Part 2- GWA Santa Barbara Tour~2 Rancho La Huerta~ The Old Mission Santa Barbara Garden

"It is not easy to convey a sense of wonder, let alone resurrection wonder, to another. It's the very nature of wonder to catch us off guard, to circumvent expectations and assumptions. Wonder can't be packaged, and it can't be worked up. It requires some sense of being there and some sense of engagement."

~ Eugene H. Peterson 

To experience a historic garden, to learn how people engaged land and life in the context of time longer than what a generation walks, a garden is more compelling  than a walled up study hall.

The beauty of Santa Barbara is far more complex than what we learned from our 4th grade text books when when we arrive at the chapter on California missions. Santa Barbara is the central belly button of in the string of missions run up the coast. Its location was set by need, its scenic beauty shaped by disaster as well as by man. 

Photo from SantaBarbara.com 

In 1769, the Spanish Crown authorized 21 missions to be built from San Diego northward. Each was a day's ride by donkey. The missions were not only an exercise in spreading Catholicism: the national interest included the political motive to forestall Russian colonization of coveted territory. 

Huerta (pronounced Where-tah) is Spanish for a kitchen garden.  Even in hostile territory, man cannot live by bullets alone. Every settlement required a fertile space, with access to water and reasonable protection from marauders be dedicated to food crops.   Seeds from the new and old worlds were tended with prayerful reverence. 

While the actual Mission Era was bracketed within 65 years- its effects are the foundation of modern California commerce and culture.

             

Distinguished educator Jerry Sortomme channels reams of knowledge to GWA group

Fast forward a couple centuries

As dawn was breaking on June 29, 1925, a 6.8 earthquake violently shook beneath the Santa Barbara Channel. The nearby earthen Sheffield dam; the ground beneath it liquefied. The dam collapsed; a knee-high wave of water shoved cattle and all which lay in its path to the sea. Downtown Santa Barbara's buildings trembled until most of what remained was rubble. The mission was slightly spared, its facade significantly damaged, the collection of statues- destroyed.  

Three men were singled out as civic heroes for turning off the city gas and electricity on that day, preventing full-scale destruction and carnage. The civic fathers and citizens used the opportunity to re-brand the city's architecture from mostly Moorish to Spanish Colonial.  

                              

The land near the mission was not a priority.  For some decades, where The Huerta now flourishes, it would have fairly been described as a dumping ground. However, you can't keep a good garden down. As a family's culture is expressed in the meals we serve, California's civic history is most authentically expressed in horticulture.  

When the time was ripe,rubble was reclaimed from the neighborhood, re-purposed into walks and walls. The terrain tamed into usable terraces. In 2003, the La Huerta Historic Gardens project officially kicked off.  Jerry Sortomme,  Professor Emeritus of Environmental Horticulture at Santa Barbara City College was named La Huerta Manager.

Bananas and Citrus 

Citrus were grow from seed

Artichoke allowed to set seed shows its thistle ethnicity

Not all produce was consumed.  A portion must be saved to parent future crops. 

 Dr. Ein Sheimer in Israel

 Apples are not a crop associated with low-chill California coastal communities, but the Anna Apple, developed by Dr. Ein Sheimer in Israel, thrives at La Huerta.

The use of spare Spanish roof tiles to mark plant names is a practical take-away  from the garden.

Not just for plants which are showing,

But for dormant plants. Or to hold a spot in the garden. Here, the common name of seasonal aster marks the spot of what will follow is written in English

On the tile reverse, the Latin designation is neatly printed.

*Note -  When turning tiles over, be careful of what might be hiding underneath. Spiders like dark spaces.

Image of Erigon 'Sea Breeze' by San Marcos Growers

( l-r) Betsy Green compares notes with Nan Sterman  

We were honored to have Betsy J Green, a well-regarded local  history and garden writer who volunteers at La Huerta. She joined Jerry to assure the dozen and a half gardener communicators that our bushels of questions would be addressed as quick as we could think of them- or e-mail later. 

Archaeological sites are treated far differently than back when I was a child. In the 1960's, it was no big deal to take souvenir gleanings. At that time,  a construction worker at Santa Barbara City College took part of this assemblage home. It moved with him to another state. And back. Realizing, a couple decades later, that the fashioned rock was best kept in public hands, he returned the item to the professor. 

