Satori Garden Design

A Plant Geek’s Favorite

amazing Euphorbias

Like any self-respecting plant geek, hardly a day goes by when I don’t fall in love with a new plant or revisit an old favorite.  In fact, for me, the challenge of designing landscapes is more what plants to leave out than which ones to put in.  BUT… if you where to aim a garden hose at me and force me to decide I would say Euphorbia’s were my all time favorite.  They are a huge and varied genus ranging from ground hugging Euphorbia myrsinites to striking succulent forms E. canariensis.  There are euphorbia’s with very soft, textural qualities like E. dulcis ‘Chameleon’ and there are stiff, oddly beautiful forms like E. resinifera. I have placed the E. characias ‘Portuguese Velvet‘ in a cottage garden and used a E. tirucalli (sticks on fire) in a very clean-lined modern design.  And as far as blooms are concerned, well few last as long as the fused bracts (which form around the true flowers) of the E. characias wulfenii.  And with striking colored foliage like the blue of Euphorbia ‘Blue Haze’ or the copper wine of E. continifolia, euphorbia’s look good year round.

In general euphorbia’s are tough, pest resistant, water thrifty plants.  Their milky white sap is known to be irritating so take care when pruning.

Here’s a great article on Euphorbia’s if you want to know more about this amazing plant.

San Miguel de Allende

rill at Charco del Ingenio

returning to our cool courtyard for siesta

I took my husband to San Miguel de Allende in January to celebrate his 50th. We had been wanting to go for so long and finally we could justify leaving the kids at home and getting away for nearly a week. The beautiful Spanish colonial town in the mountains did not disappoint. Up until now, all of my Mexico experiences had been coastal towns with more new architecture than old. Since San Miguel de Allende is an UNESCO village, it is gorgeously preserved. We walked the narrow streets, peeking behind immense wooded doors into the shaded courtyards with huge potted plants, trickling fountains and cool stonework. Another treat we experienced was the Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden, a 167 acre nature preserve. Besides the stunning specimens of Agave, Dasylirion and Euphorbia, I especially liked this naturalistic water feature cut into the hardscape.

The Best Design Comes Naturally

a spring hike in Topanga reminded me that Mother Nature is the very best at design

I was on a spring hike in the amazing Santa Monica mountains when I snapped this photo.  I loved how the branch of the Manzanita was delicately arching over the pathway.  The smells of all the native plants at that moment were intoxicating as well. How many times have we all gazed upon a meadow, or mountain lagoon or anything that has naturally formed and thought “wow, that can’t be improved upon.”

This vision and other ones like it of nature remind me of a book I read by Piet Oudolf, a huge name in landscape design worldwide.  Anyway, the book was Designing with Plants and it really spoke to me because above all I’m very plant focused when I do designs.  One of the messages in the book was to focus on flower and plant form over color and to appreciate that form in all it’s phases.  Forms could be spires, buttons, umbels, etc… I like his idea of playing with the relationship of color and form (either related colors and forms or different shapes with related colors) to create a natural harmony in design.  Piet Oudolf goes into much deeper discussion but really it’s about creating something that looks natural — something you’d see in a big meadow at the height of it’s bloom or on a winters hike when things are dormant and waiting to burst forth in the spring.

Your Vote Counts

Satori Garden Design Entry for Garden #3

Your vote really does count in the Santa Monica Demonstration Garden Contest…and I’m thrilled to announce that SATORI GARDEN DESIGN, is a finalist! There are three gardens that the city will build to demonstrate to visitors what a sustainable garden can look like. There will be sample plans and plant palettes provided as well.  The challenge of the contest was to create a garden that is (1) something a homeowner can replicate, (2) sustainable in the use of water and materials, (3) utilizes edibles.  But first things first…winners need to be determined. That’s were the public at large comes in. Online voting will continue throughout May 2010 so check it out and cast your votes. You can vote for your favorite garden for each of the three garden plots.

You’ll see my entry is in the garden #3 grouping. Thanks for your support.

Go to: http://www.smgov.net/departments/ose/categories/form.aspx?ekfrm=13896 to cast your vote.

A New Plant “Bible” for the Bookshelf

nearly white and velvety leaves of Salvia apiana

I was so very lucky to get a chance to go to a talk that Bob Perry was giving to landscape design and horticulture students at Pierce College.  I’ve met him before many, many years ago when I was doing the Master Gardener program in Santa Barbara.  For those of you who don’t know, Bob Perry is a teacher (plant identification, ecology and landscape design at Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA and USC), and accomplished writer on the subject of native and climate appropriate plants and landscapes in California.  His previous books have achieved cult status among the hort set.  Well now we can all add another amazing (and enormous) compendium called “Landscape Plants for California Gardens”.  I thought nothing would ever rival my Sunset Western Garden Book and California Native Plants for the Garden (by Carol Bornstein) but this one does.  I find sometimes books can have a ton of information but the way they are organized is just not in sync with the way I’m thinking.  Perry’s “Landscape Plants for California Gardens” is organized in the most thoughtful and logical manner with lists of plants for nearly all situations.  This weighty book has even inspired me to look for a rolling book cart that can make it and my other “bibles” more accessible in my office.

