California Landscape Design

How festive and fun to use edible flowers in dishes. There are many more edible flowers and ways to use them than we imagine.

Of course the ones that are frequently mentioned are nasturtiums, which I use for canapés with toasted thick crusted bread, seasoned cream cheese and top with nasturtiums, borage flowers, violas and snips of herbs. I use calendula flower petals and blue and gold violas to top an otherwise pedestrian tossed salad and sprinkled on cooked rice pilaf.

And as soon as summer comes around, I use rose petals in syrups and sorbets. Probably the most recognizable ‘herb’ for use in my culinary adventures is lavender. It finds its way in lavender cookies, lavender shortbreads, and lavender frosting on chocolate mini-cupcakes.

Actually all the herbs flowers are edible—what a bonus!

Photos courtesy of Patricia St. John.

Many of us caught the edible garden craze a few years back, but some of us may have found that a farm-to-table garden isn’t always the most aesthetically appealing scene. This doesn’t have to be the case. Using edibles in landscape design can increase the health and economic benefits we derive from our gardens, and can be done in such a way as to increase a garden’s visual appeal. Thoughtfully incorporating decorative containers, plant forms, and hardscape structures, as well as blending edibles with ornamentals are ways to enhance the ornamental garden. You are still able to reap the many benefits of growing your own food.

Although the traditional kitchen garden, potager, or parterre has its own kind of traditional beauty, that beauty may or may not jive with the aesthetic of your home or existing garden. Is your home and landscape modern with clean lines and minimal plant materials? Consider swapping out the traditional wood planter boxes for corten or stainless steel in a variety of shapes and shades. Food-safe options are available for these. Arranging your plantings in carefully chosen blocks of contrasting color and texture can also achieve a beautifully clean, minimalist look. Do you have a Mediterranean villa theme? Consider planting your favorite herbs, vegetables, or fruits in beautiful, deep ceramic pots arranged in groups throughout the garden.

WATTLES FOR VEGGIES

First, I must give my mentor and friend Marilee Kuhlman full credit for this one. I was meeting with her and brainstorming for a client and she mentioned how she tested out places on her property for future edible beds by using straw wattles. Wattles, what?! My ears perked up because I had just about thrown in the towel trying to grow edibles in my parkway. I had serious compaction and heavy clay, but I didn’t want to build a rectilinear structure in my parkway in order to hold good soil. The wattle was the answer because I was able to tuck in two kidney shaped raised beds surrounding my roses and it actually looks pretty darn good. The wattles have become a neighborhood “icebreaker” as people walk by. Best of all, straw wattles are inexpensive, about $24 for 25 feet of wattle. I stacked one atop the other and drove down rebar in a few places to secure it. The wattle will slowly drop in height as it decomposes. When it needs replacing, simply cut the netting and compost the straw. Voila!

FOODMAP CONTAINERS

Sacha’s client turned her onto these unusual planters—reminiscent of baby cribs—and she planted them with edibles.

These containers are designed to help people grow food at home without taking up too much space. The contoured form keeps plants from being damaged by sitting water, but also has a central reservoir to keep the soil moist longer. The Foodmap Container is on wheels so it can be easily moved to the best growing space as weather and sunlight conditions change They are fabricated in Los Angeles County using 100% FDA Approved food grade Recycled HDPE plastic and is 100% recyclable.

ACCESSIBLE EDIBLES

KAYU BATU CUBES

I designed these smaller vegetable boxes with wheels so the client can change the location according to the seasonal sun and shade patterns on her patio.  

The wood species used is Kayu batu, also known as Red Balau. The planters were constructed by Marco de la Peza, a woodworker who has contributed his expertise to several of our previous projects.

As landscape professionals in the age of climate change, we have access to ways we can impact the vitality of our surroundings. Prioritizing water, biodiversity and carbon will make it so a significant planetary shift can occur. Here is a centuries-old practice to consider if it’s feasible in your project(s):

Hugelkultur (noun - German - translates to "mound culture") is a horticultural technique where mounds constructed of woody material and other compostable biomass are used as raised planting beds. Practiced in Germany and Eastern European societies for hundreds of years, this technique is being revitalized as an important sustainable solution in modern regenerative gardens. It is essentially a replication of natural processes in a forested area.

Regenerative Benefits of Hugelkultur:

• Sequesters carbon on site by burying debris and woody material in the ground

• Retains moisture on site through rainwater capture and thermal mass

• Improves soil health due to an increase of nutrients from the decaying wood and the subsequent increase of mycorrhizal fungi and other organisms in the soil food web

• Landforming not only helps to slow and allow water to infiltrate, but creates an opportunity for natural screening and orchestrating experiences in the garden.

• And so much more….

There are many challenges to the future of home growing fruit trees. The reasons have nothing to do with the desire or demand; both are high. Today most all of the novelty varieties of fruit are grown by the home gardener. With lots sizes getting smaller, the cost of water going up and the introduction of a new pest or disease almost yearly, it is no wonder that the desire to grow your own fruit in the future could be in jeopardy.

Espaliering fruit trees traces back to ancient Rome. Developing slowing through the centuries it gradually becomes the art form that we know today. But during the Roman times, espalier was not applied as an art form but rather a vertical pruning application that allowed for more fruit trees to be grown in less space inside walled gardens

Today we are faced with a number of challenges to the future home growing of fruit trees. Space, of course, is a primary concern along with the cost of water, but pests and disease controls may be the biggest concern of all. Espaliered fruit trees in the home garden may offer the best advantage going forward to address all of these concerns.  

Designed with both human and chicken in mind, custom chicken coops are a great way to make a statement or complement a landscape. Custom coops are built with the needs of humans as well as the need of the feathered members of their family.  Consider a custom coop “Haute cluckture.”

Russell works with local craftsmen and contractors to price, build, and install custom coops.

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