Rick Button is a thoughtful man; a thoughtful landscape architect. It’s almost possible to see the wheels turning inside that head. He carefully considers color, elevations, planting palette and planters for each project. The Bennett residence presented a number of challenges for Rick’s grand intelligence.

• The two story residence features interior shifts in elevation and because of the shifts,  each porch and terrace varies in elevation. To address this, Rick established a series of spaces at the same elevation to flow into one another.
• The original grading and drainage was designed for all rainwater and irrigation runoff to travel under the house, through the basement. Now, one circulation system surrounds the entire structure and all water is sheet drained away from the structure.
• The back of the property was too shallow and steep for needed construction. A retaining wall was built, expanding usable space 20’, three staircases were designed to connect the house to the lower garden featuring a new pool house designed by Ron Ettinger, fireplace, kitchenette, bar, two bathrooms, a 60; pool, a cook center/flower arranging area, a large terrace for sunning and dining as well as a  small lawn providing just enough space for croquet or badminton.
• Wrought iron gates and fencing, decorative tile, terra cotta pots and one special Gladding McBean fountain conversion from Eye of the Day, along with a distinctively Mediterranean featuring agaves, bougainvillea, roses, geraniums and date palms all contribute to the overall desired look.

Rick has spent almost thirty years as a landscape architect working in residential garden design from his office in Pasadena. The photos of the Bennett residence illustrate his thoughtful design acumen and constructive use of space even more completely that any description can offer.

“Integrity of space, integrity of architecture, integrity of materials”.  ~Rick Button

Brent and I have become friends with Jonathan Reichlan and Natalie van Zelm over the last few years, not just because they use our products in their projects, but also their work is beautiful, conscientious and imaginative and Natalie and Jonathan are completely interesting, engaging people. A great way to get to know them and their style is to take a look at the website for their company Urban Eco Design (). It is evident that together they draw inspiration from native planting and xeriscape design, both so necessary with current climate change issues.

Natalie recently brought us up to date on a current Urban Eco Design project in which they have been collaborating with the owner of a local property. They agreed that they needed to update the gardens to be congruent with the future of landscaping while respecting the local environment. They installed a lemon orchard, a simple drought tolerant knot garden, and gorgeous antique pottery from Eye of the Day, concentrating much of the design design on an inviting, soft hued hardscape. The best part? There’s not a lawn in sight.

“Urban Eco Design’s primary focus is to create a relationship between the property owner and the garden, developing a personalized ‘Eden’”, says Natalie. “We consider the relationship to be a long lasting one that will fulfill all the senses, enjoying the tastes of edible plantings, the scents, colors and the feeling of being in a nurturing garden. Our intention is to incorporate low maintenance, drought tolerant and edible plantings, several usable and inviting spaces and plenty of enticements to spend time outside enjoying the majority of the square footage of one’s property.”

Jonathan and Natalie’s inventiveness and awareness are present in each of their designs, fully taking into consideration their clients’ taste, budget and the ecology of each property to bring fulfillment to their interpretation of ‘Eden’, free of lawns.

A minor dispute broke out in my neighborhood this week. When a couple planted herbs and vegetables along their front walkway, the HOA president chastised them via email: “Now you have a garden in front of the house. Who approved that? Please take care of the above quickly.”

To some, an area where edibles are growing is a “garden” while other plants are for “landscaping”, but Leslie Bennett and Stefani Bittner, authors of The Beautiful Edible Garden, debunk this myth. Published by Ten Speed Press in 2013, the book offers design ideas for stylish outdoor spaces that incorporate vegetables, fruits and herbs.

What sets this book apart from others covering the same topic are the specific plants they suggest and the reasons they give for plant choices. For an unexpected border, try alpine strawberries, which produce tasty white fruit but don’t send out runners. Other strawberries wouldn’t grow in a neat line like alpines do. Bennett and Bittner recommend peppers, eggplant, chard and cabbage as attractive additions to an existing ornamental bed. They call it an “integrated garden” which is perfect for those who don’t want to completely start over on areas they’ve already planted.

Because it’s so common for people to view edible plants only as food producers, the pair encourage readers to look at the architectural characteristics of every plant. Big, bushy rosemary can line a path and create a visual anchor as much as another less-fragrant and less useful shrub.

Edible gardening is much more than a fun idea for those with a heart for it. It’s become a revolution, with some gardeners transforming their entire front yard, back yard or both into food-growing plots. In Orlando where I live, Jason and Jennifer Helvengston launched a protest called “Plant a Seed, Change the Law” after the city insisted they replace their front yard veggie garden with a lawn last year.

Because some neighborhoods and even whole towns and cities resist non-traditional plantings, a book like this one is especially important. It points out the so-called landscaping possibilities offered by plants that produce food, allowing gardeners to use traditional bed, border, hedge and path designs to conduct their food-growing operations. Once you finish The Beautiful Edible Garden, you are in possession of all these secrets, and you can take care of the above quickly.

Ready to dive in? Come by the shop to purchase a copy, or buy a copy HERE.

