Native Gardener’s Corner-Member’s Tips, Tricks, and Techniques compiled by Dan Songster

This column is a regular newsletter feature offering chapter members and local experts a chance to briefly share information on many things related to gardening with natives. The request for this month was:  “If money were no object, what feature(s) would you include in your dream native garden?”

Lori Reznick-“If money were no object, my dream native garden would include a solar-powered, multi-tiered, self-cleaning water fountain for birds, bees, and butterflies-fed by an underground cistern. Oh and I would also have wildlife cameras!

Rama Nayeri-“If money was in endless supply, I would buy a piece of land and plant a giant oak. Then around that oak build a tree house as my permanent residence.”  

Nancy Harris-“I would like several elevations, large rocks, many paths that lead to “surprise spaces,” lots of watering spigots with aluminum hoses, many bird baths, a plant potting area with the best gardening utensils, an area to compost food scraps and plant debris, and a gorgeous gazebo with a solid roof and very comfortable furniture with a VIEW.  And there would be room for all the California native plants that grow in SoCal.”

Ron Vanderhoff-“I would definitely include some features to ensure the garden is gentle on the land. This might include water percolation, all permeable surfaces, a cistern, a composting area, and solar lighting.” 

Brad Jenkins-“A native riparian and an edibles section additions to the garden with irrigation coming from home gray water. But then that would require a bit of an extension to the yard, and at that level of cost, money is an object!”

Lori Whalen-“If money were no object for me I would take more time off work so I could maintain my garden! I’m the sort of gardener who likes to do it all. I prefer to install my own hardscape, place my own flagstones, wheelbarrow a driveway full of DG to make paths. Oh, and countless piles of mulch, rocks the size of pillows, redwood bender board, etc. The plants are the least expensive item in my garden and the hardscape items are not too pricey either, if installed without paying a professional. What I really need more of to take my garden to the next level is TIME, and since time is money… lol!”

Laura Camp-“If money were no object, I would have a much larger, more wild garden, adjacent to woodlands (hopefully ones that wouldn’t burn!). I would have a very large native oak tree supporting ALL OF THE LIFE.”

Glenn Keator-“My dream native garden might have a small green house for propagation. Also, large boulders and rocks to create large mounds. And a water feature.”

Bart O’Brien-“That’s an easy one!!! A crevice garden, a limestone rock garden, and a serpentine rock garden! Any of these would make me very happy. 

PS: A vernal pool would be nice, too, but I don’t know of any artificial ones that have really lasted and worked out well long-term. 

Tina Cremer-“If money were no object, I would have all of the oil filled heavy clay fill-soil removed down to 36″ from the pre-existing soil level and replaced with sandy loam soil berms. I’d also get rid of my existing house and build a smaller one story new house designed/aligned so that my entire garden would get “full sun” all day. No part of the new home would block the southern exposure. Am I asking for too much?”

Leon Baginski-“If money were no object I would purchase 100 acres of wilderness but if we are stuck with our own puny yards, then water feature with pond and stream for breeding native amphibians and reptiles. Large boulders in place of a perimeter wall and a full time gardener to pull weeds!!” 

Amy Litton-“A bigger yard with a slope would be awesome! Swales, a water feature, and more trees – a coast live oak for sure!”

Dan Songster-“I would snap my fingers and a Scottish horticulturalist trained in Kew Garden would appear, eager to work with the California native plants they had learned about in England. They would use their extensive training and skills to train various Ceanothus onto trellis, alter soils to make Manzanitas flourish, and would stay on top of pesky Argentine ants. (While quoting their country man John Muir, or recounting the deeds of David Douglas). But I do admit the idea of a large oak is tempting as well.

Our Question for July: “We often give praise for plants that flower during the summer months, but what are your favorite native plants that stay green throughout the hot and dry summer months?”

Email your responses to Dan Songster at songster@cox.net. Please attempt to keep replies brief so we can include most of the responses.