The garden is designed to be a beautiful and replenishing respite for it’s residents, both human and insect. In early 2021, Field Collective was engaged to design a biodiversity garden incorporating plants used in the Potrero Hill Eco-Patch project. The property owner is a passionate native plant enthusiast and wanted a dynamic garden that attracts and supports wildlife.

The backyard has three existing terraces. We reconfigured the retaining wall in the terrace closest to the house to remove an awkward jog in the wall and improve access from the house to middle terrace. We designed a new courtyard to provide a place to rest and take in the garden, and a new stairway access to the lower terrace where a new shed is to be installed.

The planting design was investigative and iterative. We used iNaturalist to identify local native insects that had been documented in the area, and then researched their habitat needs to identify which plants supported them. We would then cross-reference the plant’s geographic range, and suitability for this particular garden setting. We also included plants that are known to support locally endangered or threatened butterflies. In addition, through the design process we considered seasonality, size, growing conditions, color, textures and water needs. Through careful selection we designed a palette and planting layout we hope will be beautiful throughout the year and support many of San Francisco’s native insects, now and into the future.