Develop the resilience of Santa Monica and our oceans by harnessing the strengths of our Beach Beauties. Top Act foliage protects ocean health because it is happy at the beach without much water and without chemical intervention. It will stay lush and leafy year round, create shade and cool in hot summers, and attract birds and butterflies too.
Common Yarrow and Buckwheat
Feathery, silver-green California Sagebrush adds height, texture, and levity to the north side of the front garden. Sagebrush is a great plant to use when to discourage traffic or create a boundary.
Wrapping the southwest base of the Shotgun House,
Sulphur Buckwheat’s silver foliage provides contrast and charm to the southeast corner of the side garden, all the more charming when its pom-pom blooms emerge.
The glossy green, silver-backed leaves of Red Buckwheat continue to charm when its pom-pom blooms disappear.
Zauschnernia’s fire-red blooms steal the show in the front garden.
Golden Currant (Ribes aureum) climbs a cinderblock wall behind the Shotgun House, offering both berries and golden blooms in spring.
In the front garden, mid-height Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat (Eriogonum arborescent) defines a boundary and provides privacy. In the side garden, it serves as a charming companion for plants with dark green and silver foliage.
Paz Showy Penstemon decorates the full south-facing side yard in spring.
San Miguel Island Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande rubescens) blooms in fuchsia pom-poms.
Coyote Mint scents the air to the south of the Shotgun House, whether or not it is bursting with spring blooms. It can also be found near the sign and in the bed between the walkway and front porch.
Spring green Cercis leaves dance above their bed of Paz Showy Penstemon.
Cercis occidentalis, Western Redbud , fits in tight spaces, and changes colors with the seasons.
Seaside daisy (Erigeron glaucus) line the wall of meters behind the Shotgun House.
Hummingbird Sage entices visitors to the parking spaces behind the Shotgun House.
Common Yarrow is kept at meadow height, so its feathery foliage is topped with charming blooms. If mowed, Yarrow provides a brilliantly beach-appropriate lawn alternative.
Ribes viburnifolium in the south facing side garden provides a rich, glossy backdrop for white penstemon and the many seasonal shades of Western Redbud.
Bladder Pod rises from a bed of Coast Daisy to cover a cinderblock wall behind the house.
More Information:
- About the Shotgun House Coastal Garden Palette
- More Authentic LA Coastal Plants
- Nurseries and Suppliers
Shotgun House Coastal Garden 