EcoFriendly Landscaping at SMaRT Station

SMaRT Station Native Plant Project Description and Plant List

SMaRT Station
Original landscape designed in 1992
Goals for new design (completed in May 2010):
Minimize water and green waste by installing native plants, drip irrigation and using recycled water
Minimize pesticide use by sheet mulching and manually pulling weeds
Utilize on site resources such as mulch and compost
Create demonstration garden to encourage homeowners to plant natives
Install compost bin for onsite staff food recycling

Weed prevention using sheet mulching
A non-toxic technique that creates a permeable and bio-degradable barrier preventing weeds
It reduces/ eliminates the use of herbicides
It eliminates the use of plastic landscape fabric which does not decompose
See www.stopwaste.org for more information on Bay Friendly and sheet mulching

Sheet mulching detail

Sheet Mulching Laying down recycled-content paper, overlapping at the edges Three inches of woody mulch as the final layer

Use of materials processed on site
Woody material is chipped on site and the mulch used for final finish on plants
Compost made from collected green waste was used to amend the soil

Recycled Water Used
Water is collected at the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant and partially treated for use in landscapes
Water is not drinkable (potable), but fine for plants
Use in landscapes reduces the use of potable water AND keeps water from desalinating San Francisco Bay

Drip Irrigation
Replaced spray irrigation around the building
Much more efficient than spray
Native “lawn” irrigated with subsurface irrigation, the most efficient irrigation method
Subsurface drip shown wetting soil prior to topping with soil and planting native sedge “lawn”

Lots of lawn removed!
Over 2500 square feet of lawn was removed from around the building
A small lawn was left for employee recreation
Lawn replaced with native sedges, low growing shrubs, and mulch
Saves water and energy
Reduces green waste and pollution from mowing

Invasive plants removed Pampas grass, ivy, palms, and fennel are highly invasive plants in the Bay Area and were removed from the site. Pampas grass had to be bagged and disposed so seeds wouldn’t escape.

Compost bin installed A compost bin was installed for staff to compost leftover food from lunches, tea bags, and coffee filters

Why California Native Plants?
Reduce water use
Minimize maintenance
Minimize pesticides and fertilizers
Provide a local aesthetic
Increase floral biodiversity
Attract native wildlife

Native plants purchased from local nurseries

Catalina cherry Prunus ilicifolia lyonii

Vine hill manzanita Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’

Dwarf coyote bush Baccharis pilularis ‘Twin Peaks’

Oregon grape Berberis aquifolium

California bush anemone Carpenteria californica

Pt. Reyes ceanothus Ceanothus gloriosus ‘Anchor Bay’

Island bush snapdragon Galvezia speciosa ‘Firecracker’

Giant buckwheat Eriogonum giganteum

Jones bush mallow Malacothamnus ‘Jonesii’

Coffeeberry Rhamnus californica ‘Eve Case’ Rhamnus californica ‘Leatherleaf’

Pink flowering currant Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum

Snowberry bush Symphoricarpus albus var. laevigata

California fuchsia Epilobium species E. canum ‘UC Hybrid’ and ‘White Form’

California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum

Rosy buckwheat Eriogonum grande var. rubescens

Golden aster Heterotheca sessifolia ‘San Bruno Mtn.’

California fescue Festuca californica

Douglas iris Iris douglasiana

Giant wild rye Leymus condensatus ‘Canyon Prince’ Photo by Deva Luna at Sierra Azul nursery

Coyote mint Monardella villosa

Beach evening primrose Camissonia cheiranthifolia

Deer grass Muhlenbergia rigens

Sticky monkeyflower Mimulus aurantiacus

Beard tongue Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’

Western sword fern Polystichum munitum

Cleveland’s sage Salvia clevelandii Salvia ‘Allen Chickering’

California meadow sedge Carex pansa This native lawn replacement can be walked on, but requires less water and mowing that grass lawns.

Sage Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ Salvia ‘Gracias’ Salvia sonomensis

Please consider some of these ideas the next time you buy plants or make changes to your landscape!

Design by Sherri D. Osaka, Landscape Architect Sustainable Landscape Designs Sustainable-landscape.com, 408-264-7427 Installation and maintenance by Flora Terra Landscape Management Floraterra.com, 408-275-1200 Landscape oversight by City of Sunnyvale Contact Karen Gissibl at 408.730.7277 for more information. Printed on recycled paper

EcoFriendly Landscaping at SMaRT Station

by CityofSunnyvale on Jun 23, 2011

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EcoFriendly Landscaping at SMaRT Station Presentation Transcript