By Ari Tenenbaum Special to the U-T
This recent project, which we call a “Food Forest and Victory Garden Reimagined,” is located on the bluff right above Solana Beach, off South Granados Avenue. The couple, a cardiac surgeon and her husband, a retired helicopter pilot, wanted to expand their garden capacity and generally create an outdoor space that would be conducive to an outdoor and eco-friendly lifestyle.
We transformed a barren and neglected backyard slope into a thriving ecosystem that features 20 varieties of fruit trees — everything from apples and stone fruit to the more exotic White Sapote.
There’s also an array of flowering perennials that provide color year-round. Colorful containers with flowers and perennial herbs add vibrancy to the garden space. We also constructed a robust raised-bed vegetable garden made with sustainably harvested 6-by-6 juniper beams and steel siding. It’s a highly durable raised garden area with a unique architectural character.
A gravel pathway is flanked by low-water plantings, including Calandrinia spectabilis, Senicio mandraliscae ‘Blue Chalk Fingers,’ and Erigeron karvinskianus ‘Santa Barbara Daisy.’ On one side, artichoke plants add interest to the landscape and will provide an abundance of fresh artichokes in the spring.
In an email to us, the surgeon described her satisfaction with the finished project:
“One reason I think the yard makes me so happy when I see it and am out in it is not only is it beautiful to look at, but I feel like the yard helps me be more of the kind of earth-concerned person on this planet that I want to be. Hopefully, through its beauty and sharing the produce with our friends and neighbors, we can inspire more people to join the ‘revolution.’ ”
We are very happy to have the opportunity to share this project on this year’s spring garden tour of the Horticulture Society — a huge honor for us!