Yard Art

Every garden tells a story, a story of its creator, its owner, and its locale. It is a work of art after all and like every good artistic endeavor, there is a story to tell. Sometimes it is easy to see, sometimes not, but if you look, it is always there. If you feel like expressing your hidden cowboy you could feature a life size, wild, rearing stallion complete with flaring nostrils. Add some cactus and maybe a trio of howling coyotes and you’re at home on the range. If you’re into paleontology, then maybe a Tyrannosaurus Rex or a Velociraptor sprinting at full gate. Right out of Jurassic Park.

The old adage, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is never more evident than in the field of art. So when it comes to adding sculpture to your garden, there are no rules, no limits. Garden sculpture gives you an opportunity to express a point of view, a story that is unique to you. The story can be whimsical or ethereal, humorous or serious, uplifting or frightening, enchanting or realistic, after all, it is your story to tell and reflects your own personality.

We have designed gardens for ancient Roman fragments, Limestone statuary from France and wildly flamboyant modern art. There was a garden for life-sized sculptures of African animals and one where there were so many cherubs, angels and gnomes that we thought we had been transported to Disneyland!

A garden affords an opportunity to express your unique perspective so let your imagination go wild! There is nothing to stop you once you get going. There are many places to locate garden sculpture here are a few local places to check out.

--Lisa Cullen

RESOURCES: la sumida nursery

Contemporary iron sculpture eye oF the day garden design center the sacred space

165 North Patterson Ave. 805-964-9944.

Stone statuary from Europe .

4620 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, 805-566-6500.

Wood and stone carvings from Asia

2594 Lillie Ave, Summerland. 805-565-5535 terra sol garden center

Contemporary iron sculpture

5320 Overpass Rd, Santa Barbara, 805-964-7811

Tea Gardens

A personal sanctuary for edibles and tonics

by lIsa Cullen

Spring is officially here and with it comes warmer weather, welcome sunshine, and an opportunity to spend more time outdoors in our gardens. I love to sit in my garden with a nice cup of tea, and best of all tea made from freshly picked herbs and flowers. My tea obsession led me to a new type of edible landscape I call a “tea garden.”

This tea garden is one of my favorites. A tea garden or if you are so inclined, a “cocktail garden,” is a version of an edible or sensory garden through which you can stroll, picking flowers, leaves, and even berries and bark, all of which can be used to make herbal teas, tinctures, simple syrups, herbal salts and sugars, bitters, vinegars, and cocktails.

Recently I had a client whose baby liked to go out into the garden and chew on plants, rocks, dirt, and just about anything within reach. She and her partner also loved to create “craft cocktails” and were excellent cooks. This inspired a garden that was not only non-toxic but fully edible. And I’m not talking just fruit trees.

Lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, oregano, thyme, mint, and even strawber- ries were planted atop a wall that surrounded a flagstone patio, so to cascade down making for easy access. Above the patio a meandering pathway leads through a fruit orchard with mulberry, peach, apricot, kaffir lime, pomegranate, persimmon, and every variety of citrus imaginable. Passion fruit vine grows on the fence and of course there’s a vegetable garden with raised beds for the “usual stuff” like tomatoes, kale and whatever else fancy and the seasons dictate.

The result is a garden that’s safe for babies, animals, and adults alike and is an inspiration for a myriad of delicious culinary experiments. Lemon balm, lemon verbena, and mint tea with a bit of rose, lavender, and hibiscus flower, can be served hot or iced for a refreshing change of taste, or can become simple syrup for drinks, desserts, and more.

Thus, the tea garden offers much more than tea. Lavender, rosemary, and sage; rose, mint and even nutmeg-scented geraniums along with juniper berries, pine, cedar and other edible, aromatic plants can be used not only for making teas and syrups but also to create uniquely fragranced salts and sugars. They can be used in marinades, salad dressings, and dry rubs. As you can see, once you get going the possibilities are endless.

Recipe for botanical simple syrup: Measure out 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of the herb, flower, peel, or whole fruit of your choice. Bring to a simmer and allow to steep for about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and store in the refrigerator.

Of course, if you are going to be consuming anything from your garden you should not use pesticides or chemicals of any kind.

Lisa Cullen, landscape designer and organic gardener, owns Montecito Landscape with her husband, Chris She can be reached at 805 969 3984 or www montecitolandscape com