Pitcher Sage Design

Orchid Black, owner of Pitcher Sage Designs, recently completed a California native garden consultation and design for us and supervised the DIY installation of the plan which my family and some hired helpers completed over three days. We we wanted to replaced our chemical– and water-​sucking lawn with a drought-​tolerant, low-​maintenance native habitat for local wildlife and were referred to Pitcher Sage Designs by the Theodore Payne foundation.
We killed the Bermuda grass lawn without toxic chemicals several months in advance per Orchid’s instructions by sheet mulching (layering cardboard boxes from bike and mattress shops and covering with mulch — see Orchid’s blog Native Sanctuary for more information). Then Orchid met with us to discuss our needs and draw up a plan; we added a decomposed granite pathway with seating area and water feature surrounded by native ceanothus, manzanita, iris, coral bells, coyote mint, blue fescue, penstemon, and a meadow of native grasses that can tolerate foot traffic.
The end result is seriously stunning and looks totally professional and expensive, but was surprisingly affordable because Orchid worked within our budget on an hourly basis and we provided most of the labor ourselves. Orchid’s design completely transformed the look of our house and instantly added tremendous curb appeal! The yard actually appears larger even though we segmented the space with the pathway and created separate planting areas. Neighbors love it and I have already received compliments and recommended her to several people.
Orchid is perfectly suited for this career, her passion for native plants and landscape design is obvious and her care and attention to detail made all the difference in the aesthetics and outcome of our project. Orchid was easy to work with, totally professional, communicated well with everyone on site, dispensed sage advice, and listened carefully to our wants and needs to give us a plan that looks good with minimal maintenance. I can’t wait for the plants to mature, and I will definitely be hiring Pitcher Sage Designs to redesign our backyard too!