This gorgeous antique door creates a magical entry to this beautiful garden as well as providing privacy from the street beyond. Flanked by plantings of Arbutus marina. Olive trees, Mexican sage, Oakleaf hydrangea, Polygala and other drought tolerant plants. See the entire project here.
What a difference a couple of years make
Wow! What a couple of years it has been. It’s been that long since I last posted blogs regularly. But, I think we can all agree that since March 2020 we have been living in very interesting times. Many of us have been spending more time at the old homestead as a result.
The good news is we all dream of ways to make our homes more exciting, more beautiful and more livable. We may not be able to control the craziness out in the world. But, a new landscape design gives us something we CAN control. So, why not make those dreams come true?
Adding statuary to your garden is a great way to add your personal touches. This resting Buddha is very old and so was placed in a special location in this part of the garden.
Your own version of paradise
Creating a private paradise in your backyard is the real purpose of landscape design. A garden provides refuge, a sanctuary from the sometimes hectic pace of life; a place to recharge, regroup and get away from the pressures and demands of daily life, where there is freedom to do, to be, to have whatever YOU want.
there is no right or wrong in landscape design
Call it a landscape or a garden, either way, using the earth as canvas and trees, plants and flowers as “paint” is an art form unlike any other. In creating a garden we can let our imaginations run wild and have some fun as there is no “right” or “wrong” in this creative medium, only our own aesthetic vision.
This Montecito Teak Tea house sits atop a waterfall and pond under the canopy of California Live Oaks. Montecito landscape design style is working with nature to accomplish a space that is calming and relaxing and also beautiful. To see the rest of this project click here.
Gardens as Living Art
Some compare landscaping to remodeling a home or decorating or perhaps adding on a room. If we are talking about constructing patios, spas and BBQs, I suppose there are some similarities, but I encourage a look at the bigger picture. A garden is art that is ALIVE! It grows and changes over time, every season affording new delights: flowers and trees in bloom, varieties of color and fragrance, sounds and silences. A garden IS life; providing habitat for fauna and multitudes of pollinators, sustenance for us physically in terms of food and spiritually in terms of beauty.
You don’t need a huge space to create a personal paradise. This Santa Barbara landscape design is small but designed with the client in mind. There is an outdoor kitchen, pond and waterfall and even a secret garden beneath the Mimosa tree.
The essential ingredient
No matter how you approach your landscaping, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, the essential ingredient in the garden is you. You are the one who makes the garden shine by your admiration of it, participation in it and your intention that plants grow.
I read recently that all it takes to have a Green Thumb is the DESIRE TO MAKE PLANTS GROW. Wow! That makes so much sense. This same author noted that plants require a lot of enthusiasm; they almost need a cheering section. That is what filling your garden with joy means. It means, be that cheering section.
Until next time, fill your garden with joy!
xo Lisa
This Montecito Landscape design includes plantings of Cleveland sage, roses, scented geranium, Alpine strawberries, culinary herbs. This garden atop a Santa Barbara stone wall overlooks the flagstone patio with fire pit. To see the rest of the images for this project click here.