Peripheral path
Four years into this garden and 12 at my last one have produced only a couple of what might be original observations. One is that hedges should not be planted on property lines where they easily get hacked at by neighbors just when birds are trying to nest. So here I left a 3 foot wide path along the upslope border and ran a loose hedgerow of mixed ceanothus, mountain mahogany, coffee berry and manzanita below it. The first to shoot up were the ceanothuses, seen above. The upshot means the birds can nest a safe if not ideal distance from neighbors who believe in bi-monthly trimming and blowing and I can get in and weed along a difficult fence without too much difficulty. Best of all, the dogs have access to do what dogs do: patrol the perimeter.
Peripheral path
Four years into this garden and 12 at my last one have produced only a couple of what might be original observations. One is that hedges should not be planted on property lines where they easily get hacked at by neighbors just when birds are trying to nest. So here I left a 3 foot wide path along the upslope border and ran a loose hedgerow of mixed ceanothus, mountain mahogany, coffee berry and manzanita below it. The first to shoot up were the ceanothuses, seen above. The upshot means the birds can nest a safe if not ideal distance from neighbors who believe in bi-monthly trimming and blowing and I can get in and weed along a difficult fence without too much difficulty. Best of all, the dogs have access to do what dogs do: patrol the perimeter.