More garden photos:Medit plants for a California hillside garden

For those who might enjoy seeing combinations of Mediterranean Climate plantings 
in combination with existing less drought tolerant plantings, I am linking to 
some photos of a garden I designed and installed in the Oakland Hills Fire 
Zone.  This garden and house had been completely destroyed in the fire, and some 
of the photos still clearly show the burn marks on the existing Quercus 
agrifolia trees above the house, which were all that remained from the fire.  
Clearly our native Coast Live Oaks and Coast Redwood trees are some of the best 
trees for landscaping in a fire zone.

This garden had multiple problems for the owners, which they had not been able 
to successfully resolve on their own, or in combination with their existing 
landscaper/maintenance company.  The photos of the garden are at the one year 
point for the back slope behind the house, and half a year old for the front and 
side  yard landscaping.  The project brief was to combine drought and deer 
tolerance,(as well as gopher and vole tolerance), along with lowered water use, 
plantings and mulching to reduce need for weeding on the very steep slopes, and 
use of plantings to give a year round interesting garden.  As well, I was very 
cognizant of the need to maintain low fuel volumes of new plantings and use of 
slow to burn plantings adjacent to the house, as well as thinning out and 
limbing up the oaks to reduce the fire ladder effect.  I've included more notes 
at each photo of some of the solutions and concerns, but offer up this link to a 
slide show to give an over all impression.

I really enjoy the opportunity to make such a difference for clients who really 
love their house and garden, and have been thrilled at how successfully we were 
able to make over the garden and fulfill their objectives.  They spend a lot of 
time after coming home from work, just enjoying the back patio at the house and 
looking up at the tapestry of plantings on the rear slope, against the views of 
the wild slopes of native oaks beyond.

Hope you enjoy the photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/sets/72157626229094498/show/
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