Edible Landscapes

Edibles as Landscape   

Just planted, this residential design, partnered with Tina Jauregui, was primarily about edible landscaping design.  Instead of a dividing hedge between neighbors there are dwarf mandarins.  Two persimmon trees were designed symmetrically in front of the house while the aged lawn was replaced with thyme as a ground cover to also be utilized for culinary uses.  The front planters were replaced adding a variety of blueberry shrubs.   Off the corner of the front porch is a Fruit Salad tree that has different stone fruits grafted onto one tree. Planter of Blueberry shrubs

Using Google Earth, this picture depicts the 'before' of the front yard fairly well.

The rear yard landscaping design utilized four already purchased fruit trees into an existing landscape with three mature avocados and a lemon with the addition of a pear tree and a Passion Fruit vine.  A future landscape design for the existing deck was proposed for ease of transition to the yard, to accommodate entertaining, and provide various raised beds for herbs, vegetables, and strawberries.   With some design creativity and future managed pruning they will be able to have bountiful fruits, vegetables and herbs at their disposal. (Photos to come)

 

Vegetable Gardens in the Landscape

At another residence, there was a highly unused front yard garden area in full sun that provided an opportunity to grow fresh produce. 

    With some touch-up painting to the surrounding fence, keeping the existing perimeter plants, and sheet mulching the lawn to accommodate raised beds; all would keep costs down to transform this unused space for an edible landscape.

Unused fenced in lawn area of the front yard

A photo of the space currently standing on the driveway and a Photoshop rendering of what it could look like to transform this unused space of lawn into an edible lanscape of vegatables and herbs.

 A Photoshop image of what the front yard could look like 

The addition of a cutting garden brings more pollinators.  The existing sprinkler risers can be fitted with drip system kits.  Designed as a DIY project, the space can be transformed in phases as the client has time.

Curb Appeal Gardens

A Contemporary Home gets An Organic Landscape

This new homeowner wanted a more organic feel to the garden than the basics the General Contractor planted with the home.

Before the new Design is Installed.The house is ringed with New Zealand Flax with a color that compliments the house, however, two stranded Japanese Maples and a sea of invasive Vinca is the rest of the entire yard.

The new design includes grape arbors, two Strawberry Trees, Manzanita ground cover, Blue Oat Grass, and bright Cape Honeysuckle for a quick privacy screen.

Along the driveway a succulent garden of Echeverias, Aeoniums, an Agave, Sedum Dragon's Blood and Americanum, and Euphorbia Firesticks are mixed in a tapestry with New Zealand Flax and Blue Fescue.  Behind the display, Star Jasmine will be trained on the fence.

A Small Yard needs Curb Appeal and A Courtyard

This garden was left to overgrow and get old.

 A new fence with a gate were moved closer to the chimney, a flagstone path and new plants are the start to this new beautiful garden.

Instead of replacing the old lawn, a new layering border of plants in red, purple and pops of blue and silver add bold color to the front.  The flagstone pathway moves through a lawn substitute of Sea Thrift which looks much like grass but has the added bonus of being very drought tolerant, never needs mowing and in Spring gets beautiful pom pom pink blooms to look like a meadow.Paprika Yarrow and Jester New Zealand Flax add color to the front border.The side yard was cleaned up and transformed into a flagstone courtyard.  Dymondia Silver Carpet will grow between the stones, Yellow Wave New Zealand Flax, Blue Oat Grass, Autumn Sage, Pineapple Sage and Penstemons will brighten the area with color.

 

An Updated Facelift for a Landscape

This home had a great interior remodel and needed a new landscape to match.

Before a new landscape is visualized.

The install of baby plants.

Dwarf Lantana, Red Autumn Sage, Santa Barbara Daisy, Purple Smoke Tree, Bayberry, Eureka Lemon tree in back corner and Yellow Wave New Zealand Flax by the existing Crape Myrtle will brighten up this front yard.

A photoshop rendering of the new design when grown.

The Back Yard gets a full facelift as well.  The hardscape was already installed by the contractor and I was commissioned to specify all the plants.  The requirements were for lots of color and texture while allowing for fruit trees and a vegetable garden.

