MODERN EDIBLES

Attractive, productive edible gardens with a modern twist.

aRt and texture

Unconventional plantings, custom furnishings and site inspired sculpture.

OUTDOOR LIVING

New life for underused exterior spaces.

Created for a young couple on the verge of entering parenthood, we designed an edible garden for their remodeled home. Fluidity between indoors and out and privacy from the neighbors were important to them as was incorporating as many edible plants as possible (mandarins, apples, grapes, loquats, blueberries, persimmons, paw paws, etc).

A cedar deck wraps the house and connects the kitchen to an outdoor dining and grilling space. Meanwhile custom furnishings unify the space from front to back and provide a common backdrop for a wide variety of fruit trees, shrubs and annual vegetables.  Furnishings include modular garden armatures that change form with the seasons, Corten steel raised beds, steel gate and trash enclosure, berry trellises, and lighting. All together, the design and its elements make for an attractive and highly productive modern edible garden.

The entrance for the Villa di Martini is transformed into an edible entrance garden with three varieties of cabbage, marigolds, thyme and faceted metal planters containing Chilean guava. A site inspired charred wood sculpture and 5 pedestals mirror the faceted forms of the planters and contrast the travertine paving. A carpet of Dymondia adds an element of curiosity as a substitution for a drought tolerant “lawn” alongside a massing of coast rosemary and the sculptural forms of mature olive trees. The combination of art elements and material textures give a contemporary feel to this classically styled space for San Francisco’s annual Decorator Showcase.

Food and warmth is what this family needed to get them from the inside out. This patio off of the dining and living rooms was underused for many years. With children entering their teen years, a fire pit was the perfect way to draw them and their friends as well as the adults. The custom curved concrete bench is nestled into a camellia hedge and complemented by an Aegean stone fire pit. Additional improvements included updating the planting and hiring a skilled gardener for ongoing maintenance, fixing the fountain, adding lighting and creating a new concrete, brass and reclaimed teak table with the option of a sun umbrella.