Tai and Michael's Garden on Tour

One of 3 gardens I'll be leading a tour of on 

Sunday September 23rd 2012.

Registration required, come join us! Register for Tour #2

This special garden has offered many creative design opportunities.

The homeowner describes the chimney flue 

succulent garden as a 'Living Art Gallery'

Native Chalk Dudleya nestled in a sea of beach strawberry.

Blue Eyed Grass

Bee visiting Yellow Eyed Grass

Native Meadow

California Sagebrush and New Zealand Windgrass

bordering the meadow.

Mimulus flowers with New Zealand Windgrass

Front entryway woodland creek corridor garden.

 Native Yerba Buena draping into the pathway 

releases a minty fragrance when touched.

Learn more about this garden on the tour website here:

Tai Moses and Michael Kerner's Garden

Jenn and Joan's Garden on Tour

One of 3 gardens I'll be leading a tour of on 

Sunday September 23rd 2012.

Registration required, come join us! Register for Tour #2

Figure eight walking meditation labyrinth 

encircled with native ferns and coral bells.

Heuchera maxima catches the late afternoon sunlight.

Native Sedum spathifolium delicately creeping around stones, 

also commonly known as Stonecrop.

Whittle Creek flows through the garden year-round.

The water attracts a diversity of birds and other creatures.

Hummingbird's eye view of Penstemon heterophyllus.

Native foothill penstemon with desert mallow.

Front garden with trellis sculpture I wove out of 

plum branches pruned from the garden.

A shady spot to enjoy the garden.

Read more about this garden on the Tour's website description.

Fall 2012 Native Plant Tours and Sales

    Come visit this outstanding garden with me on September 23rd as part of the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour Fall Select Tours.  This will be the first stop on a day long tour that I will be leading of three gardens I designed.  Please visit the tour website to register, learn more details about these gardens (Fall Select Tour #2) and other Fall Select Tours here:

Bringing Back the Natives Fall 2012 Select Tours

    Join me in support of the students in the Environmental Leadership program at San Lorenzo High School for their Fall Native Plant Sale on October 7th.  I am giving several talk during the day and will  be available to answer questions and help you select plants propagated by the students.  More info here:

San Lorenzo Fall 2012 Native Plant Sale

Registration is required - register online and learn more about other happenings that day here:

Native Plant Sale Extravaganza and Open Garden Day Oct. 7th

    Fall is one of the best times to begin planting a native garden, the tour and plant sale are great ways to get started, hope to see you soon!

Shade Structure

     Today we installed the shade sails for this wonderfully creative garden just in time for Summer!  

     During the design process I worked closely with the clients and enjoyed balancing the interplay of rustic vs. contemporary aesthetics for the structures and hardscape of the garden.   More photos to come of the rest of the landscape after the plants establish.  We had a great team of talented professionals work together on this project.

Garden Design by Liz Simpson Garden Design

Structure built by Michael McLane of  Michael's Landscape Construction

Shade Sails Sewn by Katherine Becvar of Blue Moon Designs

Orange Mimulus cardinalis coordinates beautifully with the shade sails.

The geometry of the shade is based on right triangle relationships.

I love how the sails stretch across the sky defying gravity.

     This trellis will ultimately be covered in grapevines.  As we wait for the grapes to grow a second set of sails is temporarily creating shade.  Later, these same sails can be used on the seating area shade structure as replacements when the first set wears out.  The fabric and construction is designed for out door use and will last a long time day after day exposed to the elements.

Native Match Made in Heaven

     Male Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa varipuncta) visiting Penstemon heterophylla in a garden I designed in Pleasant Hill. 

Gardens on Tour 2012

Please join us on the 2012 Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour!

This year, three gardens I designed in Oakland will be open to visit on Sunday, May 6th from 10am - 6pm. I will be in the Katz Family Garden all day sharing the garden, answering questions, and giving two special talks at 12 and 3pm.

The tour is free and self guided - simply register on the tour's website:

Registration for the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour

Spread the word to anyone who loves gardens. Looking forward to sharing these special gardens with you!

See the gardens here:

Katz Family Garden

Janette and Mary's Garden

Rita Huralt's Garden