The Native/Environmental/Xeriscape/Temescal Garden (N/E/X/T Garden) shows visitors how diverse native and drought-tolerant plants can be established and maintained organically, with minimal inputs, working beautifully in balance with nature.
Originally established by Palisades Beautiful in 1988, under the auspices of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, this half-acre area was subsequently abandoned to exotic invasive weeds, with only 85 original specimens of 34 varieties surviving over a decade of neglect.
Six years ago, garden designer Michael Terry and community organizer Barbara Marinacci started leading volunteers on the last Saturday of each month (under the sponsorship of Palisades Beautiful and the Pacific Palisades Garden Club) in a successful effort to rescue, expand, and improve the N/E/X/T Garden.
Thanks to community grants for plants and many months of volunteer planting efforts, there are now over 700 native specimens representing 100 varieties of 75 species from 56 genera, plus several varieties of South African and South American succulents and woody plants occupying most of this three-quarter-acre space—and using just one-tenth of the water consumed by the equivalent area of adjacent lawn.
The garden is located on the east side of Temescal Canyon Road just below the mural at Bowdoin Street and across from Palisades High School’s Temescal Academy (continuation school).
This xeriscape garden along Temescal Canyon Road can provide home landscaping ideas. Photo: Shelby Pascoe
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