This garden shows that sustainable landscaping can be accomplished through DIY talent and on a shoe-string budget when working closely with a professional landscape designer. The Craftsman home said goodbye to its water-thirsty lawn and concrete hardscape, and now features a dry creek bed that drains rainwater away from the house, marked by a rock fountain surrounded by California gray rush. The old concrete path was resurrected as decorative urbanite walls for native bunch grasses, Pacific iris, evergreen huckleberry and woodland strawberry.   Shrubs include ceanothus,  coffeeberry and manzanita.  Island alum root fills a large window box. A natural rock fountain and metal “cat-tails” birdfeeders encourage birds to visit the garden often.

Clay and Lisa already prided themselves in living a sustainable lifestyle, but this was not reflected in their garden. The water-loving lawn and impervious concrete had to go.