The rock was stored at the Environmental Horticulture Department for years. 

OMSB Director Tina Foss determined the rock was  Chumash era- or earlier- it

was approved for viewing at Old Mission Santa Barbara. It became part of a history-scape presentation. Which is like old school dioramas- only way cooler. These displays are life-sized, contain authentic material and you can walk right up.

Likely, the rock was used to grind acorns and native grains- corn came to this part of the world after a pestle ground the rock's concave indentation. What was the stump used for is not known, but certainly sparks conjecture. The state of our sense of wonder was now reborn. 

When the Professor asked the premier begonia expert of the time, Rudy Ziezenhenne if any American indigenous begonias were used in Alta California missions, he was presented with the species 'Blood of Christ' or in Spanish 'Sangre de Cristo'.

The common name denotes the resemblance of unopened red flowers to drops of blood. The symbolism of stems gathered in church vases needs not explanation. 

Until we meet again, Thank YOU for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.


La Huerta is located in a restricted zone. Tours are limited and by advance registration only. Please link to the contact page.

New Stained Glass Window ~ Refurbished, repurposed furniture ~ Thoughts on the Future

"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? "

~Matthew 6:26 

Soldered. Puttied. Polished.  

As it rests on the patio table top, sunshine plays with the colors and textures of the hand selected glass. As the panel is intended to fit in the top of the Dutch door-  I'm going to be learning about bending brace bar so that the reinforcement is inconspicuous. 

In previous reincarnations, the redwood cabinet was stained the color of brick, then white before this creamy light green was selected as most complimentary of the surroundings.

The second refurbished  bench from one of our parents' gardens rests beneath my study window. It came from a viewing spot along a downhill trail of our garden hinterlands- there is no hurry to return it there. 

 The pale green cabinet was made by my father in 1960 to hold books and magazines in the family room when our parents relocated their 3 daughters from a postage sized lot on the west side of LA  to the roomier lots of unincorporated Whittier. When we closed up the family house 40 years later-  this location turned out to be the perfect size for cabinet. Repainted and topped with Mexican tile, the cabinet is now re- purposed to house the accouterments needed for California living- items like emergency water supply, spa chemicals and lawn games.  

The latest version of the quadcopter- remote controlled kitchen container, scrap wood, cheap plastic and electronics-  has large black  underpinnings- in my imagination -like one of Larry Ellison's racing yachts

 It has always been my deepest desire to live and garden here until my last breath at some impossibly old age. By the Grace of God we've been able to hold still- allowing us the privilege to be custodians of family mementos.

However- if there is one thing in life I've learned- we can guide life- outcomes are not guaranteed. 

Life is, by definition, uncertain. Whatever the future holds and wherever it takes me- may I find a way to replicate the same good cheer as the birds who inspired my newest window. 

Until we meet again - Thank You for all You do to make the world more beautiful. 

2013: Summer of Renovation Projects- The Edible Garden and Stained Glass Progress

Upright  rosemary hides the base of the new plumeria, visually anchoring the corner

I've always been a sucker for handsome fella's with baby blue eyes. So you know I fell for Coda from the moment he first stared over the fence. Every move , the whole summer, the Husky watched over me. 

Hardscape materials were coordinated based on charm factor- texture, tonality and durability

Coda watched the split-level space which the wild had reclaimed from a formal vegetable area. The space was cut back slightly, leveled and tamed. The sprinkler lines needed to be re-routed before I tested my muscle against the largest blocks within the allen +roth Luxura Country Manor garden block collection from Lowe's. Weighing in at 57 lbs apiece- this project proved I am in darn good shape for a woman of any age or profession. 

The walkway was leftover pavers from a long-ago driveway project. Each block was lifted, cleaned and re-leveled on landscaping cloth over compacted sand. 

The manufactured cobbles were picked up at Armstrong's in La Habra.  Coming in square foot sheets, these are a blessing of easy installation.

The overhead trellis and outline of planting pockets are the last projects before the edible garden is christened.

