Gardens Make a Difference
The scale of environmental destruction in modern times is staggering. The world's lost over 1/3 of its forests. California's lost 99% of its monarch butterfly populations. The oceans.... well, let's not go there. But there are simple solutions to the massive challenges created by climate change and habitat destruction. They tend to be slow and small. Easy to miss. "Many of them literally involve planting flowers," says ecologist R. McMackin in a recent viral Ted Talk about native plants.
We can rebuild the earth. In our own backyards and frontyards, on stoops and on patios too! Simply by planting beneficial plants. Because plants outpace us humans by far in their solar capture, carbon sequestration, water filteration and soil rehabilitation tech. Heck, they're even pretty darn good at filtering pollutants out of the air. They've literally evolved for hundreds of thousands of years to do just that!
Modern people have evolved to mostly tend pretty things. So we've forgotten - or haven't the time - to give much thought to the incredible potential for the vast and far-reaching impacts of plants. But why can't we have it all? Gardens that are beautiful AND functional. Gardens that look great, are easy to take care of and repair the environment.
How Wild Gardens Work
Our Values
Homeowners face BIG challenges when it comes to California home landscaping. The gardens and lawns that served the last 50-100 years are no longer compatible - or even desirable - with the climate fluctuations, resource availability and styles of today. California Wild Gardens is here to envision a sustainable BEAUTIFUL future for residential landscapes. By creating Landscapes that are designed to help curb - and even reverse - the devastating effects of habitat loss and climate uncertainty.
The more wild a garden is, the less care it needs from you.
Wild gardens protect soils, assist in rainwater infiltration and create habitat. Plus as they grow they take more and more care of themselves. Wild gardens don't have to be chaotic or offer all the ambiance of an abandoned parking lot. They can be beautiful, blended and balanced. We take inspiration from Piet Oudolf's wild gardening movement.
Use mostly California Native + Mediterranean Climate Native plants
Climate-appropriate plants require as little maintenance and external inputs - irrigation, fertilizer, frequent pruning - from their caretakers as possible ...once mature (we all need a little extra help in the early years)!
Plant in Densities & Diversities that Reflect Nature
Drought-tolerant gardens don't have to look dry. In fact, planting with thicker coverage increases soil moisture content and cools surrounding micro-climates without wasting water (bare soil is dead soil). Just check out this UCR study on how native grass and groundcover-ed areas effectively use less water than concrete, artificial turf or asphalt.
Revive Natural Beauty & Increase Pollinator-Friendly Plants
It's time we re-envision regional ecological identities! Inviting butterflies and beneficial wildlife back into your neighborhood is easy with a good mix of native and pollinator-supporting plants. Always intermix a generous helping of pollinator-friendly plants, with some that bloom in every season.
Increase Local Food Production
There's plenty of plants that are worth extra water and care. Especially those that serve our joy & health. Fruit trees, cut-flowers and medicinal herbs are as important for our gardens as water-saving ones. Whether its a sprig of rosemary or a whole bushel of apples every single ounce of plant material we pick, eat or harvest from the home garden helps save hundreds of gallons of the water and fossil fuel waste generated by the industrial food chain.
Our Company
Woman-Owned & Operated
We want you to have a shortcut to plant combinations that will contribute to the improvement of our environment. So we built one.
California Wild Gardens is a small innovative designer-founded business. Built to accelerate the drought-tolerant landscape design and plant procurement process for a vast range of homeowners.
Founded for Families
Briana Lyon founded California Wild Gardens in 2018 to help foster and rebuild California's incredible ecological beauty. In the garden's of everyday home-owners just like you! So that children - like her daughters Ruby & Matilija - can enjoy the region's spectacular environment for generations to come.
Briana is an East L.A. native with a long and varied history in fine art & design, casual organic farming and backcountry ecology surveying in both Canada & the United States. She's an award-winning drought-tolerant landscape designer whose run design firms in both Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. Plus she's an expert in fire-smart landscaping.
