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.”

Best Practices for Container Gardening During a Drought

Those of us who garden have seen the effects of the lack of rain, and enjoying our gardens is going to take more work. Longtime Californians have already experienced this kind of shortage and we know the drill. You turn on your shower in the morning, you grab a handy bucket kept nearby to catch those first 60 seconds of cold water you wouldn’t dare step foot in. Later, you carry that bucket outdoors and hand-water your beds, borders and trees, or maybe just one bed depending on the size and fullness of your bucket. This becomes a daily tradition.

If this seems far-fetched, consider that the politicos and water managers have finally weighed in and declared that we are actually in a drought. Not just a minor water shortage, but a state of extreme drought. Now we are not just encouraged, but, in some areas mandated to reduce water usage immediately.

One solution to having handsome specimen plants to adorn our outdoor living spaces is to plant them in containers. Planters are small, “contained” gardens after all. Everything from our favorite tropical plants like cannas and palms to flowering and fruiting trees and shrubs like citrus and even camellias can be grown in containers. When planting in a pot you can tailor the soil mix to maximize water absorption and retention and closely monitor just how much water is needed and used.

While I still encourage you to keep that bucket handy in the bathroom, you have other options with containers, such as low-flow and efficient drip irrigation systems. Take this opportunity to embrace the world of container gardening and do your part to conserve our most precious resource, water. And check back here for lots of specific tips on growing your favorites from ornamentals to herbs and vegetables, even a mini water garden. Also, look for future posts that will teach you how to choose the right container for your needs and tailor the soil for the plants you want to grow.