San Anselmo Native Garden

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Garden Features

Drought Tolerant

Edible Garden

California Natives

Drip Irrigation

Pesticide Free

Rainwater Harvesting System

Lawn Conversion

Lawn-Free Landscaping

Permeable Surfaces

Wildlife Habitat

Partner: Marin Water

When Merrily LaBarthe (Georgia Master Gardener) and Blanco Hill Country Texas Master Naturalist) moved into her San Anselmo home, the garden was filled with exotic plants and a lawn that required frequent irrigation. Merrily wanted to make her garden less thirsty and more Eco-Friendly. She removed the sod and some of the plants that needed moderate water. The lawn area was sheet mulched and covered with bark for over 6 months. With her designer Alison Blume, Merrily added permeable pathways and a sitting area using pebbles and eko-flow a permeable binder that allows water to seep into the ground. Around the pathways the gardens were mounded up with soil and plants were added. Merrily added native milkweed, grass and wildflower seeds. The native seeds included lupine, clarkia, poppies, and various others. The mounded-up garden beds have some boulders for a focal point. Lizards & salamanders love the rock garden habitat. Blume’s landscape design includes some evergreen native and Mediterranean shrubs, perennials, grasses and groundcovers, The plan has manzanita groundcovers, salvias, penstemons, verbena de la mina, and yarrow. As the plants grow, the garden fills with more bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other birds. The birds are attracted to the Ribes sanguineaum, Roger’s Red Grapevine, Coffeeberry and Toyon. A Rain barrel captures water from the roof gutters and is used for Merrily’s vegetable garden during the very dry season. The lawn sprinkler system was replaced with a drip system which further reduced water usage even with the additional plants. The evergreen shrubs and groundcovers keep the garden looking green in the Winter and creates some privacy screening from the street.

This garden was designed by Alison Blume of Blume and Dean Landscape Design. A garden list will be provided.

Special Events

Landscape Designer - Informational Table

Blume and Dean Landscape Design - Informational Table

Plants in this Garden

Plant Picker

Achillea spp. & cvs. Yarrow
Arctostaphylos spp. & cvs. Manzanita
Ceanothus spp. & cvs. California Lilac

Corymb inflorescent yellow yarrow flowers on gray-green leaves and stems

Achillea spp. & cvs.

Yarrow

Organization

Yarrows are easy to grow, low-growing, spreading herbaceous perennials with finely divided aromatic leaves that inhabit many temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including California. Abundant flowers rise above the foliage in spring and well into summer and provide an important nectar source for pollinators and insects. Yarrow can help to stabilize slopes and is a good addition to the upper level of rain gardens and swales. It is also a good groundcover plant for lawn replacement and creating native meadows. Colors include white, yellow, pink, and red.

California native species & cultivars: A. millefolium (common yarrow), A. m. ‘Calistoga’, A. m. ‘Island Pink’, A. m. ‘Sonoma Coast’, A. m. ‘Terracotta’.

Other yarrows: A. filipendulina (fern leaf yarrow), A. f. ‘Coronation Gold’, A. ‘Moonshine’, A. tomentosa (woolly yarrow).

Water: Low
Light: Full SunPartial Shade
Soil: Most Soils

Arctostaphylos spp. & cvs.

Manzanita

Organization

Manzanitas vary from carpet-forming groundcovers to small trees. Manzanitas have varying shades of striking, reddish brown bark and can provide structure to a garden. These plants have evergreen foliage, small white-to-pink, urn-shaped blossoms in late winter to early spring, and then small fruits that resemble tiny apples.

Groundcovers: A. ‘Emerald Carpet’ (1’ x 3-6’), A. ‘Pacific Mist’ (2-3’ x 6-8’), A. nummularia ‘Bear Belly’ (1’ x 3’), A. uva ursi ‘Radiant’ (6” x 4-6’), A. uva ursi ‘Wood’s Compct’ (1’ x 3’).

Shrubs: A. ‘Howard McMinn’ (5-7’ x 6-10’), A. ‘John Dourly’ (3-4’ x 5-6’), A. ‘Lester Rowntree’ (8-10’ x 10-15’), A. ‘Sunset‘ (5-7’), A. bakeri ‘Louis Edmunds’ (8-10’), A. manzanita ‘Sentinel’ (6-8’ x 5’), A. hookeri ‘Wayside’ (3′ x 8′).

Trees: A. manzanita ‘Dr. Hurd’ (10-15′)

Water: Very LowLow
Light: Full SunPartial Shade
Soil: Well Drained

California Lilac ceanothus variety with clusters of small, vibrant blue flowers and dark green leaves

Green shrub with blue flowers in a natural setting

Groundcover Ceanothus plant variety zoomed in on variegated sturdy foliage in a garden setting

Ceanothus spp. & cvs.

California Lilac

Organization

Ceanothus is a group of fast-growing, evergreen shrubs that vary from groundcovers to small trees, many of which are native to California. They provide a spectacular display of flowers in spring that will attract a multitude of pollinators. Flowers are followed by seeds that provide food for birds. The clusters of tiny flowers range from white to deep violet. Plants perform best with good drainage and minimal irrigation once established. Some do best in cooler coastal climates, but many thrive in hotter inland climates. Pay close attention to the mature size when selecting ceanothus to ensure that it has sufficient space for its natural form.

Groundcovers: C. ‘Centennial’ (1’ x 8’), C. gloriosus var. gloriosus ‘Anchor Bay’ (2’ x 8’), C. griseus var. horizontalis ‘Diamond Heights’ (variegated, 1’ x 4’), C. griseus var. horizontalis ‘Yankee Point’ (3’ x 12’), C. maritimus (2’ x 6’).

Shrubs: C. ‘Blue Jeans’ (6’ x 6’), C. Concha (6’ x 6’), C. ‘Dark Star’ (6’ x 8’), C. ‘Joyce Coulter’ (4’ x 12’), C. ‘Julia Phelps’ (8’ x 10’), C. cuneatus (8’ x 8’), C. thyrsiflorus ‘Skylark’ (4’ x 6’).

Large shrubs: C. ‘Frosty Blue’ (10’ x 12’), C. thyrsiflorus (20’ x 20’), C. t. ‘Snow Flurry’ (white flower, 20’ x 20’).

Trees: C. ‘Ray Hartman’ (15′ x 15′)