Many people who visit Dawn Gardens ask how the 8 acres is maintained. There are 5 clues to the successful maintenance of the garden:  The people, the equipment, the water and irrigation system, the plants and the mulch. The People There are 5 people who work at Dawn Gardens, none of them full time. My…

When the colorful exuberance of the spring and summer garden fades, grasses can continue the garden interest into the fall and through the winter A good example of this is the above photo showing lilies that have finished blooming and now, in the fall, the grasses are taking over. This scene will last until February…

At Dawn Gardens in Grass Valley the fall color starts at the end of September and continues through December. The trees are the main performers but many shrubs and even some perennials provide fall color before they go dormant for the winter. Here are a few photos showing the transition from green to fall color:…

Fall is a time of transition from hot to cold and the temperatures are similar to the spring. Many spring blooming plants will also rebloom in the fall such as roses and azaleas since the day length is similar. Here is a Rhododendron that is blooming in September: The following photos show some of the…

There are many different water features at Dawn Gardens that display the use of water and water plants in the garden. There is a series of 4 small ponds with connecting creeks which show naturalistic gardening by the water including rocks, waterfalls and water plants. The upper pond has a waterfall and 2 large koi…

Buckwheats are small woody shrubs that are native to California and the West.  They have a long bloom time and they are distinguished by the flowers changing colors from the beginning to the end of the season. The 5 photos below are Eriogonum fasciculatum (California Buckwheat).  The first photo was taken in June and the…

Liatris is a summer blooming bulb that is tough as nails.  It is drought tolerant, deer resistant, poor soil tolerant and heat tolerant. At Dawn Gardens we plant Liatris in the winter and they bloom in the months of June, July and August.  We usually leave them in the ground all year unless we want…

Hydrangeas are some of my favorite plants but unfortunately the summer weather in Grass Valley is not conducive to growing them. There are many days in July and August when the temperature reaches over 100 degrees and the Hydrangeas wilt. I have installed a mister for each plant that increases the humidity. The plants do…

Here are some photos and videos of our jobs in the Bay Area in July, 2018. Danville job: Here is a close-up photo of the winery roof which we planted with succulents, grasses and herbs. The following video is of a job we have in Piedmont, CA that is under construction. It shows the front…

June 2018 My cat Sweetie will follow us on our continuing tour of Dawn Gardens via videos. Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ Hemerocallis – Daylilies Stipa gigantea Stipa tenuissima Eragrostis (Love Grass) & Verbena bonariensis Foxtail Lily (Eremurus) Lavandula (Dwarf Lavender)