Notes from designer and Landscape Manager – Matt Ripley

Some projects take a great vision to bring forth and this was no exception, as our first site meetings revealed a back landscape of this home just blocks outside downtown Petaluma which had gone completely feral.   Old lawns were overtaken with weeds, fruit trees deformed, scattered plantings failing to thrive, and a very odd assortment of concrete pathways that made the whole space feel boxy and uncomfortable.  The owners of this property put full faith in our design and installation team to create a brand new vision inspired by previous pollinator gardens we had created, and to cultivate the barren soil to a thriving network of microorganisms teeming with life to support a spectacular array of color.

Starting nearly entirely from scratch, we removed all the existing concrete except for one perimeter walkway allowing access from the driveway to the garage and back porch.  We introduced sweeping curves giving the space new dynamic energy in a complete departure from the boxy square paths of the past.  We divided the space down the center connecting the back porch to a wonderfully large flagstone patio allowing for both dining and seating deep into the back of the property that invites visitors to enjoy the gardens from an entirely different perspective that one can from the house. Along the main central path we added two smaller circular crushed rock patios establishing casual destination points to sit down and enjoy slow moments, once again inviting visitors to experience the garden from various vantage points with minimal effort.

The soil conditions presented a significant challenge as tangled weeds and old lawns left the soil depleted and without much organic matter.  Through a robust custom soil amendment procedure we rebuilt the soil food web including mycorrhizal fungi, beneficial bacteria, and a healthy dose of rich organic matter that would help the perennials thrive.  We thoroughly believe that feeding the soil as a living ecosystem is the key to both near term impact and longevity in a landscape and the proof is in the results.

The planting palette included a range of CA Native pollinator plants, as well as many climate adapted perennials that possess superpowers for attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators of all sorts to the garden.  CA natives included Eriogonum fasciulatum (one of the most visited plants by native pollinators and beneficial insects), Epilobium canum (a hummingbird favorite), Asclepias speciosa (one of the sole foods of native Monarch butterflies), and Ceanothus griseus (an early season blooming ground cover essential for native pollinators).  Climate adapted plants include Agastache ‘Purple Haze’ (A Tiger Swallowtail butterfly magnet), Salvia ‘Mystic Spires’ (perhaps one of the most visited flowers we’ve ever seen for all types of pollinators) as well as a host of other flowering plants and grasses that flow together in our trademark naturalistic impressionist planting style.

We are incredibly grateful for clients such as these who fully trust our guidance to create magical outdoor spaces and put full faith in our trademark design style.  While we love designing in a wide range of styles, there is no doubt that meadowscapes hold a special place in our heart, and adding this garden to the neighborhood in downtown Petaluma not only has neighbors stopping by and having their jaws drop to the floor, but also had a dramatic ecological impact on the area by providing habitat for a wide range of pollinators and butterfly species that will not only benefit our client, but the entire neighborhood’s biodiversity.

See Below for Before, During and After Photos!