Pollinator Patch

This garden checks all the boxes for versatility. Each space is carefully planned and each plant selected to ensure minimal watering is required and maximum benefit to humans and wildlife is achieved. Drought- tolerant plants rugosa roses, Jupiter’s beard and Mediterranean spurge grow next to the sidewalk.  Raspberries and roses offer enjoyment for passers-by. As a habitat for pollinators crucial for healthy ecosystems, it is certified by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Broadleaf evergreens line the perimeter inside the fence for privacy and structure. Next to the house are boxwoods interspersed with the great pollinator plants, salvia and aster. Chickens provide the family with eggs and fun for the kids.

A food garden occupies the west side of the back garden with stone fruits including a Harglow apricot, a successful PNW variety, and two semi-dwarf frost peaches. A Desert King fig tree, blueberries, and raspberries thrive along the fence. Raised beds contain vegetables and pretty evergreens in containers add structure throughout the dormant season. The back border is planted for pollinators and drought-tolerance, including an old lilac and ‘Mutabilis’ rose, backdrop to the smoke bush and iris. Tetrapanex, a showy tropical tree native to Taiwan, has large deeply lobed leaves up to one meter wide.

A restful patio is home to a fragrance garden which includes sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans), jasmine, gardenias and scented geraniums. Look for Meagan's collection of succulents and the coveted Pseudopanax ferox here.

Every space in this garden is utilized for growing food, for gatherings, for play and relaxation.