(All Photos © A. Pratt)

UC Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County
Water Efficient Landscape Demonstration Garden
at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
Fair Oaks Park, 8100 Temple Park Rd.
Fair Oaks, CA 95628
Contact: Chuck Ingels
Phone: (916) 875-6913. Open daily until dusk

Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners 2004-2005 Sacramento Area
Gardening Guide and Calendar now available!. Phone 916-875-6913 for more info.

This tucked away garden in Fair Oaks, CA is a fabulous place to see examples of attractive drought-tolerant and native plants suitable for Central Valley gardens.

Located in Fair Oaks Park, the expertly crafted half-acre garden is also a relaxing place to take a morning or afternoon stroll (plenty of places around the corner to grab coffee or a bite to eat). Bring a notepad and a pencil because the extensive signage in this garden makes it really easy to find fun new varieties for your garden.

Several picnic benches are located underneath the oak trees just outside the garden.

Fair Oaks Horticulture Center Website: http://cesacramento.ucdavis.edu/
Custom_Program814/index.htm

2005 Workshop Schedule



CLICK EACH PHOTO
TO SEE LARGER VERSION
 
Want to learn more about
water-saving landscaping?
Pick up free brochures just inside
the garden's entrance.
 
A gently sloped hillside,
mounded beds and meandering
paths give you a nice vantage point
when you reach the top.
 
Most plants in the Mediterranean
section were donated by
Capital Nursery
 
Ruellia peninsularis
 
Drinking fountain in front
of raised bed with cascading lantana.
 
Plants with varying colors and textures
add interest and excitement to the garden.
 
Rudbeckia and salvia
 
Grass-like fortnight lily
(Dietes), and blue plumbago
 
 
 
Common Variety section
plants were donated
mostly by Village Nurseries
 
Society garlic
(Tulbaghia violacea)
in foreground
 
Penstemon
 
Purple fountain grass
(Pennisetum)
 
'Crimson Curl' coral bells
(Heuchera 'Crimson Curl')
 
Garden verbena
(Verbena x hybridus)
 
The view from the top
(and to the left)
 
At the garden's highest point...
a place to rest and survey.
 
View from the bench.
 
Many of the garden's
plants attract bees,
birds and butterflies.
 
 
Santa Barbara daisy
(Erigeron karvinskianus)
 
Wallflower
(Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve')
 
Gaura, Butterfly fountain
(Gaura lindheimeri)
 
"Pettable" lamb's ears
(Stachys byzantina)
 
 
Lantana
 
 
Creeping Boobiala
(Myoporum parvifolium)
 
Mexican feather grass (Nasella tenuissima)
 
Zephyr lily
(Zephyranthes candida)
 
New Zealand flax
(Phormium) adds a
vibrant sculptural
element to the garden.
 
Young African sumac
(Rhus lancea)
 
Purple coneflower
(Echinacea purpurea)
 
 
 
Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides)
being trained to grow up the posts.
 
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
 
 
 
 
Yellow and lavender lantana
make a striking combo.
 
Two different
verbena varieties.
 
Native section plants
were mostly donated
by Cornflower Farms.
 
California native shrub
or small tree, western redbud
(Cercis occidentalis)
 
 
Sticky monkey flower
(Mimulus aurantiacus)
 
California coffeeberry
(Rhamnus californica 'Eve Case')
 
A very young California sycamore
(Platanus racemosa)
 
 
 
 


All photos © A. Pratt