When you have gardened a small 5,000 sq. ft. lot for over 35 years, and are passionate about plants, you have to make some tough decisions. Our front yard is a testing ground for not only garden design, but also for sun-loving drought tolerant plants. Our back yard is dominated by a huge coast live oak, so we test for shade tolerance and do some propagation for The Ruth Bancroft Garden Nursery there.
Plants that make the cut in our front test garden have to handle a lot of heat with our southwestern exposure, not to mention the harshest fall/winter microclimate that normally temperate Oakland can dish out. Because we are at the bottom of a hill, we get hail and frost when, it seems, no other house in the East Bay does. The plants we like to recommend have to be tough as well as beautiful!
Plants that make the cut in our front test garden have to handle a lot of heat with our southwestern exposure, not to mention the harshest fall/winter microclimate that normally temperate Oakland can dish out. Because we are at the bottom of a hill, we get hail and frost when, it seems, no other house in the East Bay does. The plants we like to recommend have to be tough as well as beautiful!
Our Front Sunny Test Garden
Our Shady Areas Where We Propagate Plants for Donation
Plants That Passed the Test in Our Garden!
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