Soil Restoration

 I'm afraid we've neglected our garden for too long. Between trips to Seattle, Alaska, and the desert, explorations in the regional parks, and researching and filming "plants to dye" for projects, our yard has suffered (but no regrets for all that life lived!). Add a long drought several years back, a broken sprinkler system, and a rigorous career, and things are looking a little ratty. Part of this was intentional – the first phase of converting from a water-thirsty garden from yesteryear to a modern native plant and wildlife friendly garden. The idea was to practice survival-of-the-fittest gardening for awhile, and see what survives!

Brown, compacted lawn

We'll start with the remaining bones of the original garden, and work from there to create the next phase of the garden's life. I actually like what remains - the oak tree is a major focal point. The native toyon, hawthorn, and prunus shrubs in the lower yard are holding their own, and provide a screen and sound barrier for busy traffic and a habitat for birds. The junipers and sedges are also healthy. The camellias are a little leggy and scruffy (but may be at the end of their life cycle). The pittosporum and tulip tree by the fence look pretty good (their roots may be pirating water from our neighbor). The lawns are brown most of the year, but the embedded moss typically greens up in the rainy season and looks quite beautiful. Quite a few flowers come up in the spring from spring rains.

On the negative side, the soil where the lawns once thrived is compacted and needs restoration. So does the soil under the oak tree (carefully). We're teaming up with our maintenance gardener, and a gardening consultant who has helped clients all over the Bay Area with their gardening projects. One of our first steps is to bring in mulch, organic matter, and fertilizer to enrich the soil. We're looking forward to the transformation, and will keep you posted!