The Perch Garden — Carpinteria, CA

A ridge-top residential garden with views of the Santa Barbara Channel

This garden was inspired by its unique setting, with sweeping coastal and mountain views, the patchwork colors of nearby chaparral, the hues of sunrise and sunset, and the distant shimmer of the sea.

In spring time the courtyard garden are filled with a South African bulb, Ornithogalum thyrsoides - Chinkerinchee, with its dense pyramidal flower clusters

In spring time the courtyard garden are filled with a South African bulb, Ornithogalum thyrsoides - Chinkerinchee, with its dense pyramidal flower clusters

Winter blooms and seasonal red foliage of Aloe marlothii - Mountain Aloe, cast a dramatic glow in the garden

Winter blooms and seasonal red foliage of Aloe marlothii - Mountain Aloe, cast a dramatic glow in the garden

Sphaeralcea ‘Newleaze Coral’ a variety of Western Mallow serves as a keystone species for the local habitat of Coastal Sage Scrub and Oak Woodland

Sphaeralcea ‘Newleaze Coral’ a variety of Western Mallow serves as a keystone species for the local habitat of Coastal Sage Scrub and Oak Woodland

Planting within the defensible space zone was designed in islands of vegetation to create firebreaks and slow the spread of wildland fires.

Planting within the defensible space zone was designed in islands of vegetation to create firebreaks and slow the spread of wildland fires.

This site had several important constraints, including environmental restoration already in process, a high risk of wildfire, and a location right in the wild-urban interface. Bringing back native plants and restoring the oak canopy were key objectives, and client’s request to create a softer landscape. We proposed a modern take on coastal meadows with the use of Yucca linearfolia, Yucca rostrata, and Dasylirion longissimum. The glaucus colors and ripping movement of these plants blur the line between the garden you’re in and the infinite ocean beyond.

All throughout, flowering shrubs vibrate year-round with the rosy, golden sunlight that defines the Pacific coast. Fire protection was improved using innovative defensible space designs, like creating an Ember Resistant Zone around structures and planting in islands. The biggest enticement for us was the chance to blend a landscape into an ocean miles away. In doing so, we also reinterpreted the original concept of a meadow to one that could thrive in our dry, fiery, coastal climate.

Status
Phase 1 completed 2022, under construction


Credits

Consultants
John Madden Construction, Alexander Thompsom Horticulture, Storrer Environmental Services.

Photography
Lepere Studio