IN THE GARDEN BACK YARD IS ECOLOGICALLY CORRECT SANCTUARY.

Byline: JOSHUA SISKIN

Alan Pollack may be the Renaissance man of Valley gardening.

In an era of ecological prudence, amid a movement toward self-sustaining, drought-tolerant landscapes, Pollack has transformed his Woodland Hills garden into a wildlife habitat. But Pollack's creation is more than just a well-designed ecosystem. Each planting arrangement and landscape feature has both aesthetic and practical value; ``multipurpose'' is the password required to enter Pollack's paradise.

Although Pollack uses drip irrigation throughout his yard, the overall look is one of a water-thrifty landscape. He has several water features, including a small stand-alone recirculating fountain (retrieved from a neighbor who put it out with the trash); a bucket of agitated water in which goldfish swim and from which his springer spaniel drinks; and a custom-made, gently sloping waterfall and gurgling brook that blends in perfectly with the surrounding, semi-shaded vegetation. A tropical water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) has barely grown because of the light that reaches the water, but the fiber optic plant (Scirpus cirnuus) thrives on the water's edge.

Water is an important asset for the birds and insects that populate Pollack's front and back yards. A large, shallow dish filled with water and sprinkled with pigeon grit is friendly to butterflies, since they are partial to mineralized water. Pollack also has a plastic trash can on wheels situated under a roof gutter downspout and a pipe that collects air conditioning condensation. Mosquito-repellent doughnuts are floated in the collected water to kill larvae before they can develop into adults.

In 1995, Pollack's front yard consisted of a lawn and a large expanse of Algerian ivy. Today, it includes Gaura Lindheimeri, whose pink flowers arch and overflow like water jets from a botanical fountain; the uncanny red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), a late-summer bloomer with fiery, red-orange flower plumes; the related yellow bird of paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii), blooming all summer with unmistakable golden petals and scarlet stamens; and tall specimens of pungent oregano and soap-scented lavender. A selected portion of the garden has been set aside for species that have a dense growth habit: yellow-orange lantana, blue-flowered Cleveland sage, purple fountain grass and butterfly bush (Buddleia). The thicket created by these plants provides shelter and nesting for a variety of critters.

Pollack's California natives include coffee bush (Rhamnus californica), whose berries are feasted on by many of the 45 species of birds that have visited the garden and rendered insect pests invisible there; Penstemon, Ceanothus, California yarrow (Achillea millefolium); a slow-growing, shade-dependent manzanita ground cover; the carefree, sun-loving ground cover known as blanket flower (Gaillardia); and the Pacific Coast iris (Iris douglasiana).

These plants were procured at Matilija Nursery (www.matilijanursery.com) in Moorpark. You can learn which natives are suited to your area by entering your ZIP code on the Web site at www.laspilitas.com.

Although Pollack has only a small patch of lawn in his back yard, he has created a spongily fragrant compost out of his neighbors' grass and his own leaves and prunings.

He has a Siberian elm that is dead on the top, proven beyond a doubt by its half-naked trunks, yet Pollack refuses to remove the tree. ``The cavities in the wood will, hopefully, serve as nests or hideaways for birds and squirrels,'' he enthuses.

In fact, an almond tree that fell more than 10 years ago was the inspiration for Pollack to start his natural-habitat garden in the first place, when he decided to just let nature take its course. He also has pecan and walnut trees to keep tree squirrels happy and to keep him laughing at their antics.

One of the innovations/improvements Pollack made was to remove his asphalt driveway and replace it with decomposed granite, best described as very coarse-grained sand that is easily compacted but completely porous to water. This driveway conversion makes it possible for rain to soak into the ground where it can be stored and then utilized by surrounding trees and shrubs; it also prevents rainwater from running into and flooding the street.

Pollack is a National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward. He provides free consultations to people wishing to convert a conventional landscape into a wildlife garden. He can be reached by e-mail at alpat62(at)aol.com.