Garden Award Winners 2020

All pollinators!

We took out our front and back lawns and created a food forest 4 years ago. Food for the insects & birds, and for us! We are all so happy here in this little paradise.

To create a sustainable and integrated habitat for wildlife/pollinators, and produce food for own consumption.

I (Anthony) moved to SB in the Fall of 2018, and have since worked on turning the lawn-dominated landscape present on my property into a varied, sustainable, drought-resistant habitat for wildlife and pollinators; as well as integrating a resilient food forest into the driveway and outer-areas of the yard (40+ fruit trees, 15+ raised beds, 7 chickens, 4 beehives, 1 pond).

The beauty of color inspired me.

Working in the garden is peaceful and gives me great pleasure. It rewards me with beautiful flowers. I also grows tomatoes and peppers and use them in recipes and give away the dried peppers as gifts.

Fruit, Bees and Flowers.

No comment.

To provide food for butterflies and other pollinators.

No comment.

Best hobby there is.

Despite the infamous Tea Fire that ruined the garden, I rebuilt it and now it stands as bees, butterflies and birds' habitat.

My front neighbor and I both love plants and I have been through the SBCC Environmental Horticulture program. I love insects and butterflies as well.

We rent the house and inherited several sick fruit trees which we have nursed back to health with water, pruning, compost, mulch and care. We have enhanced the area with flowers, fruits and vegetables. We both have different gardening styles but our two sides of the garden complement one another. We have a wood pile that we leave out just for the bees and several bird baths that we keep filled with fresh water. I am especially happy when I see the native bees hovering around the flowers.

The garden is a never-ending creation, an ongoing collaboration and experiment. A prior owner planted many fruit trees decades ago. I have worked hard to reduce water consumption, keep the garden lush, and maintain the trees. The apricot out front is as old as I am (64 years)! In the back, there is a green gauge plum - no one told it there weren't enough chill hours to grow in Santa Barbara. I keep bees to pollinate the trees, and just to give them a home. They like the rosemary hedge, the statice (limonium) and the alstroemeria in front. (Actually, the hummingbirds, the butterflies...everyone seems to love the alstroemeria.) I have a solar powered fountain in the apiary to supply the bees with water. In addition, I have a fountain as well as multiple bird baths in the back. The sound of water brings in the goldfinches and migrating bluebirds, and provides the moisture the chorus frogs need. I have identified 90 species of birds in or over my yard, as well as multiple nesting species (wrens, nuthatches, and oak titmouse etc.). In addition to providing habitat for the pollinators, birds, and critters, the roses out front attract the homo sapiens: they walk by and smell the flowers (the white hybrid tea "Sugar Moon" is the best!). 

I am an organic gardener and believe in feeding the soil (so I treat the roses with composted chicken manure each winter, and remove diseased leaves by hand the rest of the year). I took out the back lawn a few season ago and now have tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, string beans, and potatoes instead. I'm collecting cardboard right now to take out the front lawn next. I do all my own gardening and pruning. I see myself as a steward. The creatures that live here know me as the caretaker.

Trying to help the environment and conquer my fear of bees!

We wanted to remove our grass so we planted drought tolerant, pollinating plants in the front and back and replaced a large grass area in back with stone fruit trees to complement the existing citrus trees. The orchard has done beautifully thanks to all the bees! We do not use pesticides because of the fruit trees, our dog, the environment and most importantly we are backyard beekeepers. I don't know the names of all the plants but hopefully you can see in the photos there are a wide variety which keeps the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds around.

Bees and drought friendly plants.

Sublime gardens helped us to install drought friendly, beneficial plants. We also have 2 bee hives and have had as many as 5.

I got tired of looking at a yard full of junipers (which were put in during the drought in the 70's), and wanted flowers blooming year round. It has taken quite a while for it to naturalize to what I have now.

Through the years this yard went through many changes: lawn; rocks and bamboo; nothing; junipers; and now this. Sometimes vegetables, but now mostly blooming plants. Seasonal bulbs and perennials, succulents, a few year-round shrubs. I like to let things go to seed, and so have lots of birds, bees, butterflies. This spring was awesome because of the rain we had earlier. By August/September it will be more barren, since I don't water much.

I didn't want to mow the lawn that was there when we moved in.

The entire yard (front and back) was lawn when we moved in 5 years ago. We planted only plants that are friendly to birds, bees, and butterflies, plus edibles for us, and native when possible. We've planted 17 trees, all fruit or native!

We decided to tear out the long driveway that bordered the entire front of our house. We would build a garden with bee friendly plants friendly to attract nature and bring us shade and privacy. 

No comment.

My career has been managing and restoring natural areas for the conservation of ecosystems and rare and endangered species. I grew up spending much of my time outdoors in SB County and have always loved the native flora. Having a native plant garden and associated birds, insects, etc. reminds me of the all the great places I have worked now that I am retired.

I started the garden in 1978 when I purchased the property. The front yard was covered in blacktop (painted green to look like lawn) and the backyard was 3 to 4 feet in weeds, so I had a blank slate to start with. I have focused on California (with a few Baja Calif) native species. Probably have over 150 native drought tolerant species, some over 40 years old. Over 90% of the yard is native species; rest are fruit trees, berries, tomatoes and basil as well as a small drought tolerant buffalo grass lawn. Plants range from herbaceous wildflowers to shrubs to trees. Something is always in bloom throughout the year. No pesticides are used. Property now covers about 3/4 acre and has a small recirculating stream for year round water - our water bill is the lowest of anybody I know. Plenty of native bee species (along with honey bees) around the yard.

Replaced grass with a drought tolerant garden.

We love the variety of colors and plants that have increased our visiting bees.

Usable landscape, I am a floral designer and I wanted material I could use for arranging, I am also a gardener and I love to mix my edibles with annuals and perennials which bees love. With this being said I also have planted flowers and trees for the bees and other pollinators. I encourage beneficial insects and have created a butterfly waystation for Monarchs. I plant for birds as well and especially for hummingbirds. My garden is a little oasis for birds, bees and butterflies in the summer months for them to eat and forage when its so dry.

I am a landscape designer and my garden does have a lot of test plants to see how well they do in out Santa Barbara climate.

I love gardening and I wanted color, water wise plants that attract bees and butterflies.

I am a 9th generation Santa Barbarian. I love gardening but I'm also a natural light outdoor photographer and loves having relaxing beautiful places to see from all angles. I am a fan of whimsical things little nooks of surprises. Having this garden has been great during the pandemic. It also comes in handy for making our own bouquets for my mom for Mother's Day, anniversary and her birthday as well as every year using our own flowers to toss and give out at the children's parade at fiesta. My backyard has my fences area for my fruit trees, vegetable plants and grape and kiwi vines and my front yard is more native, water wise plants away from our pets.