Indio Drive

Description

I'm a landscape designer/builder and created this garden at my rental in Shell Beach, CA (Rob Nieto). The space was mostly uncultivated with the exception of a wonderful fig tree, olive tree and canary island date palm and some old junipers. We contoured the steep slopes, creating swales for water retention and added forty cubic yards of spent organic mushroom compost. Permeable paving was used throughout the property in the form of crushed gravel walkways and small flagstone patios with dymondia margaretea or decomposed granite in the joints. A meadow-like planting of carex praegracilis was used as a lawn substitute providing seasonal interest as lupines and poppies add color to the scene in spring and summer. The garden is planted with edibles year-round as well as a unique blend of California native and Mediterranean plants which will require little to no supplemental water once established. Most of the non-edibles were sourced from Native Sons Nursery, one of my favorite places on the Central Coast! A propane firepit was installed using recycled, interlocking concrete rings and recycled glass Fire Crystals.
We're on a cliff over-looking the ocean so we can't capture roof water and keep on site. We are using the sponge garden and swale design to retain the first inch of rainfall