By Susan Krzywicki, landscape designer of “Native Gardens…Green Living” and Native Garden Committee member
Over the years, as I have learned about native plants, helped others use native plants in their garden, and taught classes, I have slowly built up a philosophy on how to approach a home garden. When I first started gardening (non-native), I was always beset by the desire to “put something pink in that corner”—my theories reached only to aesthetic considerations.
Now, thanks to so many generous native plant experts (shoutout to Greg Rubin) and enthusiasts, I start with my philosophical mantra—and this is what I teach my students, clients, family, and friends.
Do these in order:
I design with three principles, and they must be accomplished in this order:
What grew in that area first?
What issues are highest priority?
What are your personal choices and aesthetics?
What grew in that area first?
Before thinking about my favorite species or problem-solving, I start right back at the beginning: find out what grew in that very location before there was a house and garden there. The building of a home, whether 100 years ago or last year, involves clearance and soil disruption. But, by using Calscape, a fabulous resource developed by Dennis Mudd and his team here in San Diego, you can build the strongest foundation possible for success.
Type in your address, get a plant list, and winnow it down to a useful, manageable number. For people new to native plants, I start by cutting the list to the top 25 by “popularity,” without even considering plants below that cutoff. This is because a list of 400 plants, many of which are not available commercially, can be overwhelming. There is plenty of time later for collectors, enthusiasts, and completists to, excuse the pun, dig deeper.
What issues are highest priority?
Your garden might include some common San Diego County challenges: slopes, clay soil, sandy soil near the coast, patterns of sun and shade, or fire preparedness. This is where a blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil come in handy. Make a drawing of your property, with north facing upwards, and lots of white space around the edges. Mark the big items, such as trees, and immoveable objects that will stay, such as hardscaping and outbuildings. Make several copies. On one copy, in a bold sharpie, write on the drawing, making notes about issues you will need to address.
Then, take these notes to a separate sheet of paper so that you can think about how you will solve them: swales and basins for water retention, shade sails to create temporary filtered sun until plants grow in, vegetable beds that need full sun, etc. Then, put them in priority order and go back to your Calscape list to look for plants that will help address these issues. See the sample landscape plan and suggested Calscape native plant list below.
What are your personal choices and aesthetics?
Only now do you start to look at preferences and styles. San Diego gardens are usually warm-toned and casual. “Gorilla hair” shredded redwood bark and decomposed granite (DG) are the most frequently used mulches. Turf rebates may require specific coverage ratios, so do your math. Deciduous trees can be an example of a personal preference and how it influences your design. Many San Diegans are from other parts of the world and deciduous trees are often seen as a cold-winter inevitability, so many gardeners avoid them. Do you like the look and have a space where the summer shade of leaves can be a help and where the winter sun will turn into an added benefit? Then, please do consider a deciduous tree. Is your home a typical California stucco? Exuberance is a fun way to design to complement this style. Or do you have a more modern, minimal design? Modern homes are often accompanied by a restricted palette. Mission and craftsman homes can take a lot of variety in the colors, leaf pattern, and range of tones. Now, you are on your way to making a garden that enhances habitat, solves problems, and makes your home a personal expression of your commitment to a healthier future.
Susan Krzywicki is a landscape designer/consultant of Native Gardens…Green Living and is a member of the Native Garden Committee.