Ornamental Plants include Lamb's Ear, Yarrow, Lupine, Red Autumn Sage, Bush Anenome, Manzanita, Bougainvillea, Penstemon, CA Grey Rush, Santa Barbara Daisy, Blue Fescue, Kaleidoscope Abelia, Cream Delight New Zealand Flax, Rosemary, Tequillia Sunrise Mirror Plant, Alyssum and Yesterday Today and Tomorrow.

 

A Yard of Hedges Gets Color and Texture

This yard had the typical corral of hedges which the new owner commented on the difficulty to see when backing out of the driveway much less the aesthetics.

A new design of drought tollerant plants with color and texture was needed.  Manzanita, lavender and Autumn Sage were just a few of the owner's choices for this front landscape.

Demolition of the yard has begun by the owner and will be followed up with a contractor for the tough projects.  The hedges were chopped down but are now growing back.  The roots still need to be removed.

The front of the property will retain a smaller lawn, add paver pathway to the front entry, extend the driveway with pavers and provide year round interest with plants.

Once all the phases are complete it will look similar to these Photoshop sketches.  The owners have yet to choose paver material but these sketches show there are many options to choose from.

Coprosma Marble Queen used in three areas adds balance and will add interest with a change in color with winter chill.  The only exception to the drought tolerant plants are the two Japanese Maples that anchor the corners of the house, gifts to their children from grandparents.  Since blueberries take similar soil and water conditions, they will be planted with the sapling trees to provide the family with one of their favorite fruits.  With a year round interest of their own, blueberries like many edible plants can be planted with ornamentals in the landscape.The back yard is small and only 20' deep.  Using Sky Pencil Holly that only grows 2' wide helps save on space, give a clean look and won't require pruning. 

The owners want an area for vegetables, an herb bed and a small lemon tree while capitalizing on the small space for an entertainment area, a small lawn for the kids and the BBQ. A central 17'x 17' paver area for the patio leaves room for the other functions and the small retaining wall replaced with a curvilinear seatwall increases seating numbers for a small space.  Three columnar apple trees line one end of the yard.

From Rock, To Color

This landscape started as a lot of rock and three Golden Euonymus hedged as cubes and a lot of lawn.

After a few of years, it now has grown with lots of color.  The cubed hedges were pruned and thinned to look more natural and a lot of drought tolerant ground covers, perennials and low shrubs were added.  The nonmortared raised beds helps add structure to a previously plain yard.

A San Diego Street Scape

This rental property in San Diego is one and half blocks from a public beach and gets a lot of pedestrian traffic.  The 20'x 50' street scape landscape design blends with traditional San Diego coastal elements.  San Diego has a climate where most plants thrive, however being this close to the ocean's climatic influences, specific plants were chosen that could thrive with the salty and humid climate.  King Palms and Pygmy Date Palms were designed in groupings with natives and drought tolerant plants to add color and texture year round.  Some of the plants incorporated are ceanothus, coprosma and Autumn joy sedum along with a tapestry of stonecrop sedums.  Through the design is a dry riverbed of river rock.  Stepping pavers lead pedestrians from their parked cars to the public sidewalk.  With abundant use of bark, soil moisture will be retained thus reducing irrigation frequency.

 

Baby palms are planted and mulchedPhase one of the landscape design has been completed with installation of a drip irrigation system, baby palms and bark mulch. Palms are a regularly used plant and a San Diego icon that grow quickly.  Either side of this space consists of water thirsty lawn, with the east neighbor having tall mature palms. 

Pavers are set for easy street access

Phase two of the landscape design consisted of adding the stepping stones has been done recently.   The cheap and easily installed pavers was chosen over pour in place concrete. Temporarily for some color, the client added leftover geraniums from another rental unit.  The baby sized palms have been growing well over a few months time and add the wanted tropical feel. 

 In two years these palms have grown and are thriving.

  San Jose Entry Needing Color

 BEFOREJust dirt and a few rocks were on display at this residential entry.  The client wanted year round color in foliage. This would be a project that would be installed in phases.   The first phase inserted brick under the front bench similar to the brick on the house and eventually edge the sidewalk in brick as well.  The Rainbow Surprise Coprosma was planted in Fall. The added shrubs of dwarf Golden Euonymus and Rainbow Surprise Coprosma provides wanted texture and year round color with the added bonus that with winter chill the Coprosma will take on a bright reddish pink coloring.
Phase two, in late Spring, included the dwarf Euonymus and bark mulch.  The Coprosma grew during the winter and spring.

