Garden of the Month: A river rock creek in Modesto

Homeowners Doris Giomi and her husband moved into their Modesto home about 35 years ago and took to transforming the yard into a what’s being called a river rock creek.

Today, the polished landscape at 3837 Ambrosia Lane has garnered Garden of the Month honors for April from the Modesto Garden Club.

When the couple moved in, the front yard included a city tree as well as three large redwoods, lawn and shade-loving plants. The trees and lawn were removed, which also helped eradicate most of the other foliage, according to a garden club press release.

With design ideas from landscaper Abraham Pineda and a lot of help from Giomi’s mother and brother, their river rock creek yard was constructed. Giomi and her mother shaped the area with smaller rocks and her brother delivered and strategically placed the heavier ones.

In addition, the city tree was replaced with a Chinese pistache and a razzleberry bush was planted at the front entry, adding brilliant color.

Drought-resistant plants were selected for texture and more color, including thyme bushes, society garlic and Wheeler’s dwarf. A few variegated azaleas survived from the original shaded landscape and continue to thrive.

A fountain in the front provides calming sounds as well as a visual element to the yard. To have it perform efficiently, it’s on a timer that coordinates with the sprinkler system.

Because Giomi loves to paint, there are several brightly colored statues that she’s added to her yard – including two that sit on each side of the entry that are easy to see from the street.

This story was originally published March 30, 2016 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Garden of the Month: A river rock creek in Modesto."