In drought-plagued Southern California, where government-funded cash rebates are in place to incentivize homeowners to swap thirsty grass for water-wise plants, it might be hard to imagine a thriving garden. But Brandy Williams, founder of Garden Butterfly, creates yards teeming with life. At a cottage in South Los Angeles, she combined colorful fleshy succulents with California natives, aromatic lavender, and other drought-tolerant plants. The result is a garden resplendent in textures, colors, and shapes meant not only to be seen, but to be experienced by touch and scent.

“I create spaces for nature therapy. Sensory gardens. You can’t do that with a lawn,” says Williams, who is passionately pro-pollinator. She is on a mission to attract bees, butterflies, and birds into our gardens, as well as a sense of wonder—something you don’t get with a monoculture lawn.

“I recently witnessed a hummingbird catching mosquitoes right out of the air! Those are moments you wouldn’t ever notice just running across a strip of grass.”

As much as Williams values succulents, she recognizes their limits in attracting and feeding pollinators throughout the year, so in addition to echeveria, aeoniums, and jade, she mixed in plants like Heuchera maxima, which hummingbirds love. “It’s a great plant because it will produce some blooms even though it does not require full sun, and it’s a good ground cover,” says Williams.

While her focus is on Southern California–appropriate plants, Williams’s work is part of her southern heritage. “Coming from the South and Black culture, gardening is not anything new. Even though many of us didn’t attend school to learn how to become a landscape gardener, designer, or architect, the knowledge is embedded in us. Our grandmothers and aunts were always there in the garden.”

Dwell: What word of advice can you offer for someone looking to create their own pollinator garden?

Brandy Williams: Begin by researching which plant hardiness zone you’re going to be planting in before visiting the nursery. Also consider the position and placement where you intend to plant. For example, if you have a north-facing yard, it will change which type of plants are best suited to thrive within your zone. Also invest in a bench for your garden. It will offer you a place to slow down and admire those butterflies and hummingbirds you’ve welcomed into your garden.

Is it easy to find a variety of California native plants in nurseries?

California natives, in general, are not as easy to locate as some other drought-tolerant species. But, since the water conservation push, more natives are available at some nurseries. The nonprofit Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants is one nursery where you can find the majority of California native plants.

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Philip Cheung

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