Garden Project: Creating Dry Creek Beds

The beauty of a garden is that every day it changes a bit.  

New seasonal flowers bloom, butterflies perch and flutter overhead and the bees, lizards and small birds hurry about getting on with the business of the day  

 Per usual....I have yet to finish what I started and there are weeds to pull, leaves to rake and chores that have been put off for what ever reason.

Last week I was able to take a week off at home in Santa Barbara....a little staycation....all by myself.  

The plan was to do some shopping, read a book or two and pretty much try to practice the art of doing nothing, which I happen to be terrible at.

Then the garden called....

Hello?

Hey lady

Yes?

It's me, your garden....remember those dry creek things you wanted to finish?

Yep

Well put that book down and get to work!

 The dry creek beds are a focal point in this Mediterranean garden.  

They actually started out as  a little side project because I had so many rocks and wanted to use them in a creative way that made sense and would cut down on water and maintenance.

 Initially I created boulder platforms to raise the antique pots above the grade.  Then I tied those together with winding stone "creeks" which are filled with succulents.

 A year later the garden has completely filled in 

and there are now two large winding dry creeks on either side of the fountain. 

The succulents have grown much larger and additional plantings of scented thyme, native grasses, geranium and drought tolerant seasonal color fill the little pockets along the creek, spilling out over the stones and onto the gravel

So here is a quick guide to this project.

For a 4 foot long creek you will need:

1.  Rocks : ) large and small around 20 or so

2.  A flat of small succulents, around 32

3.  12@ 4 inch water wise blooming perennials

(lavender, thyme, salvia, dwarf grasses and seasonal color)

3. A large 2.5 cu ft sack of cactus mix or make your own

(1 part native soil, 1 part potting mix, 1 part sand and 1 part pearlite)

4. A sack of beach pebbles .5 cu ft

5. A sack of small gravel 

 The creek should have some sort of starting point, either the edge of your walk way, a big rock or a tree are good choices.  Remember this is not all that scientific and do what feels right for your garden.

I looked through some old gardening books featuring drought tolerant beds for a little inspiration.  Pinterest is also a great resource.

This is the last section of this creek.  

It begins at the gated vegetable garden area and ends at the base of a little deck.

Your creek should have edges to retain the soil but add stones along the center and more randomly at end which allow the plants to spill out into the bed more naturally

 Add soil and fill the cells with succulents leaving the center areas more open

 Add beach pebbles.  

The pebbles can be on top of other rocks, 

in cracks and spilling over into the areas around the creek.

Don't forget to add your color along the borders 

and in some of the larger cells between the rocks

Water well and finish off the creek with the gravel. 

 Here I also planted some larger agave to give some height to the edges.

It won't take long for this to fill in and little to no water is needed.

When choosing your plants think about color.  

Hot colors looks great in really sunny areas.

I also tend to pick succulents that are variegated and grow more vertically in the larger areas and plant small little dwarf varieties in the center

 Vertical perennials surround the creeks and require a bit more water 

but add height and bright splashes of color.

 I hope you give this project a try. 

 Its very creative and the good part is 

you can easily move things around if needed 

to get the look you really want!

Hope your summer is buzzing along....

for daily photos, projects and other good stuff 

follow along 

on Instagram

xo

They're back...those little red guys

This post title reads (oddly) those little red guys are back

like I was having a serious break out or perhaps a case of poison ivy

but fear not...in reality I finally have tomato plants in my yard (again).  

Whew...tomato panic over : )

 Not sure what it is,  but a kitchen garden just isn't complete without these little red guys.....

the lowly and much maligned tomato plant.

The tomato plant can either be your crowning glory or the agony 

of your forever present brown thumb

which are you?

I often hesitate (even today) to purchase the little buggers at the grocery store. 

I'm spoiled. I've tasted tomato heaven...nirvana in a red suit. 

Yes my gardening gurus...we are equally appalled
and overjoyed by the often scary quantity of offspring 

a single plant will give and....
we are in love with all things tomato..ey

We sauce them and caprese salad them
We creatively arrange them on little toasts with basil fronds 

 And lets not forget the joy of knowing that their yours...you own them
you grew them 

and now you may eat them (all 4000 little cherries?)
 any which way you choose.

I had many, five to be exact,bumper crop tomato summers 

while we were living in Ojai

I've grown the best heirlooms, 

Cherokee, Black Krim, Green zebra

Yep... San Marzano, little yellow pears, 

The Mortage Lifter, Super Sauce, Sweet 1000, 

Early Girl and late Harvert.... the list goes on and on

 I've picked them green, gold, peach, red, orange,
 broken, split, oozing, buggy and just plain ugly
 and I have love and enjoyed each and every one.

Eating a tomato off the vine, mid summer, hot from the sun is one of 

God's great gifts.

The juice flows and the sweet taste is like none other. 

The serious gardener and the "wanna be" beginner and urbanite 

all rejoice in their first ripe tomato.

You've earned it kids!
 Eat your work!
 It will slay you

The tomato is a rite of gardening passage 

 Camera in hand I photographed them on the vine,
 in a bowl, on a pizza, in a basket, on the grass, 

in a  salad, on the porch....yes everywhere but in the bedroom

 They gave me the inspiration
 for some of the best dinners I've ever eaten

 Will you deny that they are not beautiful?

Yes they are and we love them

I have so missed the vegetable garden and my little red buddies 

and I finally have a nice spot in our new house.

 It's small and not perfect but...

I vowed I would get at least one tomato plant in the ground by June 1st 

and I actually got to plant 4!!!

wish me luck

and

eat your tomato's 

their good for you

carry on tomato gardeners

xxoo

kel

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