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| Arbors cover part of the walkway and allow for hanging fruit and climbing roses. Enjoy this magical story about this walkway and a Spring Equinox celebration! |
The homeowner moved onto the property in July 2010. If you have ever encountered that crazy intersection of Morningside Way, Beethoven and Rose Ave, just southwest of the Santa Monica Airport, you know how busy it can get. The front yard consisted of overgrown juniper bushes and lawn. The owner realized that an antidote for the dreary landscape and car traiffic had to be concocted.
Using the permaculture model, he covered the lawn with flattened cardboard boxes, then spread mulch from the ground up with junipers on top. This killed off most of the grass over the next several months while plans percolated for the front yard space.
In early Spring 2011 he built a 3' cinderblock wall around the perimiter and came up with a design for paths and planter beds. Edible Earth Designs in San Francisco executed the plan, creating luschous planting beds with compost and mulch. They put in a drip irigation and populted the site with fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and wild flowers. They followed the permaculture model of planting and creating ground cover throughout the site. Some composting is still taking place on site.
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This critter is a monarch
butterfly in the making - a species on the endangered list.
Copyright Paul C Babin |
In the middle of construction the homeowner was suddenly inspired to create arbors that would cover part of the walkway and allow for hanging fruit and climbing roses. He put up a tire swing in the parkway to encourage kids & parents to pause and view the garden while walking in the neighborhood. For the finishing work on two gates, this creative, artistic gardener used recycled materials and plans to continue that aesthetic throughout the property.
Space has been set aside for a pond, sundial and fountain, with 2012 as the target completion date.
Perhaps most immediate impact of this landscaping project was the profound sense of well-being that the homeowner experienced. The garden, which can be viewed from both Rose and Morningside, has become a focus of appreciation by the neighbors. The owner encourages people to help themselves to fruits and vegies, always leaving some for the next person. This aesthetically pleasing, unique and natural-looking front yard has enriched the community through it’s beauty as well as it’s bounty.
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| A before shot of the property |
