Designing A Garden For The Future

 We finally have begun working on the new garden 

here in Santa Barbara

Once again rocks seem to pop up out of nowhere....do big rocks make more baby rocks?...

sure looks that way 

The rocks we excavated in Ojai were granite 

and here in Santa Barbara they are sandstone 

so they are a bit lighter and easier to move....

at least I think they are but I actually haven't picked any of these big boys up!

And just as we did in Ojai all the rocks we dig up 

will be re-used in the landscape in some way.

 It's actually pretty fun and creative to re-use what you have

 and re-think the possibilities.

 The yard will be enclosed by low walls 

and have a series of small garden rooms and stone landings

 The far west end of the lot will be a kitchen garden for vegetable's and herbs 

as well a seasonal cutting bed.  I have always wanted a cutting bed just for bulbs and specific seasonal flowers for arrangements so I'll give it a try here.  The beds will have special low volume netafim drip tubing and smart irrigation solutions for water conservation 

 We made a decision to completely eliminate all sod, plants and garden elements that could be 

"water hogs"

from the design.  

I really love a beautiful green lawn but the drought here in California is very severe.  

It seemed selfish and a bit short sighted to not use this opportunity to really re-think how a California garden can look with limited water.

Creating a garden for the future that can be sustained 

is where garden design is heading. 

 Most landscape architects are very focused on water use and most of the larger landscape companies have been tasked to design and build parks and urban gardens with a focus on water conservation. 

 Almost all new developments have reclaimed water plans in place and pools, ponds and huge swaths of sod are going to be a challenge to be built in the very near future.  

Also many growers here in California have developed hybrid trees and plants that are not only beautiful 

but can live happily with very little water.

So I guess this garden will take a little more thought on my part 

but I think I will feel better in the end knowing we got it right.
so....that said...the simple goal is:

 to have a great yard that requires limited water, 

 is relatively easy to care for....but...still looks awesome!

 The low garden walls will be bright white stucco with a rough hand troweled finish 

to match the old stucco on the house from the 1920's

 There is a lot of creative masonry going on here.  I had a long talk with the boulders and told them that they would either have to be blown up !....or they can stay, be nice and become part of the wall...I guess they're staying.

 Masonry work is hard work...seriously hard.  

It's dirty and hot and just about everything involved is heavy.

Many of the larger stones will be cut here on site 

and used for raised beds, columns and hard scape features

The stone is cut first with a wet saw and then shaped 

with a hammer and chisel to the size and shape needed

The stone above was cut and shaped into a cap for the entry columns.

The masons we have hired are really talented and such hard workers.  It is really interesting watching them and they take great pride in what they do.  

 As usual, the inside of the house will be neglected finished last 

but that gives us more time to make good decisions about the renovation possibilities 

 Millie seems to find the best spots for a nap...

either right in a hot dry patch of dirt or under a shady tree

both spots sound pretty darn good...especially if your a dog or a gardener!

xo

Kelley

Getting Started

Buying a house generally involves incredible amounts of indecipherable paperwork,

 inspectors crawling around attic spaces mumbling things like "hum, wow, oh man what is that?, 

a few sleepless nights saying to yourself "what are we thinking?" 

and the usual long weekend of cleaning gross looking stuff in corners 

and behind toilets that you wish/hope/pray 

you won't ever have to look at again

Large boxes of "stuff" that you forgot to label magically appear and then multiply as you search in vain for a spot to put them 

and if your like me, you wonder why you have 5!  yes 5..... 50 foot extension cords 

and enough half empty cans of WD 40 to lubricate a battleship

 but the reality is really about just getting started....taking a deep yoga breath and reminding yourself it's all good 

and all you need is a few days to get re-focused

So I planted a pot with geraniums (the lazy gardener stuff which I happen to love)

and then I got started getting started...cause you have to start somewhere right?!

There are very few plants that we want to salvage here, so the first order of business is removing old spent shrubs, double digging, adding amendments and trying to figure out why 

every sprinkler head in the yard is either broken 

or manages to miss the planters and water the rocks.

After two days of digging I still haven't seen an earthworm..... not one!  Even the bluejays seem a little pissed off by the lack of worms.  

The jays are eating overripe berries and squawking like tired hungry children at a theme park so I'm hopeful that we can entice some worms into these planters STAT

Anyway...the sun is out and the thought of getting a blister on my hand sounds pretty darn wonderful after not setting foot in a garden for two months

 The grass is pretty much spent...a victim of bad soil and watering problems.  

Some areas are covered with moss and others are like the bottom of a dry lake bed.  

