Discovering The Pot Stop at Little Baja

For as long as I can remember there has been a big pottery yard in Moss Landing (on coastal Highway 1, about halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey). It used to be called "Little Baja" and specialized in (you guessed it!) inexpensive pottery from Mexico. Current owners Bob and Polly have renamed it The Pot Stop, and created something quite remarkable; you will not find this particular mix of product anywhere else in the world.

That's not just hyperbole. Bob and Polly buy most of their pottery personally, rather than through a broker, and have many exclusive relationships that ensure you will ALWAYS find something unique here (and y'all know how much I like THAT!) I mean, just look. Water bearers, Buddhas, classical columns, a big stone shell and the promise of an endless aisle of more? Let me show you around...

Um, so really cool or just a little bit creepy? I think it's bothering me that they are missing their brains. What would you plant in this pot? Pittosporum Golfball would add a nice cranium (they are about two feet tall). Perhaps a bowler hat with a green apple on top...

Have you noticed how this narrow-necked urn shape isn't as common at many large pottery distributors? It's because you can't nest them, darling. If you are trying to fit as many pots as you can into a container, these things take up a lot of room. I supposed you could fill them with something else (I'll let you use your imagination here!) but suspect that most ship empty. I love these for fountains.

OK, these are new...and very interesting! Nice and architectural, love the two heights. Maybe on a Craftsman-style porch with a couple of matching Hinoki Cypress or something...

Oooh...love everything about this; click to see the detail on those center pots with the shell pattern...so pretty.

Look at those copper glazed pots. They are big. Just look at them. Near a pool? Are you with me? Planted with some choice Palm...

Those are my favorite brown bonsai-style pots in the back (the little feet make it SO much easier to install drip irrigation) and they come in some really interesting shapes. The urn in the foreground would look good all by itself in a meadow or shrubbery...

Killer water feature potential here...those ridges might do interesting things with the water as it flows down. But can we talk about the stink-eye imp from hell? It reminds me of something that Amanda Thompsen would have gladly used for gnome bowling, back in the day...

I know! I know!

So, a warning, as we reach the heart of the Pot Stop, things can start getting funky. Loved the red fountain on the green pedestal!

The Three Amigo Musketeer Mariachis?

"You can never have too many deities in the garden." I overhead this once at a nursery. You have to imagine it said in an impeccable, clipped Indian accent to get the full effect...

Even the local fauna are color coordinated (lucky shot, this was a loong zoom!)

I repeat, you can never have too many deities in the garden...

The fine folks at the Pot Stop can help you turn any of their pots into a fountain. These can be tricky, so let them help you with all the bits you need for a clean, low-maintenance installation.

The best advice I ever got about working effectively with exceptional pottery is to not be limited by what I can carry to the car by myself.
Go big or go home! They deliver!

One last find; loved this beautiful modern interpretation of classic terra cotta. Lemon tree in that tall one, right?

This was fun! Thanks for joining me. Which are your favorites?

Garden Designers Roundtable: The Garden Contained

Welcome to Container Day at the Garden Designers Roundtable. What a huge topic! I could approach this in so many ways, like taking you to my favorite pottery resource, Pottery Planet; but I've done that already.

I could show you lots of pretty pictures of containers I've designed professionally, and tell you things like how long it took to find just the right bonsai-clay bowls for this terrace.

Or how I prefer container plantings to have one main plant (like this Chamaecyparis) with soft underplantings that change periodically. But I think instead I'd rather show you how I use containers myself.

I have a close, personal, long-term relationship with container planting. When I was about 8, a little boy at school gave me a white petunia in a small pot. I don't remember his name, but I can still see that little plant and feel the unexpected delight that this perfect, living thing was mine to hold. During my teen years my obsession turned to houseplants; I had dozens of them, displayed in a stunning array of macramé plant hangers.

My outdoor gardening began during my stay-at-home mom years; I started with annuals and planted them everywhere. I did this corner just before my daughter was born. She turns 20 today.

Planting something in a container gives a gardener more responsibility for and ownership of a plant. Like capturing a bright butterfly or a tadpole and putting it in a jar, a plant in a pot is like a pet or an infant; it relies upon you for everything. So who are my current infants, and how do I use containers now? Read on.

I use containers for growing plants that need different conditions than my garden beds can easily provide, like the acid soil that blueberries prefer (they won't find that next to a new foundation, but a red glazed pot filled with azalea mix does the job).