 The same Coprosma 'Rainbow Surprise" with Winter Color

Lawn Reduction

This landscape design will be installed in phases.  The irrigation has already been reduced to the shortest time possible to maintain a living lawn.  Additionally, the existing spray heads were fitted with rotars for better efficiency and less water loss.  The area hit hardest was by the driveway and determined the beginning of the lawn reduction plan.Step pavers create a path from street parking to the front path at the front of the house and echo other step pavers on site.  Creeping thyme, not only drought tolerant, will add texture and color in addition to inviting pollinators to the garden.  Fountain grass will grow to give some balance.  More pavers planted with Elfin thyme are inserted along the driveway to add extra footing when three cars are parked in the driveway.  The existing and buried plumbing clean out was unburied from sod and then camouflaged with a dry pond and stream of river rock and decomposed granite. Access is a matter of moving a few small rocks. 

 In this landscape design, head sized rocks were used to accent the sidewalk side of the small berm and the fountain grass.  Other drought tolerant plants include Mexican Feather Grass, Blue Fescue, Santa Barbara Daisy, various sedum, Pink Knotweed and succulant Hen and Chicks.  In time, other plants will be added and remaining areas of lawn will gradually be sheet mulched.

After one and a half years of growthNative Blue Fescue In the Feather Grass, Black and Blue Sage adds a bright spot.

Between the two main Fountain Grasses, a vignette of perennials was added of two species of blue flowered sages, sedge, and sunflowers 'Tuscan Sun'.

After 2 years, the second phase of lawn reduction has begun with sheet mulching.  The process of sheet mulching requires mowing the lawn short and then layering newspaper or cardboard on the lawn while watering it down.  This lawn was then covered with 5" of fallen leaves from the street tree which was covered with 3" of mulch containing chicken manure and then a decorative 1-2" layer of fine bark mulch.  In spring the next planting phase will begin.

Mediterranean Courtyard

The focus of this landscape design was to create an outdoor dining space.  The existing stucco wall gives privacy from the street and the architecture of the 'L' shaped area of the house encloses the space like a courtyard.  Taking from the brick on the facade and edging along the front walk and some of the existing plants a Spanish/Mediterranean theme was designed.  Existing brick planting beds were kept to minimize costs. The existing plants of Oleander and a mature lemon tree were utilized into the theme. Adding tan or light terra-cotta color for the wall creates drama and The space before installationvibrancy to the small space. A small water fountain camouflages the irrigation valves and adds the melody of water.  Creating a  flagstone patio into existing unused lawn with Mediterranean and drought resistant plants and herbs and the use of a BBQ and furniture turns an unused space into a functional entertaining outdoor room.  The existing tired wooden entry gate will be changed out with a wrought iron gate and will create a welcoming and obvious entrance to the house and courtyard.  The ease of being right off the kitchen and a welcoming space for visitors was a plus in creating an entry courtyard in this landscape design.

 A photoshop sketch of possibility

San Jose Guadalupe Courtyard Garden Design Contest

The City of San Jose created a design contest to solicit sustainable garden designs to promote to San Jose homeowners.  The objective is to reduce lawns, reduce water use, and implement positive integrated pest management techniques.  The call for drought resistant plants is not a new motto, however eco-friendly pest management is still new to most folks. 

Both garden plots showing planting plan.

Myself and Diane Goldsmith were the co-winners of this garden design contest in April 2011.  Since then the city hired Landscape Architect Sherri Osaka of Sustainable Landscape Designs to oversee this project and with the input of many different relative agencies, two sustainable garden designs were born.  The original gardens were modified to accomodate many concerns from the water company and naturalists.  Native plants are used through out with alternative lists available.  The pavement is all permeable from permeable concrete and pavers to flagstone and recycled concrete allowing the ground water to be recharged.  Plants were selected for drought tolerance, resistant to pest and disease, color and texture, to attract beneficial insects and polinators, and auroma.