Many of us have a particular place we think best and where we feel whole. I have always been most comfortable in my garden. I can remember all of my past gardens. When I was five years old, I lived across the street from Mr. Mitchell. His entire backyard was a lathe house where he grew topical plants and had water gardens. Moss and ferns flourished. I can see it in my mind’s eye now 5o years later. I often wonder if that is what turned me into a life long gardener and lover of landscapes.

Everywhere I have lived I have been hyper aware of my garden and the light in my house through windows looking out into my garden. 541 and 554 Gower Street, my balcony in Newport Beach, my apartment on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades, my first home on Granville Avenue and now my garden in the Santa Ynez Valley. The living, growing buffer zones protecting my house and my psychological space are important to my life and wellbeing. These are not the only places I have lived but they are the ones that provided gardens for my dreams and memory.  A residence without a garden, no matter how small, wouldn’t be a place for me to live for long.

I need to plant my environment to a standard allowing me to sit and feel my soul mellow and calm and echo those feelings and dreams that matter most, the ones that put warmth in my heart and soul. When my daughter Daisy lived in Brooklyn, I helped her to create an environment rekindling the warmth of the gardens she grew up with, giving her advice about her potted plants, walking together through Central Park and Prospect Park, all to share and extend my garden dreaming.

Daisy and her new husband Greg are now living in Los Angeles in a home with a little scrap of a garden. I often make deliveries to Southern California with its requisite concrete driveways and parking areas.  First thing I did was take them some pots planted with huge bamboo and some espaliered citrus and created a private and comfortable patio, instantly.  When I spend the night with them, I rise early to return to Eye of the Day, but not before I water their garden, picking weeds, harvesting lettuce, or just tending to the orange and lemon trees.

Photo courtesy of Wendy Harper

When Jane Abascal and her husband Manny moved into their home on a quiet, tree-lined street in Altadena, California, they noticed the garden across the street had a lovely, welcoming feel they wanted for their new space. After a reasonable amount of time, Jane approached her neighbor to ask if she would share the name of their landscape architect. Lucky for Jane, she was speaking with exactly that landscape architect, Sally Farnum of the eponymous SE Farnum Associates. Who could ask for more than a designer in the neighborhood? Sally and Jane hit it off as neighbors while their professional relationship flourished. As it happened, Sally had worked with the previous homeowners to renovate the back of their property, but the front was due for a serious update and overhaul.

Jane had some specific wishes and Sally, no shrinking violet, had some strong ideas as well.  At first, Jane wanted to keep the lovely lawn that the previous homeowners had so carefully tended.

Sally’s plan called for moving an existing, water impermeable asphalt driveway and removing the lawn. When she discussed this idea with Jane and described a courtyard plan using gravel, decomposed granite with brick accents, Jane was intrigued. Sally envisioned an allee of white crepe myrtles lining a long, narrow, shallow fountain, creating perspective. When the plans were finalized, they agreed that Sally’s vision would be excellent for water conservation, would accent the “French” feel of the Abascal home and would have a completely new look.

Ms. Farnum designed a low plastered wall and wrought iron gate to enclose the courtyard and the fountain constructed with poured concrete walls and a bluestone cap. French Anduze Vases at the gate on the courtyard side and a mature olive tree from Eye of the Day planted on the street side of the wall along with sage, lavender, and other Mediterranean plants create a water-efficient design that is a great fit with the French look of Jane and Manny’s home.

“Jane was a great client,” Farnum says, “she was open to new ideas while having plenty of her own.  We worked so well together to achieve what has become one of my favorite projects and I’m so happy to have been able to design a beautiful garden setting–without a lawn!–for my neighbors.”

Great ideas come from everywhere.  At Eye of the Day we work hard to keep things fresh and interesting and to come up with great ideas to help our customers achieve their perfect outdoor space.   One way we do this is to carry what we feel are interesting and informative books and reference materials to help you achieve a more beautiful garden or landscape.

Rebecca Sweet, owner of Harmony in the Garden, is a featured columnist for Horticulture, a contributing author for Fine Gardening and a founding member of the Garden Designer’s Roundtable.  Her newest book Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces, adds a new dimension to garden design beyond traditional beds and containers.  It addresses narrow planting beds, small-space garden problems, vertical garden maximizing and outdoor living spaces.  This perennially useful book shows before and after photos demonstrating the key points of vertical gardening and simple DIY projects to get you started.

Star Apple Edible + Fine Gardening is a San Francisco Bay Area landscape design firm focusing on aesthetic edible gardening.  Stefani Bittner was a guest speaker at our pop up store and with her co-founder, Leslie Bennett, she has written The Beautiful Edible Garden: Design a Stylish Outdoor Space Using Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs.  This book offers tips on how to make your garden a place of year-round beauty that is appealing, enjoyable and fits your personal style and a fresh approach to edible  landscaping with creative ideas and beautiful designs, inspirational for novice and master gardeners alike.

We also have award-winning landscape architect, Billy Goodnick’s book here to help you plan the perfect outdoor environment, unique to your family’s lifestyle.  Yards is brimming with design secrets and money-saving tips, with an emphasis on low maintenance, enjoyability, and just plain beauty.

Eye of the Day also has in stock a number of other books on a variety of subjects including succulent gardening, vegetable gardening and container gardening.  Come in, leaf through our collection and find your inspiration.