Instead of construction gravel- whose size would have been difficult to manage into the cracks between the walkway, color-coordinated aquarium gravel from Petsmart was  swept into all the joints of the hardscape. 

Gerry refurbished an old garden bench. I helped with the easy part- scrubbing and painting the ironwork. He didn't cut down an oak tree to make the planks. But pretty close. 

Why go to all this trouble? Each of these benches first lived with our respective sets of parents. You can't buy that sort of memories. 

He hand selected red oak from the lumber forest at Reel Lumber in Anaheim. Split and planed the planks. Routed and sanded. Custom blended a stain and then sealed under coats of spar varnish.  The marine-grade fittings were hunted down at the Home Depot. 

Bench in forlorn state of disrepair

 If that doesn't sound impressive- this second bench - currently almost ready to put back into service - this is pretty much the condition of the one now holding court in the almost finished edible garden. 

Jim Shore rooster guards one entry point to the garden against intruders of the critter kind

Along the way, there were  unanticipated challenges. Newly built steps to construct the garden proved not just convenient for people. They provide a bunny breezeway to where my granddaughter's favorite new food- carrots- will be grown.  The solution was found by building nests of succulents topped off with Jim Shore garden ornaments.  

Jim Shore chicken ornament blocks bunny-traffic

 As a new grandmother, I am naturally drawn to dropping more whimsy into the garden. 

My granddaughter may not even be able to walk when she will learn what fun it is to pull bright vegetables fresh from tilled earth.  That is as it should be.

Coda went back to college with his human partner this week. If we are fortunate- the edible garden area will be operational when they return for the holidays. 

In the mean time, the insert for the new dutch door is coming close to being ready for installation.  This glass-work of mine and woodworking expertise of my husband is proving a good partnership. 

Window detail 

Solar lit- "Ethel's Garden"- a tribute to my late mother is installed in my shed.

Until we meet again- Thank YOU for all you do to make the world more beautiful. 

Summer Break – Hello to Old Readers and New

A life savored is better than a life rushed through. 

Happy Mid- July-

I lost a mentor and dear friend to heaven and didn't know. RIP Don Skraba. Your habit of sending cheerful notes by real mail brought smiles to everyone lucky enough to see your handwriting on the envelope. I think you would be pleased to know that I've learned to slow down. 

Alex, son of Manny and Krista Chavez came over to help pick fruit.
The chair cover  is made from 1-1/2 towels and 3 straight seems.

 Southern California is having a nice-spring-day- in-Florida summer. A little bit hot and a whole lot of moisture in the air.  One personal piece this week was titled “Either it rained last night or I need to adjust the sprinklers.”  

Mint  pops through the ground cover roses 

It was measurable rain- not by the gauge on the garden arch. The evidence - it calculated just enough moisture to splatter the dust which the breeze normally blows away into Rorschach blotches across the windshield of my faithful old car.

As the scent of jasmine fades away, stephanotis  fills the air 

I stay in shape by keeping busy with projects like little building stairways and retaining walls. 

Hallelujah and amen. God’s shade-cloth dropped the temperature below triple digits just in time for me to finish the back wall on the retaining wall I built behind where bunnies and squirrels have so enjoyed the produce we've tried to grow.  

The mini quadcopter has joined the fleet of dragonflies in our backyard airspace.

A Very Good Life- this blog is what old school would have called a journal.  A recording of one specific woman’s journey.  Some of pictures which follow are historic to our family. My McGuyver, Gerry, invented a way to restore the disintegrated slides which involves aiming the old carousel projector, a cardboard box to aim my camera through and is linked to his computer.

Before I learned to cook I was really thin. The Frye boots I wore surely out-weighed me. 

  I am blessed to be in good health, my business is growing.   For close to 38 years my husband grows ever more in his role of my miracle man.

My husband with his first girlfriend. It must have been a fling. he doesn't remember her name):-. 

 Our sons have grown to be amazing men. The youngest married well. He and his wife gave us the most gorgeous grandchild, the lovely Charley. Not yet 4 months old, she has me rethinking my garden as one where children will play in. Learn about butterflies, birds, bees and blooms.