Plant list for Cafe Garden

The original schedule for installation was December 2011, but as many different inputs delayed that action, installation is yet to occur.  The plots are at the Guadalupe Gardens near Coleman in San Jose.  As installation begins I'll update this entry.

As of February 2012, the ground is broken for demolition by Bayscape.  Here is an aerial photo of the plot I worked on and a 'before' image taken on a very rainy day.   Following are some updates.Aerial view of the Garden Plot at Guadalupe Gardens from Google.comView of the Garden Plot standing on the Hill

 Cafe Garden final design in collaboration with Sherri Osaka

Update on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 3:02PM by KLDesigns

The demolition has occured and installation is already in process by Bayscape.

Here are some pictures of the current state.  It was a rainy day so the pictures aren't as nice as they could be. The view from up on the round hill looking down at the plot.The current condition is the bermuda grass has been removed, hardscapes installed, plants placed, a paper liner for the mulch in place, and irrigation drip for the recycled water almost complete.  Most of the plants have been planted with a bunch still to go. 

A closer look at the hardscapes reveals the many surfaces used to show homeowners what kinds of products are available, such as permeable pavers, decomposed granite, dark permeable concrete and in Diane's plot there is flagstone and recycled concrete.

 An image of the pathway.

The layout of the garden is meant to represent a family home front yard.  With a path leading up to the entry of the house represented here with a pad of decomposed granite.  The small side of permeable concrete is for a bistro table set to enjoy the front yard from an intimate courtyard.

The Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry' are rather small now, but will become focal points in the future as they grow.   Rocks and boulders will add to some of the intimacy that is in the design. All the plants are very small at present but will fill the space around them once grown.  This ground cover Ceanothus has some growing to do!Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay'

The location of the Guadalupe Gardens is at Taylor and Walnut in San Jose, CA.  There is a small parking lot on the south side of the park and an area with picnic tables and BBQs not far from the Historic Orchard along the Guadalupe River Trail.

Updated photos of the install will continue.

Update on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 3:52PM by KLDesigns

As of March 10, 2012, the plots are planted and mulch is down.  Diane Goldsmith made a visit and took a few photos.  Here's an overall view.  These plants need to grow! The little dots will eventually be the various shrubs and the two taller specimans will be grown as small trees and are Ceanothus 'Snow Flurry' which have beautiful white California Lilac flowers.   Signage and furniture will eventually be added and hopefully the rocks.

Update on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at 2:45PM by KLDesigns

It's official!  The gardens are now complete (except furniture) and the grand opening is scheduled for Sat April 28, 2012.  There will be classes and tours available.  As I get more information and pictures I will post it here.

Update on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 3:28PM by KLDesigns

Today was the grand opening of the garden plots at San Jose Guadalupe Park.  I visited the site with my husband, daughter and our dog Sparky.  Some temporary signage is up until the permanent signs are created.

A picture of me standing where the future bistro set will be placed on the porous concrete.

 The temporary 'plague' explaining the project to visitors.

A handout of the gardens was available at the Grand Opening.

 Plant lists were included in the hand out. This is the plant list for the garden I co-designed.

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Snow Flurry' (Wild Lilac), Ceanothus gloriosus 'Anchor Bay' (Point Reyes Ceanothus), Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Skylark' (California Lilac), Salvia clevlandii (Clevland's Sage), Salvia leucophylla (Purple Sage), Epilobium canum canum (California Fuchsia), Penstemon heterophyllus 'Margarita BOP' (Beard Tongue), Heterotheca villosa (Golden Aster), Erigeron glaucas 'Wayne Roderick' (Seaside Daisy), Erigonium grande var. rubescens (Rosy Buckwheat).

Update on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 2:50PM by KLDesigns

Yesterday was another Grand Opening for the garden.  Diane Goldsmith, Sanhita Gohsal, Kim LeichnerMyself and other co-designer Diane Goldsmith were present for the opening ceremony.  Many home owners, gardeners and City officials were present.  Workshops were offered and many photos taken.  An official brochure is now available.Myself reading the new brochure at the gardenMyself talking about the plants with interested participants.

Thanks to Diane Goldsmith for the photos.