San Jose Guadalupe Courtyard Garden Design Contest
The City of San Jose created a design contest to solicit sustainable garden designs to promote to San Jose homeowners. The objective is to reduce lawns, reduce water use, and implement positive integrated pest management techniques. The call for drought resistant plants is not a new motto, however eco-friendly pest management is still new to most folks.
Both garden plots showing planting plan.
Myself and Diane Goldsmith were the co-winners of this garden design contest in April 2011. Since then the city hired Landscape Architect Sherri Osaka of Sustainable Landscape Designs to oversee this project and with the input of many different relative agencies, two sustainable garden designs were born. The original gardens were modified to accomodate many concerns from the water company and naturalists. Native plants are used through out with alternative lists available. The pavement is all permeable from permeable concrete and pavers to flagstone and recycled concrete allowing the ground water to be recharged. Plants were selected for drought tolerance, resistant to pest and disease, color and texture, to attract beneficial insects and polinators, and auroma.
Plant list for Cafe Garden
The original schedule for installation was December 2011, but as many different inputs delayed that action, installation is yet to occur. The plots are at the Guadalupe Gardens near Coleman in San Jose. As installation begins I'll update this entry.
As of February 2012, the ground is broken for demolition by Bayscape. Here is an aerial photo of the plot I worked on and a 'before' image taken on a very rainy day. Following are some updates.
Aerial view of the Garden Plot at Guadalupe Gardens from Google.com
View of the Garden Plot standing on the Hill
Cafe Garden final design in collaboration with Sherri Osaka
KLDesigns
The demolition has occured and installation is already in process by Bayscape.
Here are some pictures of the current state. It was a rainy day so the pictures aren't as nice as they could be. 
The view from up on the round hill looking down at the plot.The current condition is the bermuda grass has been removed, hardscapes installed, plants placed, a paper liner for the mulch in place, and irrigation drip for the recycled water almost complete. Most of the plants have been planted with a bunch still to go.
A closer look at the hardscapes reveals the many surfaces used to show homeowners what kinds of products are available, such as permeable pavers, decomposed granite, dark permeable concrete and in Diane's plot there is flagstone and recycled concrete.
An image of the pathway.
The layout of the garden is meant to represent a family home front yard. With a path leading up to the entry of the house represented here with a pad of decomposed granite. The small side of permeable concrete is for a bistro table set to enjoy the front yard from an intimate courtyard.
The Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry' are rather small now, but will become focal points in the future as they grow. Rocks and boulders will add to some of the intimacy that is in the design. All the plants are very small at present but will fill the space around them once grown. This ground cover Ceanothus has some growing to do!
Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay'
The location of the Guadalupe Gardens is at Taylor and Walnut in San Jose, CA. There is a small parking lot on the south side of the park and an area with picnic tables and BBQs not far from the Historic Orchard along the Guadalupe River Trail.
Updated photos of the install will continue.
KLDesigns
As of March 10, 2012, the plots are planted and mulch is down. Diane Goldsmith made a visit and took a few photos. Here's an overall view. These plants need to grow! The little dots will eventually be the various shrubs and the two taller specimans will be grown as small trees and are Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry' which have beautiful white California Lilac flowers. Signage and furniture will eventually be added and hopefully the rocks.
KLDesigns
It's official! The gardens are now complete (except furniture) and the grand opening is scheduled for Sat April 28, 2012. There will be classes and tours available. As I get more information and pictures I will post it here.
KLDesigns
Today was the grand opening of the garden plots at San Jose Guadalupe Park. I visited the site with my husband, daughter and our dog Sparky. Some temporary signage is up until the permanent signs are created.
A picture of me standing where the future bistro set will be placed on the porous concrete.
The temporary 'plague' explaining the project to visitors.
A handout of the gardens was available at the Grand Opening.
Plant lists were included in the hand out. This is the plant list for the garden I co-designed.
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Snow Flurry' (Wild Lilac), Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay' (Point Reyes Ceanothus), Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Skylark' (California Lilac), Salvia clevlandii (Clevland's Sage), Salvia leucophylla (Purple Sage), Epilobium canum canum (California Fuchsia), Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP' (Beard Tongue), Heterotheca villosa (Golden Aster), Erigeron glaucas 'Wayne Roderick' (Seaside Daisy), Erigonium grande var. rubescens (Rosy Buckwheat).
KLDesigns
Yesterday was another Grand Opening for the garden. 
Diane Goldsmith, Sanhita Gohsal, Kim LeichnerMyself and other co-designer Diane Goldsmith were present for the opening ceremony. Many home owners, gardeners and City officials were present. Workshops were offered and many photos taken. An official brochure is now available.
Myself reading the new brochure at the garden
Myself talking about the plants with interested participants.
Thanks to Diane Goldsmith for the photos.
Reader Comments (2)
Thank you for this post! I like all of the pictures you posted. You can really see the landscape design transformation! Great work!
Thank you for the kind comment. It was a great project to be involved in.