Garden Conservancy Presents Award at San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

The Garden Conservancy was pleased to present Billy Krimmel of Restoration Landscaping in Sacramento, CA, the "A Garden That Ages Well" award at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show on March 15, 2016. Krimmel's garden, "Nature at Your Door," featured California native plants, with special emphasis on providing habitat for insects and wildlife. While beautiful, the garden went beyond a statement of personal aesthetics and exhibited a commitment to sustainability and the future.

Billy Krimmel holds a doctorate in ecology from UC Davis. His ecological research unravels the complexity that occurs between plants and animals, and his landscaping business aims to tell these fascinating stories through landscape design while providing a habitat for various species. This was his first show entry.

Paul and Robin Cowley, Garden Conservancy Open Days hosts from Oakland, served as judges. Krimmel was awarded a copy of the Garden Conservancy's recently published book, Outstanding American Gardens – A Celebration: 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy.

"The wonder of California's nature is the focal point of this garden. Carefully chosen native plants, topography, wildlife habitat features, and rainwater create a space that is appealing to humans and animals alike,” says Krimmel. “Vegetable pests are controlled by native insects living near planter beds, pollinator nesting habitats are plentiful, birds are attracted to artful brush piles and tree snags, and a hands-on ecology experiment is built into the space. The garden serves as a window into the intricate ecological interactions occurring in nature."

Since 2010, the Garden Conservancy has presented the "A Garden That Ages Well" award, which honors a garden with strong design that will mature gracefully; a design that demonstrates the ability of a garden, as a living work of art and horticulture, to absorb, orchestrate, and take advantage of ongoing change and growth as it moves into the future.