My son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Julie Creasy, have a house in San Jose, California, about 20 minutes from me. They’re in Zone 9, in one of the country’s ideal growing climates, warm enough for tomatoes and peppers to get the 90-degree days they love without the humidity that can cause fungal problems. Their garden also contains great soil—deep loam, filled with worms. I’m jealous; my garden is noticeably cooler and began with heavy adobe clay. Over the years, Julie’s gotten the gardening bug BAD, and she’s one of the best natural gardeners I’ve ever known. My son Bob plays backup with the all-important irrigation installations, design input, and, bless his heart, weeding.
Before the Edible Design
Their backyard was nothing much to start with: a concrete patio and a lot of lawn, plus one large almond tree on the left side.
Today, a much larger paver patio anchors the space. The redwood arbor sits off the patio proper, providing plenty of shade during the late afternoon without dominating the space and providing for a wisteria or climbing roses over the top in the future. The remaining space is filled with plants, both in the ground and in a variety of containers. There are plenty of edibles scattered throughout, including ‘Enchantment’ and ‘Sungold’ tomatoes growing in barrels and over small arbors, peppers contained in colorful “tomato” cages, strawberries, and a broad range of culinary herbs. Ornamentals are equally well represented, with roses, ‘East Friesland’ salvia, zinnias, and million bells. A low boxwood hedge edges part of the patio and walkway, creating a boundary and providing visual interest in winter.
A mix of pots cascades down the steps from the house, filled with purple salvia and petunias, orange zinnias, yellow gaillardia, blue lobelia, and orange and purple million bells to tie them all together. The colors reflect those found in the garden itself, and the red and terra cotta hues of the pots mix together surprisingly well. A small statue of a black poodle, a lookalike for their own dog Portia, keeps guard over the entire space.
Bob and Julie wanted to give a contemporary feel to the garden and purchased three large horse troughs and placed them along the path and filled them with portulacas and cucumbers. A yellow heirloom tomato in a barrel balances them on the left. Just past them, you can see the reincarnation of my old Magic Circle garden, featured in my book Edible Landscaping. A mix of bright colors surrounds the green birdbath: yellow lantana, red petunias, pink penstemon, and purple salvia. ‘Elfin’ thyme fills in the spaces between the stepping-stones.
Edibles and ornamentals share this trough-turned-planter. In this case, the edible is the heirloom ‘True Lemon’ cucumber, available from Seed Savers Exchange. Growing the cucumbers in a tall planter is an easy way to keep them off the ground without having to stake them.
by Rosalind Creasy