Sure, I was in Los Angeles last weekend for a family wedding but - Hallelujah! - there was time for some garden-touring. One whole day of it Included Huntington Garden (report coming soon) and the awesome personal garden of garden designer and TV host Shirley Bovshow. EdenMakers is her business name and it turns out it's oh-so true, way too close to Eden for this jealous Zone 7 gardener. (I'm sick with envy but I'll get over it, I think.)
You'll see the source of that envy in my photos of the garden. Then for dramatic impact there's nothing like these before and after photos that Shirley sent me. She couldn't have started with a blanker, flatter site.
But there's more. Here's Shirley's photo page about her garden. And here on YouTube is my video tour, along with my request for video-making suggestions (camera, software, taping techniques).
What the photos don't show are the dozens of *edibles growing in this small space - all incorporated into the mostly ornamental plantings.
THE TAKE-HOME from Shirley's garden, for me, is the value of hiring a good designer. The two times I've worked with professionals have cost me little, but taken my garden - and my passion for gardening - to new heights.
*Edibles listed below the jump.
Heirloom tomatoes: 10 different kinds
Focal Point edible plants:"Purple Romanga" artichokes, "Rosa Bianca" white eggplants, "Shishito" Japanese peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Bell peppers, Scallop squash, Blueberries
Leafy Vegetables and Herbs: Red Shiso (Asian cuisine), Arugula,Basil (Thai, Lemon, Italian), Mesculin mix, Cilantro, Fennel, Tarragon,Greek Oregano,Lemon Thyme, Mustard greens,Italian Parsley, Chocolate mint, Swiss chard, Rosemary,Bunching Onions
Fruit Trees (Either dwarfs, espaliered, or specially grafted to save space): Apple (including one that's 6 grafted varieties in one),"Pluot/Peach/Nectarine/Apricot/Plum" (special grafted 5 varieties), Olive, Pomegranate (Wonderful and Nana), Strawberry Guavas, Citron (Buddha's Hand), Meyer lemon shrubs, Clementine, Oro Blanco grapefruit, Mandarin, Nagami Kumquat, Calamondin, Mexican Lime, Fig
Great post Susan.
Proof of what landscaping can do for real estate value. And what landscaping does for the soul.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
Posted by: Tara Dillard | July 02, 2009 at 05:35 AM
A wonderful and insightful post . I greatly enjoyed the video too !
Shirley is one of those landscape designers that understands the importance of engaging people into the garden.
She seamlessly blends the inner home with the outside home providing both a practical usable space with uncompromised aesthetic appeal.
She’s used her wide ranging knowledge of plants to create an ecology that speaks to the genus loci of the site while providing a sanctuary for her family and friends.
This is what good design is all about, - Creating an enduring relationship with their home and garden.
Posted by: Michelle D. | July 02, 2009 at 10:21 AM
What a garden! I am happy to hear that you fit in some 'garden therapy' during your wedding weekend. Great job on the video. I think it is a much better way to view a garden than still pictures. More of a sense of space emerges.
Did that black T shirt you were wearing have rhinestones? Hmmmmm....looked familiar.
Posted by: Layanee | July 03, 2009 at 05:51 AM
Sigh. Here's the cynic, weighing in.
It's amazing what you can achieve when you have some money to throw at a project.
(can you tell I'm getting tired of being underemployed... ?)
On the other hand, that's a FANTASTIC portfolio piece. Beautiful work!
Posted by: Jenn | July 03, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Hi Susan and Rant friends-
thanks for taking a look at the before and after photos of my garden makeover. As you can imagine, I'm very happy with it in light of the fact that I lived in my home for 14 years before I ever touched it! And I'm a garden design professional!
Jenn: Yes, when I added everything up- it was an expensive project. That said, I worked on the project for 4.5 years and saved money on :
1.Design fee
2.Materials
3.Labor
4. Plants
I will have to do a post on how I designed my "granite looking counter" with my son's marble collection and stained concrete, how I created expensive looking antique hardware with paint and acid, how I created the stone pilasters with recycled brick from my driveway and much more.
It gives me a lot of joy to design "expensive looking" landscapes for my clients who don't have unlimited budgets. It's all in the design and "out of the box" construction techniques that are used.
Check out this "narrow side yard" makeover I did for a client using mostly all, inexpensive recycled materials. Some of the materials were even free!
http://edenmakersblog.com/?p=893
Thanks again for your time.
Shirley Bovshow
Posted by: Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker" | July 04, 2009 at 11:22 AM
ken druse will be on tv with great garden advice and a peak into his garden .
Wednesday night 8/5 at 10pm
Time Warner Channel 35 Cablevision Channel 68 Verizon Channel 43
No TV or not in Brooklyn? Watch it streaming live!
http://www.celebratebrooklyn.org/bcat/
Select BCAT 2
Posted by: shawn | July 30, 2009 at 09:22 AM