This installation was put in after the house had undergone major construction, so the soil was pretty compacted. To improve it, we sheet mulched with compost and forest-floor bark.
For the planting design, I went with mostly natives. The garden is anchored by a stately 'Dr. Hurd' manzanita (Arctostaphylos 'Dr. Hurd') and also includes the blue-gray foliage of white sage (Salvia apiana), orange- and red-flowering 'Jelly Bean' monkey-flowers, rust- and white-flowered California buckwheat, and Agave parryi. We also added drip irrigation.
I continue to do quarterly maintenance for this garden, which was installed in late 2017.
