Built with an eye toward the view of the house from the street, this beautiful native garden masks five feet of defensible space and provides vibrant color and a happy habitat for pollinators.

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Key components of this landscape include:

Native plants from CalFlora

Selected plants include:

Polygala myrtifolia, (Sweet Pea Shrub), while not a native, is very popular with native bees.  It can be a focal point, as it grows from 6-12 feet high and blooms almost year-around with pretty lavender-pink flowers.

Ceanothus, (a.k.a California lilac) A native favorite, this plant can be a bright yellow-leafed groundcover, or a towering shrub reaching 15-20 ft., depending on the variety.  It’s covered in lavender flowers in spring and sporadically blooms again in the fall.  Deer avoid it and it is drought tolerant.

Pemstemmon (Beardtongue) are native to North American, and many are native to the West Coast. Drought-resistant, deer resistant, and incredibly easy to grow, although they do require cutting back after blooming and in the winter.  Some have gorgeous fluorescent flowers in spring and sporadically thereafter, while others come in bright red and orange. They are hummingbird magnets.

Leucanthemum x superburn (Shasta Daisies) are native and easy to maintain, deer-resistant and drought-resistant. Pretty white daisy-like flowers.

Limonium (Statice, sea lavender) is perfectly happy in lousy soil, heat and direct sunlight.  Deer resistant and drought resistant.  Transplants easily. Super long blooming season.

Salvia (sage)—You can’t go wrong with Salvia.  Tons of native varieties. Deer repellent, drought resistant, and a huge bee magnet. If you want impact try Mexican Sage or the Russian Sage varieties, both of which achieve some mass.

Duranta erecta—This native of Mexico does fine in Orinda and is attractive to pollinators.  The flowers are beautiful lavender ringed with white, and the shrub has an arching affect.  A great focal point, growing up to six feet. Also deer and heat resistant.

Romneya coulteri/Matilija Poppy (Fried Egg Flower)—another stunner that is native and thrives in dry sunny climates.  Blooms with giant white flowers with a big yellow center on up to 10 ft. tall stalks. Grows fast and is super easy to manage.

Clarkia rubicunda –A native annual that frequently self-seeds. The flowers are enchanting to people and bees.