The colors of summer

artiCle

lisa Cullen

Summer’s here and it is time to embrace the season with all the enthusiasm we can muster. And, nothing says summertime like a summer garden and summer garden parties.

When I think summer garden it is an over-grown affair full of lush green and lots and lots of color. It also means planting a flower garden. Using a combination of annuals and perennials like sunflowers, dahlias, cosmos, calendula, zinnias, daisies, hollyhocks and marigolds will fill your garden (and vases) with a profusion of color, fragrance and the vibrancy of a warm summer’s day. Decorating with flowers picked from your own garden for your summer parties is pretty irresistible.

Summer also brings to mind a veggie garden filled to the brim with the bounty of the season tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and beans bursting with juicy goodness just waiting to be harvested. Trees laden with fruit are ripening in the summer sun. Go ahead and bite into one of those sun-warmed nuggets of goodness and as juice drips down your face and arms, splurge on it! That is the embodiment of summer pleasure.

Then, there are the summer suppers made from this plethora of garden produce, dishes that can only be created in this season; delights that scream simplicity and highlight the freshness of ingredients without a lot of fuss. Succulent, ripe heirloom tomatoes over Burratta or Mozzarella sprinkled with fresh basil and slathered with really good Olive oil from Il Fustino (FYI, C’est Cheese and Metropolis both carry freshlymade Burratta and Mozzarella). Summer fruit brushed with butter and grilled until it literally bursts with a drizzle of honey and perhaps some homemade ice cream and you have heaven on a plate. That’s my idea of embracing summer!

Viva La Fiestas of Summer

With warm summer evenings come summer parties and Santa Barbara’s citywide shindig, Old Spanish Days. Fiesta is a weeklong celebration of our heritage as a town, which began 230 years ago with the founding of the tenth California mission dedicated to Saint Barbara. With our roots firmly grounded in Spanish and Mexican culture, our architecture reflects the influence, as does our food. It’s the perfect combination of ingredients for a fabulous party.

As summer parties are generally outdoor fetes, a glorious Summer Garden is a must for the requisite festive atmosphere. No matter the size and scope of your space you can have a vibrant, colorful garden befitting any summer fun you have planned.

For a quick summer party pick-me-up, try using pots of flowering plants in your favorite hues. Ivy Geranium is easy, drought tolerant and comes in a variety of gorgeous, vivid colors ranging from rich reds, to pinks, lavenders and even white which add that spark of excitement to any garden. Here’s a garden design tip: if the desired effect is formality, select one color (such as white or even red) in your flower garden, pots and arrangements. If instead you are going for a more exuberant vibe, go crazy with any colors you like. If Geraniums aren’t “your thing” try petunias, daisies or even colorful succulents to spice up your summer garden party.

The Secret to a Beautiful Garden

Want to know the secret to a beautiful garden? Get interested; generate some enthusiasm, start dreaming and imagining what you want, then start creating it. There are some who bemoan the lack of water and their dead lawns. Well okay, your lawn has seen better days. Instead of focusing on what you can’t have, put attention on what you CAN have and you CAN have a beautiful garden. All it takes is a little imagination. Here’s to a beautiful garden and a beautiful summer. Flowers and drought tolerant succulents available at Knapp Nursery 909 Carlo Dr., Goleta. 805-6811151.

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.