Now about that talk Bob Perry delivered.  I was halfway expecting a heavy plant discussion with lots of latin names flying around – he is a plant expert after all.  Anyway, I was so pleasantly surprised to get a thoughtful insight into his design process.  He discussed balance, harmony, variety, simplicity, proportion, rhythm, and emphasis as it relates to landscape design and plant choice.  The right plant in the right place is a wonderful place to start with design but taking it to the next level by incorporating overall design concepts will create a lasting beautiful garden.  I left his talk so inspired and ready to create.  If you want to get inspired you can still catch him at the upcoming L.A. Garden Show.

Shabby Chic Garden? You bet.

catching salamanders in the creek

I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting an old school buddy in February (we met in first grade).  Those are her kids and mine catching salamanders out in the creek that runs in front of her house.  She and her husband and their combined brood live in the foothills in an area called Tollhouse.

Being a country girl, I’ve always had a soft spot for the foothills.  My mom and dad used to take me up to the foothills to pick wild watercress.  I loved hoping from one rock to the other across the river. It was rainy that weekend and everything was green and moss covered.

We didn’t get to explore much because of the downpours but what I did see was a fun little garden filled with Tracy’s flea market finds and other treasures.  It reminded me that we can all use a little more light-heartedness when we adorn our outdoor spaces.

moss covered everything

I love it when people put found objects or little treasures of some type in their garden – why not?  We accessorize inside our home with photos and objects d’art.  Someone who is a master of this is Thomas Hobbs, the amazing landscape designer from Vancouver Washington.  His book The Jewel Box Garden (listed in The Books I Love) is all about creating drama in small spaces with not only plants but with objects of all kinds.

rusty iron, chickens and a pig statue used for great effect

In Search of the Perfect Hedge

Because I live in an urban area with homes sometimes only a few feet from the next, the issue of hedges comes up A LOT.  Yes, I know there’s always Ficus microcarpa but I’d really like to see less of that.  For one thing, it’s a water hog and another thing it’s roots can be invasive, thrips like it too. I’m searching for that perfect hedge that doesn’t resent being contained within a certain width and will still provide enough height and density to give me either screening or the feeling of a low living wall.  It shouldn’t take too much water or attention and it should be pretty of course.  I now have a very short list of good candidates that stay fresh looking and take some direction in terms of height and width.  I’d love to build on this list so please, please send me your ideas and ….. grow on.

Hedge Ideas

Bike storage that looks good

now that's a solution

Some storage solutions are just plain unattractive, and I’ve found this to be especially true for bike storage.  Unless you are willing to invest in a custom made bike shed you are either left with leaving your bikes outside to rust or putting them into some bulky plastic tomb.  (Okay maybe a few of you out there can actually fit all of your bikes in your garage – this post is not for you)

I feel in love with this bike locker at first sight.  It’s sleek and practical and fits 3 adult bikes.  Now you won’t throw your back out getting your bike out of some crowded corner.

Here’s a few sites that I found who sell this item:

http://www.bikecare.co.uk/cycle_shelters.html

http://www.taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk/store/customer/product.php?productid=17106

Permeable Prettier Pathways (say that 3 times!)

broken concrete and brick path

I’ve been so delighted as of late to see many people breaking up their concrete driveways or paths.  The results are not only very attractive but serve a greater purpose in allowing the water to percolate down rather than going into the storm drain system (and out to our ocean).  It’s funny how this approach makes so much sense and yet for decades it was all about paving things over and moving the water off site.  Design wise you can go in any direction.  For instance, this photo from fine gardening fits in with an naturalistic/informal garden but you can go more modern.  This Los Angeles Times article shows how concrete can be saw-cut for a linear and contemporary look.  Here’s some of my favorite permeable path images:

cobblestone garden path

stone and decomposted granite

crushed limestone path

large stone path in soil

pathway of long slabs and pebbles

How does she know?

My pug, Puddin’, has a sixth sense about my photo taking.  It’s really funny but when I go out to document something she manages to get in the shot.  Here I was taking a shot for photos I had to submit for the Santa Monica Landscape Grant program.  She has taken to drinking from the fountain quite a bit.  Something about running water I guess.  I love this pondless fountain, and it was super easy to install.  It gives the quiet sound of running water as well as the visual focal point without loud splashing and water wasting.  Jackalope, in North Hollywood has lots of great pots to choose from as well as the pumps and basins.  I got the landscape grant, by the way, so soon you’ll be hearing about that garden going in.