are gold, red and orange, creating litter. It is beautiful all year round.
Common name:Cedros Island Verbena cv.
Botanical name:Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina'
Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina' is a selection introduced by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. It is a fast-growing shrub that reaches 3' tall and 3' wide. Flowers are purple and fragrant and bloom all year long in coastal areas. These star-shaped flowers are held high above the mound shaped foliage. It does well in sun and part sun and is considered drought tolerant. It is a beautiful shrub that attracts butterflies.
Common name:African Fern Pine
Botanical name:Afrocarpus elongatus
Soft, narrow, pointed leaves on graceful arching branches characterize this plant. The foliage is gray green, and the plant can be used as an individual specimen, screen, or even a small tree.
Common name:White Sage, Sacred White Sage
Botanical name:Salvia apiana
This woody shrub has long stems with silvery white leaves and fragrant white flowers that bloom in the spring. It provides a strong structural form as a garden focal point. It can reach 6' tall and 6' wide.
If you mulch heavily as recommended in the compost and mulch fact sheets you should not need traditional fertilization. Sustainable landscapes fertilize themselves as soil organisms break down and recycle the dropped leaves into nutrients.
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Designer: Bill Butler | Native Front Garden |
Photographer: GardenSoft |
Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.
Mulching and adding compost to soil can minimize evaporation and help soil absorb and store water.
Attract, or buy beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to control pest outbreaks in your garden.