Papa Kenny wearing Bass Knuckles t-shirt, I'm holding my granddaughter and mom Shannon 

If our good fortune holds out, she and her cousins will learn to love nature in the garden which I am head over heals in love with.  This place is not important for what I have done to it.  Of higher importance is how the act of gardening shaped me from a city slicker to a country girl.

I thank you for your patience between blog posts. I LOVE visiting with you here. When I disappear be certain it is commercial interests that pull me away like a sailor to sea. How I make my living, as a journalist focused on garden-centered living, is not the easiest. It is simply the best. What God always meant me to do while I was busy arguing the point with him.

The journey we take in life.... the wisest among us know to enjoy wherever and however we travel it. My father in law was stationed in the UK when Queen Elizabeth was coronated. These two photos are from her coronation.  May God protect her; the land and the people she serves.  

 

In the queue are more gardens and gardeners for you to meet. 

Until we meet again, thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.

. 

Rose Society of Saddleback Valley Elegant and Enchanting- Part IV

Forever Young: The gardens of Patricia and Steve Buice enchant with stories abounding with what a life well-lived looks like. 

If you spent 4th grade in the California classroom you studied missions. Remember building a model of sugar cube "adobe". This rustic representation of our heritage in a rusted wheelbarrow rates an A++. 

Why should the inside dining room have all the decorative fun? The blessing of the Southern California region is how much time we can spend out-doors. Objects of art do not have to be expensive to be full of memories.  See them and dream. 

When my soul departs,  I would not mind if my remains were set in a ginger jar and positioned to watch over the garden. 

What makes Steve and Patricia's recessed entry so delightfully restful? Soft layers of design elements executed with the care of a traditional inside room. Colorful tile outlines the point of entry to the home. 

  

The expanse of a bare wall is tamed with a trio of art. A soft pad on the seat offers a place to put your feet up or a package beneath. Ferns. Fountain. A tracery of vines. 

Not just the portal for entry to their home- this is a place for private contemplation.  

Guests to the garden on the day of the tour were side yard guests, passing plump plantings of  sunshine  yellow iris then under the metal arch covered with roses set to shower their petals. 

Just past the gate, pet chickens welcome visitors. In a serious world it is important to find  triggers to childlike joy. To keep little farm animals makes one feel like living in a storybook farm. 

Nearby, a tea set is at ready for a party for two.  This is just one of many ideas I am saving up for when my granddaughter toddles under her own power):-  

Patricia shared that the late Bea Grow was a mentor to the couple. The doyenne of Orange County gardeners taught that when making a choice- "Go for the wow." In this case, with splashes of deepest blue. 

Little mice scampering between chunks of slag glass add just the right sense of humor. 

Ripe strawberries hanging off a a classic cement potted up  offer delicious contrast. 

Design note: the ancient appearance of the pot bridges the modernity of  the furniture to the many vintage elements of the garden. This is much more inviting than if an end table matching the set defined the furniture arrangement's outer edge.

If this garden had just this fountain, it would be enough. Lucky for us- there is still more. 

The lawn was as it should be, lush and large enough to play in. To lay on staring up at the stars then rollover to pick between all the shades of green; hunting for snails and other crawly and flying things. 

Fairies live in this garden. This one proudly showing off his fresh lilliputian harvest. 

Just to the side of the fairy's post is this lounge chair Patricia rescued from a garage sale. Steve reinforced it with rebar, stretching landscape fabric over the horizontal frame- forming the cushion on which his wife quilted a coverlet of moss and ivy. 

Shade is from above. At night- can you imagine the romance these vintage hanging lamps sourced from e-Bay have seen? Hubba. Hubba):- 

Steve explains to my friend, Marilyn Bowery, how he built the platform to the tree house from used lumber he was given in 1986. He is pointing up to where the little ice-cream soda style chair his daughter sat in when she was a sapling and the tree was not much taller than the railed platform. As the tree grew, they let the branches carry the chair to where it marks how far upwards the journey in life has carried them. 

Nature and art. This magic little scene is just below the bridge leading to the tree house. It seems a good spot to rest. Something a garden should have lots of are places to rest the eye. To contemplate that the real world is not just work and trouble. The real world is ripe with love and goodness. If we only care enough to look. To create. To enjoy. To give thanks for. 

Until we meet again, thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.