ALL INCLUSIVE GARDEN
VERY LOW WATER NEEDS - FULL SUN IN NAPA
Verbena bonariensis, Non-Native
Baccharis pilularis, Coyote Bush NATIVE
Salvia apiana, White Sage NATIVE
LOW WATER NEEDS - FULL SUN TO PART SUN NAPA
Agave parryi, Artichoke Agave Non- Native
Muhlenbergia rigens, Deer Grass NATIVE
Achillea millefolium, Yarrow NATIVE
MODERATE WATER NEEDS - PART SHADE IN NAPA
Carpenteria californica, Bush Anemone NATIVE
Heuchera maxima, Island Allum Root NATIVE
Echinacea purpuea, Purple Coneflower Non- Native (but native to eastern US)
HIGH WATER NEEDS - RIPARIAN / CREEK SIDE NAPA
Cornus sericea occidentalis, Western Dogwood NATIVE
Mimulus guttatus, Yellow Monkeyflowe NATIVE
Lobelia siphilitica, Great Blue Lobelia Non-Native (but native to eastern US)
While my love and passion for native plants is heavily apparent in my designs, I am not opposed to non-native plants, and I use them all the time. Depending on the project goals or a client's love for a certain plant there are many wonderful non-native plant options that work very well intermixed with natives. The one type of plants I do NEVER design with are invasive plant species.
The key here is always WATER, and thus irrigation. Plant groupings need to to tell a story of water needs. This is why I design using both plant communities and hydro-zones to distinguish the water needs throughout the landscape.
You can easily break plants up into four categories of water needs: VERY LOW, LOW, MODERATE & HIGH. So for example, often I like to pair Salvia apiana (White Sage) a native plant with Verbena bonariensis, a non-native plant because they both offer height, drama and are VERY LOW water need plants.