California is a political boundary line that plants generally don’t care about. The “California floristic province” is a geographic region that includes plants that grow here. Generally, plants that occur here naturally that pre-date Spanish colonization are considered native.

In order to support habitat found near you, I generally plant species that are found occurring naturally within a 50 mile radius to your home. While I do make exceptions for other California native garden favorites found beyond that 50 mile radius, I do not plant non-native “drought-tolerant” plants that originate in South Africa, Europe or Australia.

I serve the East Bay, as far North as Pinole, as far South as Oakland, and as far East as Walnut Creek.

Once you fill out your information on the contact page, I will follow up with a phone call to find out more about what you are looking for and see if my work is a good fit. After that, we set up a site visit for an initial consultation during which we discuss the scope of work, costs, timing, and answer your questions. I require a $50 fee for site visits.

I will try my best! Sometimes plant inventory at the nurseries is limited and so we have to make changes to the garden design that reflect what is available. Keep dreaming though - gardens were not built in a day! They require upkeep and inputs from year to year. Annual garden enhancements are a great opportunity to try to find that hard-fine-plant plant once again.

Nope! All battery-powered and relatively quiet power tools or hand tools. Holding out for an electric pickup before long.

Most of my work is a one-woman show and I am proud of seeing a project through from start to finish. For large projects, I will subcontract a crew to help me with installation. For projects outside of my expertise, I can refer you to other professionals who specialize in what you are looking for.

Yes! But sometimes you have to look closely. Some plants have evolved to have inconspicuous or small flowers, others have big blooms that are ephemeral. There is more to appreciate than just flowers - foliage color and texture, new growth, and pollinator diversity make native gardens much more interesting that what may initially meet the eye. Working with me means you will inevitably learn lots of fun facts about native plants that will keep your garden giving you much more than just flowers.

Hold on tight, gardens are a journey, not a destination. Generally, your installation will feel much fuller after about a year. Plant growth rates naturally vary from species to species and are also impacted by their environment like sun, site, water and other factors (e.g. the presence of allelopathic street trees like elm).

I prefer to support our local small business and non-profit native plant nurseries in the area, particularly those that are focused on maintaining locally native and genetically diverse inventory that has healthy plant stock. Given the recent increase in popularity of planting native plants, demand is often higher than supply, which means sourcing from larger wholesale suppliers as needed.

No. These two species are often mistaken for California native, but are actually native to Europe. While it is true that they require little water to look great, they do not offer resources that are valuable to native pollinators. I do love the smell of lavender and the taste of rosemary, though.

Probably not. While I can make suggestions for native plants that act as screens, hedges, or fences, it will be years before they block the view of your neighbors. Furthermore, most natives are not adapted to make dense foliage that would cover the view in the way that you hope. I suggest you move somewhere less urban with no neighbors, or better yet, take down the fence between your houses, build an even bigger garden, and build your community stronger (we can dream!).

No. This is a common misconception about native plant gardens. Amending soil is common and helpful when working with edibles or high needs ornamentals. Soil formation is a process that takes millennia, and native plants are adapted to native soils! Unless your soil has been highly altered from previous landscaping or wetland draining, it is ready for native plants.

No. This is another misconception. Clay soils are just another type of soil, among others such as sand and silt and everything in between. Clay soil is common in the bay area and can be frustrating as it is relatively difficult to dig in and not ideal for many edibles. It is not bad, however, it just is.

Infrequently but deeply! One of the many benefits of California native plant gardens is that our flora is evolved for a dry mediterranean climate, and native gardens need much less water than classical landscaping and once established (after about one year) require almost no supplemental irrigation!

For all of my gardens, I send custom irrigation instructions and will help you adjust your watering throughout the year. In general, rain means no need to water until the soil dries out and in the summer and surrounding dry months, I will advise between 0-2 waterings per month!

No! Although I offer installation services for single-zone drip systems, native gardens thrive if you opt to hand water them as needed instead. Given their minimal water needs, you might find hand watering to be manageable and even enjoyable - get outside and take it all in! Your garden is full of delights to see. And remember, most of this work is just for the first year.