This garden was established in late 2024 in the front of the Willows Nursery school. The planting area used to have a tree, but after the tree died, the area was left unattended. Cars started to drive over it, compacting the soil, and leading to flooding of the parking lot.
Plants Featured (13 species)
Wildflowers
- California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) - The state flower of California
- Bee Plant (Scrophularia californica) - Bees are extremely attracted to the tiny maroon and yellow flowers
- Sticky Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus) - Cheerful orange and yellow blooms from spring through summer
- California Fuschia (Epilobium canum) - Late season nectar source
- Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spath) - Hummingbird favorite
- Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) - Aromatic shrub with blue green leaves and purple flowers
- Wartleaf Ceanothus (Ceanothus papillosus) - Shrub
- Rough Hedgenettle (Stachys rigida) - Rhizomatous species with delecate pink flowers
- Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) - Host plant for the monarch butterfly
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) -
- California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) -
Grasses
- Purple Needle Grass (Stipa pulchra) - Native bunch grass with deep roots that aerate soil and store carbon
- Common Rush (Juncus patens) - Thrives in the moist soil, filters pollutants from the soil
Impact
In its first season, we documented visits from native bees, hummingbirds, and arboreal salamanders. Prevented flooding in the parking lot.
Maintenance
This garden requires minimal maintenance once established—just an annual late-summer/fall pruning of spent flower stalks and occasional weeding during the first two years.