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This coastal California yard provides color, privacy, and sanctuary for bees, butterflies, and birds. Here’s how to create an outdoor space like this on your own.
This yard features a natural sanctuary for insects, lizards, and birds while not forgetting about the humans who share the space. A private sitting area tucked among the trees and bushes provides a quiet place to relax and recharge. The blend of olive trees, shrubs, succulents, and perennials allows for low-maintenance year-round greenery that provides loads of privacy.
When in bloom, the bird of paradise and sweet pea shrub give a pop of color. Bees and butterflies will happily buzz and flutter around this space. Similarly sized bushy native plants include the matilija poppy, California lilac, or any of the California sages. Gardeners looking for a privacy shrub should consider toyon, a perfect native with white flowers in the summer and berries in the winter for our feathered friends. To add more color around the border, California sea lavender is an excellent choice for coastal gardens: It’s heat-tolerant and flowers almost year-round.
Some tips for the home gardener:
- Make sure to research your gardening zone and pick the right plants for your area to maximize their success. California is a unique region with multiple climates and microclimates that can change from one neighborhood to the next.
- California natives have gone mainstream, and I recommend incorporating as many as possible. I haven’t visited a nursery, whether local or big-box, that doesn't have a designated section, but I’ve had the most success at local native-specific nurseries. Not only do they carry the highest-quality plants, but they also tend to have incredibly knowledgeable staffs.
- When looking to plant a low-maintenance yard that is still filled with blooms, focus on perennials, which grow for multiple seasons before dying. With annuals, you will only get one growing season before the plant dies and needs to be replaced.
