Terraced Creekside Garden 2012 Garden Tour Mill Valley

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Margaret Anderson
5 years ago
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1 These are a sampling of Garden Tour exhibitions of the past years. These gardens represent the many different styles of Marin-Friendly gardens, ranging from professionally designed and maintained to home grown. Terraced Creekside Garden 2012 Garden Tour Mill Valley When the owners bought this property there was a small older home and little access to the steep backyard. Now a new Greenpoint-rated home and terraces have transformed the site. Artistic stonework steps and shot concrete retaining walls make the whole site accessible. A deconstruction company salvaged materials from the original building. The landscape, designed by landscape architect Jim Catlin, includes a permeable paver driveway with decorative drainage grill that captures stormwater runoff, channeling it through a stone creek bed to an area that slows, spreads and sinks the flow. A section of bordering stream bank was restored during construction. Two 1500 gallon rain catchment tanks installed under the patio provide rainwater irrigation to a no mow turf meadow and planting on lower terraces. The planting, installed by Denise Muscarella of Gardenscape Design features many native plants that provide habitat for wildlife. A smart irrigation controller with onsite weather sensor keeps irrigation water use low.

Creekside Garden 2012 Garden Tour San Anselmo Two friends and neighbors share plants and garden wisdom to create unique gardens with distinct styles directly across the street from each other.

The owner has planted diverse native species which flower throughout the seasons. Layers of plant material provide food and shelter for many species of birds, butterflies and bees.

2 Creekside Garden 2012 Garden Tour San Anselmo Two friends and neighbors share plants and garden wisdom to create unique gardens with distinct styles directly across the street from each other. The first garden is a sanctuary hidden from the street with a peaceful deck overlooking a creek the overgrown bank was rehabilitated and an owl box was installed. The owner has planted diverse native species which flower throughout the seasons. Layers of plant material provide food and shelter for many species of birds, butterflies and bees. The front yard features an area converted from lawn to perennials and flowering shrubs to entice birds and bees, and a habitat garden with milkweed for monarchs, scabiosa for swallowtails and salvias for hummingbirds. An old established holly hedge provides privacy for the house and nectar for honey bees in spring. The neighboring garden s backyard is an open outdoor living space with a stone patio and low terraces with sweeping, curved planters full of water-wise colorful foliage and blooms, and succulent beds on the public pathway that runs along the side of the property.

Lawn-less Garden San Rafael Originally a Japanese-themed garden with a free-formed pool, this redesign project began with the demolition of the pool, removal of wooden decks cantilevered over the

One particular challenge associated with the garden redesign was posed by the site s location nestled up against Open Space and within the Wildland-Urban Interface.

3 Lawn-less Garden San Rafael Originally a Japanese-themed garden with a free-formed pool, this redesign project began with the demolition of the pool, removal of wooden decks cantilevered over the hillside, and conversion of all lawn areas to more sustainable Marin-Friendly plantings. One particular challenge associated with the garden redesign was posed by the site s location nestled up against Open Space and within the Wildland-Urban Interface. Plant selections and placements were made with this challenge in mind. All juniper was removed from the front yard and replaced with a native and low-maintenance plant palette. A new low-maintenance, inline drip system was installed to improve irrigation efficiency at the site and is covered by a two-inch layer of mulch to help prevent evapotranspiration. The front steps and new entry deck were renovated from re-purposed materials salvaged from the old deck as well as sustainably harvested hardwoods. The backyard is a mixture of Mediterranean plants selected for both their seasonal color and ability to endure the hot, southern exposure during summer months. Here you will find a modern, open design with a welcoming terrace and path leading to a trellised seating area. Further on, steps lead down to a succulent garden (formerly the pool equipment pad) constructed with salvaged boulders from the former pool and pool coping. Large boulders from the original pool nestle into the hillside serving as an informal seating area to enjoy the views of Mt. Tam. Adjacent to the viewing terrace, gravel terraces capture hillside runoff, which remains on site and helps protect the sensitive open space below.

A Church Garden San Rafael St. Paul s Episcopal Church was constructed in 1869, making it the oldest church building in San Rafael and the second oldest in the county.

Alison Blume (Blume & Dean Landscape Design) has converted a landscape of lawn, hedged shrubs and various invasive volunteers to a collection of California native and Mediterranean plants.

4 A Church Garden San Rafael St. Paul s Episcopal Church was constructed in 1869, making it the oldest church building in San Rafael and the second oldest in the county. This historic church has been around for over 140 years, but the garden has undergone a recent transformation. Alison Blume (Blume & Dean Landscape Design) has converted a landscape of lawn, hedged shrubs and various invasive volunteers to a collection of California native and Mediterranean plants. Non-native trees were removed and replaced with native species, and rocks from around the property were used for a wall repair and for decorative design in the garden. Native shrubs were used to create a green fence along Court Street. Two redwood trees tower above the central garden and provide natural shade and bird habitat. Water is conserved by using drip irrigation, mulch and low-water-use plants. So far this 0.73 acre site has experienced a 25-percent reduction in summer water use, and plans are underway to convert other planting areas on the property in the near future. Edible Garden Mill Valley

selecting, planting and maintaining over 100 unique natives and edible plants. No two plants are alike!

5 Edible Garden Mill Valley Four years ago this property was all Bermuda lawn, both front and back. Nick Young of Sequoia Landscape helped remove the lawns and contour a dry creek swale in the front yard, while the owner, Stacy Ryerson, developed the rest of the landscape herself including hand selecting, planting and maintaining over 100 unique natives and edible plants. No two plants are alike! The front yard is newly planted as a native woodland edible food forest for both people and animals. Elderberries, salmonberries, huckleberries, cranberries, goji, honeyberry, spicebush, tree collards, currants, gooseberries and many assorted herbs make up the forest understory while hazelnuts, mountain ash and medlar trees fill in the middle level. Young dogwood trees will complete the forest s upper level after a few years of growth. The backyard has a full-size chicken coop, built entirely of salvaged fencing material, that is home to a flock of docile Chinese silkie chickens. Also in the backyard, you ll find a homemade koi fish aquaponic system for growing mixed salad greens and watercress, as well as several shiitake mushroom logs, a novel Australian worm farm, a mini greenhouse, a diversity of ornamentals and lots of eye-catching glass art. Seven deep raised beds were built using Trex to eliminate wet root problems associated with the site formerly a salt marsh with poorly drained clay soils. These beds are used for growing a variety of perennial and annual cool season vegetables including artichoke, asparagus, saffron crocus, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and many kinds of berries and root crops that flourish in Mill Valley s cool summers. Blackberries, raspberries and black raspberries are grown in 25-gallon pots to control their spread. Warmer season tropical plants are grown in the greenhouse. The soil is continually composted to add nutrients and improve drainage, and fava and red clover cover crops are grown to enrich the soil.

Landscape Design Assistance Program Approval Questionnaire

The Landscape Design Assistance Program (LDAP) will provide access to landscape retrofit design resources for Participants of the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) Turf Removal Rebate Program