But I really like so many of the elements in this yard especially the tall hedges and stone terraces

 "the plan" is still in question but I think we want 

a small vegetable garden 

a spot for a pretty water feature

and definitely flowers

If you have water, flowers and trees

you will eventually have the rest of mother nature's friends

birds, worms and insects 

and the occasional skunk 

 I also want to focus the garden plan on the old stone foundation walls,

keeping the plantings simple and the color palate bright

 The white walls of the old stucco 

are the perfect backdrop for roses, bougainvillea and lavenders and some of my favorite low growning little guys like catmint, thyme and lambs ear

  I'm thinking of using long low white walls and garden rooms 

with gates and arches 

to divide the yard into various areas 

with different uses 

 the grass will probably be nonexistent

 but I really do like a little patch of grass 

and so does my dog...when she's not napping!

 We actually traded our huge Honda mower for a manual lawn mower that requires no gas.  

In fact all of the new tools we have purchased are powered by lithium batteries or 

just plain old un-modern sweat and muscles

 Speaking of garden tools...many of mine are rather unconventional and I usually buy them based on my size and how well they will work for a particular job.

I have a few favorites and find a lot of them here...

including the steel edger above made in Holland by a company called Sneeboer

and another really handy tool called a spork

I'm sure I have mentioned the bright tub trugs too (below)

which you can find everywhere now and have a million and one uses

and are an essential item, at least for me, in the garden

 the sun is setting so time to call it quits...just for now!

  thanks so much for stopping by...and please remember:

xo

kelley

My Dream Home

A few weeks ago a wonderful blogging friend, Cindy who pens the wonderful blog

 Rough Luxe Lifestyle

came up with the idea of having a group of bloggers write about

 building their dream home

and...

 you can visit all of the other blogs 

today too and see what they designed!

This was a bit of a challenge for sure, because like most of us...

I would love to live in many different places...

A loft in Manhattan?

An apartment in Paris?

On a yacht in Monaco?

(remember this is a dream..right?)

Hawaii?

Mexico? Montana?

 But I  kept coming back to a place
that has left an impression on my heart

 this special spot
 has what I consider to be the most compelling and beautiful
landscape
that can be found anywhere....

a big blue sky

rocky coastal ocean panoramas

views,  vistas and rolling hills

plants and wildlife

not one of which takes center stage....

 all are of equal importance to this spot along the coast of California

called Big Sur
it sits
140 miles south of San Francisco

I have had the opportunity to vacation there, quite a few times,
 at an incredible Inn called the 

Post Ranch 

 The Inn and surrounding buildings
were designed by Big Sur architect Mickey Muennig

His designs combine the elements of nature, art and architecture

into a dwelling which becomes part of the site itself

It is hard to see where each aspect of the design begins 

and where it ends

"Architecture is much more than shelter;  it bonds a continuous and worldwide mystery to its inhabitants.  The clients lifestyle, inherent attitudes, cultural background and specific dreams or desires can often inspire new ideas from which a design may spring"  G.K. Muennig

His work is further complimented by the use of raw steel

concrete, redwood, glass and stone

This is a house he designed which has all of those aspects 

as well as an incredible site along the 

coastline

this is it...my dream home!

Big Sur has one of the most stringent environmentally protective land use policies in the United States

which make it difficult to build 

but allows the further protection of declining species of plants, insects and animals

Another aspect of Muennig designs is his use of solar and "off the grid"  

carbon neutral philosophies

such as sod roofs, solar panels and reclaimed gray water

Now for some eye candy....!!!

For those of you who have read this blog for a while 

you know that I am a huge fan of 

modern country

 I have recently fallen for 

 designers that have that certain "thing"...

which is actually the lack of excess and clutter

  clean almost unfurnished rooms 

where art, architecture and texture can be the focus

 Karen Blake

Briggs Edward Solomon

 Pam Pierce

 Ralph Lauren

 Nancy Fischelson

 m. elle designs

 Darryl Carter

I could really go on and on....there are so many beautiful designs to love

but

I have to admit

I really don't believe in dream homes

 life changes so much
and often what you thought you really wanted was just someone else's version
 of the perfect house and not really your version

I wish we spent more time saying
 "right now this is good enough"
and
sometimes less is more
in ways other than decor or architecture

  sometimes all of the hard work results
in a big bucket of flowers and not a house in Big Sur

 so for today I'll take a bunch of lavender

or a swing on the porch

 or a nap on the lawn

in my "dream" house
the one I happen to live in today!

thanks for stopping by, I know this was a long one

here are the others

Collage of Life
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
TG Interiors
Roses and Rust
Linen and Lavender
Splenderosa


please take a peek
I know you will love them

Happy Dream House Hunting

~*Kelley*~