About California Natural Gardens Designs:

Natural Gardens creates realistic landscapes for homeowners.  They contain resilient plants that are easily obtainable, require little care, and provide food and /or habitat for birds and beneficial insects.

A water feature is included in each design in order to create an appreciation for water, also giving the illusion of there being more water usage than there really is.

Drought tolerant plants are an important consideration in California’s Mediterranean climate.  The summers are dry, so in order to conserve precious water resources Leita’s gardens feature planting zones – areas with similar types of water use – where plants with the same water requirements live.  Plants vary in their ability to tolerate drought, so a special place can be created even for those very special plants that might need a little extra water.

Her designs are environmentally sound in that they do not encourage the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides to grow plants in an unnatural setting.  Choosing the right plant for the right place is key to creating a natural garden.

Natural Gardens reflect the natural setting where they are created, combining the natural world with neighborhood landscapes.  In essence they bring you one step closer to living in the natural world rather than observing it from afar.

Leita’s gardens combine evergreen and deciduous plants in order to create diversity in the garden, as well as defining the seasons.  Her designs reflect the natural changes that occur all around us. 

It has been said that the same 10 – 20 plants are used in landscapes today.  Why, when there are hundreds of choices out there?  It seems a shame to use the same old plants seen everywhere when there are so many exciting choices among California natives.  How exciting it is to create a coastal redwood or oak woodland landscape in your own back yard.  Imagine being among the grasses and wildflowers that grow along the local hiking trails in your own garden?

The creation of miniature ecosystems not only reflects your surrounding environment, they recreate lost habitat that may provide a home for diminishing species of birds, animals and insects.  Natural Gardens provide the four elements necessary to create habitat – water, food, cover, and nesting material.

Don’t think that you can’t make a positive impact on the environment if you don’t own acres of land or have a huge yard.  Each of you can make a difference even in areas most stressed by urban pressures – and you can do it one garden at a time.

Water, our most precious resource, is guzzled by lawns, using from 40 – 60% of annual residential water use.  Let Leita help you reduce or remove your lawn by re-designing your garden.