Verdugo Woodlands Backyard Retreat

This project was designed in close collaboration with the clients. Before we started, this space was all lawn with an existing Bamboo perimeter that we kept. This photo shows the yard right after sod was removed.

BEFORE -- Sod Removed

Now they have a raised steel veggie bed in a curved shape, fruit trees, new poured concrete pathways and patio in large rectangles with large pebbles in between, drought-tolerant plantings, and a beautiful pond with a steel scupper that matches the raised bed.

AFTER: Just Completed

A concept sketch during design process

Update: Pond plants going strong and other plants growing in.

Front Yards -- Veggie Gardens

The Larchmont Village/ Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles is made up of many large, beautiful older homes. Most are tastefully landscaped in very traditional ways. Some front yards show off more drought-tolerant selections, especially Lavenders and other mediterraneans that fit into a manicured landscape. Many yards still have extensive lawns.
Something you don't often see are vegetable gardens that face the street.

This is exactly the kind of vegetable garden one wants, if one has the room -- a mix of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables that will attract beneficial insects and provide the gardener with something to harvest all year long.
I like the Grape arbor, made from decorative iron posts and wire. When they grow in, they will hide all the ripening fruit and veggies that might otherwise attract unwanted visitors!









Technically this is not a front yard, but a side yard on a corner lot. It is such an extensive vegetable garden in such an unexpected place, it makes me smile whenever I see it. I don't know that all the neighbors feel the same as I!

Seeds

Planting from seed is a wonderful adventure, full of anticipation, failures, triumphs and surprises!
I decided to plant some seeds in our vegetable garden in February. Last chance for a few sugar snap peas, I hadn't managed to put in earlier. And last chance for a bit more lettuce and spring mix, which never does as well as we get into late Spring and Summer. Late Winter is a good time for carrots, chard, beets, and turnips. The last two, I am trying for the first time.

I've had very good luck with carrots, maybe because we are not far from the LA river, and our soil is silty. My mother-in-law was a prolific gardener, but could never successfully grow carrots, so I feel blessed! There is something so dramatic about pulling a big carrot out of your own tended soil! For one thing, you never quite know how big and well-shaped a root vegetable will be until you pull it out of the ground. The seeds are known to take a while to germinate, and just when I almost lost hope this time, there they were! It took about 3 weeks.

Spring mix seed was casually thrown 

I began to muse about seeds and seedlings. Planting seeds is a wonderful act from many perspectives. It ties us to all the human beings who have harvested seeds from a plant in order to have that plant where they can tend it and reap its harvest.
Planting seeds is an act of hope, no doubt! It is a plan for the future, a hope that all will go well, and knowledge that much of the success is completely out of our hands!
When I first created my raised beds, I could chuck some seeds in, and for better or worse, they'd pretty much come up, grow and give me fruit (or veggies!). But then the skunks and raccoons figured out what I was doing, and started digging for worms, grubs, etc. So my seedlings were constantly disturbed, and my success rate plummeted.
Looking at one of my tomato cages recently, I realized that a very cheap solution was to buy some rolls of wire, and put them over the beds temporarily while things get established. I've begun the process, and it's working! Will customize the wire for each bed, and be able to use it year after year.
Some of the plants I've grown from seed that have been super easy:
Alyssum, California Poppy, Lupine, Spring Lettuce/Meslun Mix, Nasturtium, and Borage.

Urban Farming

Urban Farming is hip.  And institutions that used to promote ornamental gardens are now helping the homeowner create their own edible landscape. Descanso Gardens has a wonderful demonstration Garden, and now The Huntington Gardens is about to open the new Huntington Ranch.

Today's LA Times has an article about The Huntington Ranch.



I'm happy to see more people using their land to grow food. I think the trend has many positive results. It's an opportunity for people to connect to the Earth and the seasons. It makes an impact environmentally by producing more local produce that does not have to be shipped around the world. It has the potential to encourage folks to eat healthier, and to get children excited about fruit and vegetables.

Front Yards -- Veggie Gardens

Home vegetable gardens are in vogue, and I found quite a few front yards with space for veggies as I drove around the East side of Los Angeles recently.
Some of the vegetable gardens are more attractive than others. It's nice to see anyone growing edibles in their front yard, no matter in what style, but I do like seeing how it can be done in an attractive way.

I think these first two gardens do an especially good job of showcasing vegetables in the front yard. The designs go with the architecture of the respective houses, and add to their aesthetic.

This little out of the way side area on a corner lot, uses containers and a raised bed to grow edibles, and it often looks very pretty through the year.

Some other front gardens have the vegetables in raised beds that aren't really integrated into the yard as whole. I'd like to see more connection between the rest of the yard.

Food for thought! I am a firm supporter of using the land we have to either grow food, or to grow climate-appropriate plants that take as little extra water and fertilizer as possible, and provide food and/or shelter for local wildlife. It's nice to see so many people getting on this bandwagon.

Descanso Gardens -- Veggie Garden

This vegetable garden is just about my picture of the perfect plot! They used branches and sticks as material for the trellises, the borders around the plantings, and the arches that stand at each entrance. There's a nice mix of vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

This is a new installation this year at Descanso. I am told that Horticulturist, Mike Brown played a big part in creating this lovely Garden they call "Nature's Table." On Saturdays, he is happy to talk about what he learned while building the garden.





Now us urban farmers don't have a lot of extra sticks and branches around for building these charming garden accoutrements! I should talk to a tree trimmer. I love this look!
This is a vegetable garden with the feel of a farm, but in a space that is not completely out of proportion with a homeowner's plot -- bigger, yes, but still adaptable to a normal suburban yard.
I am charmed by the materials and impressed by the vigor of the plants. Veggies can be messy and out-of-control. Their leaves can often be mottled or mildewed. But very little of that is seen here. Everything has its place even when it sprawls a bit.

These steel circles bring to mind the shape of a pumpkin, even Cinderella's coach. Their simplicity allows me to imagine them in such a way.

The arches make me feel like I'm entering a sacred space. I think we often forget how much the earth gives us to build with, and how creative humans have always been with simple materials. I like thinking about the relationship between harvesting materials and harvesting food, and I think it's illustrated here very nicely.
I come away from this garden really appreciating nature's bounty.

The mix of Yarrow, Black-eyed Susan, Sunflower, Miscanthus, and Scabiosa with the corn and squash creates a wonderful plot to behold. It gets me in the mood for Fall.

Now that is one cool way to keep your tools handy! This cart is so iconic to me. It reminds me again of simple human ingenuity. Look how much can be carried by making simple materials into something useful. And look at how many can be fed from a well-tended garden!