California Native Garden in the Santa Cruz Mountains

This charming one bedroom property had the perfect bones for a native plant landscape. Site challenge: Most of the front yard receives a mix of sun and shade and so it was important to get the right native plants for the job. We planted Hummingbird sage and Ruby Red Monkeyflower along the path and home in the shadiest area.

The main portion of the front yard is centered around a focal point of Dark Star Ceanothus which will get very large in comparison to the one gallon size now. The shiny dark leaves and purple lilac flowers make this the star of the show!

No drip system was installed and instead the homeowner will provide supplemental regular watering in the warm months with only reliance on rain in the winter. The addition of compost and a thick layer of mulch keeps the moisture in the soil and made for easy planting!

A big thank you to the Mountain Farm Supply in Ben Lomond who gave us the best customer service, quality of plants, and had an incredible selection of California natives.