Color My World
Inspired by the colorful display of her neighbor’s side yard each year, this homeowner wanted some color of her own and embarked on a DIY transformation that is worthy of attention.
After letting the turf die, her son and a friend scraped off the remaining lawn, turned it upside down and piled it throughout the yard to create mounds. No hauling to the landfill here! The mounding created the perfect setting for a forked dry river bed and three ‘islands’ of planting. Moss rock in various sizes was added to punctuate the dry river bed and add texture and scale.
In true DIY fashion, the homeowner grew both of the Japanese Maples from volunteer seedlings from the backyard and transplanted Coreopsis and other donated plants from the neighbor’ yard.
Blooms of all colors are prolific throughout the year in this garden from a variety of Sages, Yarrow, Roses, Geraniums, Rosemary, Grevillea and more. With a love of both plants and color, the front yard has become this homeowner’s ever changing canvas bringing color to her world and ours!
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Plant List
- Society Garlic, Tulbaghia violacea
- Fraser’s Photinia, Photinia x fraseri
- Moonshine Yarrow, Achillea millefolium ‘Moonshine’
- Santa Barbara Daisy, Erigeron karvinskianus
- Silver King Artemisia, Artemisia ‘Silver King’
- Heatwave Sage, Salvia greggii ‘Heatwave’
- Red Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii ‘Red’
- Dwarf Bottlebrush, Callistemon citrinus ‘Little John’
- Woolly Grevillea, Grevillea lanigera ‘Coastal Gem’
- Raspberry Ripple Hebe, Hebe hybrida ‘Tullyrasp’
- Chinese Fringe Flower, Loropetalum chinense
- Purple Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa ‘Mariposa Violet’
- Creeping Myoporum, Myoporum parvifolium ‘Putah Creek’
- Threadleaf Coreopsis, Coreopsis verticillata
- Tequila Sunrise Mirror Plant, Coprosma ‘Tequila Sunrise’
- Silver Stonecrop, Sedum ‘Silver’
- Mexican Heather, Cuphea hyssopifolia
- Flower Carpet® Red Groundcover Rose, Rosax 'Noare'
- Flower Carpet® Pink Groundcover Rose, Rosa x 'Noatraum'
- California Fuschia, Epilobium canum
- Cerise Queen Yarrow, Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’,
- Walker’s Low Catmint, Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’
- Blue Note Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii ‘Blue Note’
- Majorca Pink Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Majorca Pink’
- Prostrate Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’
- Magenta Brachyscome, Brachyscome angustifolia ‘Radiant Magenta’
- Killer Cranberry Sage, Salvia microphylla ‘Killer Cranberry’
- Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica
- Bladderpod, Isomeris arborea
- Angel Face Rose, Rosa ‘Angel Face’
- Silver Mound Artemisia, Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound'
- Sweet Pea Shrub, Polygala fruticosa ‘Petite Butterflies’
- Dwarf Japanese Barberry, Berberis thunbergii ‘Crimson Pygmy’
- Mexican Cardinal Flower, Lobelia laxiflora
- Fernleaf Yarrow, Achillea filipendulina
- Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina domestica
- Firecracker Island Snapdragon, Galvezia speciosa ‘Firecracker’
- Evening Glow Mirror Plant, Coprosma ‘Evening Glow’
- Wayne’s Silver California Fuschia, Epilobium septentrionale ‘Wayne’s Silver’
- Wall Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys
- Red Carpet, Crassula pubescens ssp. radicans
- John Creech Stonecrop, Sedum spurium 'John Creech'
Design/Build: DIY - Homeowner
Installation: January 2015
Cost: $1,500 - $1,700