My tomatoes get deep, rich soil and dedicated irrigation in the raised kitchen garden beds. Even when the vines spill over the top of their cages, the fruit is held safely off the ground. A small garden contained in this way is neat, easy to clean, and protected (somewhat) from pests.

Raised beds give herbs the warm soil and good drainage they require to come back year after year, like this combination of marjoram and sage. The bed also provides an architectural element to my overall landscape, as it loops around to provide an informal divider between the patio and the kitchen garden.

I use containers to nurture new plants in a more controlled environment, like this cutting of Corylus 'Rote Zeller' given to me by garden writer Alice Joyce, from her garden. Eventually it will be large, but for now it's having a 'nursery year' in the courtyard (next to gnarly Uncle Harry!)

Or this fragile-looking Fuchsia magellanica I got from Annie's Annuals; it will also become a sturdy shrub in time, but for now, I'm keeping a close eye on it.

Containers allow me to keep plants with me that otherwise might be lost when a beloved garden is left behind. I bought this Fatsia japonica the day I officially started my new career as a garden designer 9 years ago. It has weathered some storms, but planted in this large turquoise pot with regular water it is as graceful as can be.

Plants that might get out of hand planted in the garden grow with more restraint when contained. I have an 8 year old deciduous trumpet vine (Campsis radicans 'Mme Galen') that really minds its manners in a pot. In the ground? It might have eaten the house by now.

Some plants will live for years in a pot, and I treat them like bonsai, shaping them over time. I love a plant that has grown old in captivity; natural, yet refined. I think training plants is one of the most skilled things gardeners do.

Speaking of taking things with you, containers aren't just for plants you know; this bubbling blue water pot is another long-time friend that I've had running practically 24x7 for at least 8 years. The soft splashing sound is as much a part of the experience of my garden as anything else, and the nice little microclimate it creates is much appreciated by the locals, like this Nandina 'Firepower.'

When my neighbor-the-gardener became ill and had to leave her house and her garden, she gave me her stacks of small clay pots. What a treasure. Having these and lots of generous plants means that I will never be without a way to give from my garden. Which makes me realize that one of the best ways I use containers is to give plants to other people.

But mainly I use containers so I can put plants wherever I want! I tend to be a 'one plant, one pot, arrange the pots' type of gal. I also like stand-alone gems that coordinate nicely with their pots, like this succulent in a graceful little two-toned number.

Succulents are particularly wonderful in pots because of their low water needs; they aren't confined to areas where the drip irrigation can reach them, and can be arranged freely, like offerings on an altar. And yes, if you have this many nice containers and an irresponsible streak when it comes to regular watering, an automatic drip system is a wonderful thing. Everyone gets watered every 3 days for 8 minutes. If they want a little more, they let me know.

Thanks to containers, we can have plants wherever we are, tucked into any modest or fancy piece we like and changed or rearranged at will. (Don't you love the mini chiminea? I use it to burn sprigs of dried sage; it works great!) Needless to say a balcony gardener would be lost without containers of all kinds. The biggest mistake I see is too many small containers. It's nice to have a few big pots in the mix, don't limit your design to what you can lift by yourself!

So I ask you, what is more satisfying than taking a handful of succulent cuttings and making them into a work of art? I think, in the end, that is what I appreciate most about containers. Like a frame around a painting they allow us to combine craftsmanship and plantsmanship into something that is more than the sum of its parts.

Thanks for visiting, and don't stop here, for I have only scratched the surface of this topic! Please visit the other knights and ladies of the Roundtable who are writing about containers today:

Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA

Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT

Jenny Petersen: J Petersen Garden Design : Austin TX

Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO

Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA

Rochelle Greayer : Studio “G” : Boston, MA

Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK

Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT

Shirley Bovshow : Eden Makers : Los Angeles, CA

My Bamboo Is Scaring Me!

As you may recall from my earlier post, I have a favorite sitting corner in my garden (The Red Umbrella!) that is surrounded by four robust specimens of Bambusa oldhamii; giant clumping timber bamboo. This species was suggested to me by a trusted plantsman, who then found them for me and presented them as a gift for my new garden. So I was meant to have them! And they are fabulous.

This is how my corner looked two years ago, about three months after planting. The bamboo had just been through its first 'shoot' which is the period in July/August when the new growth starts. The culms are noticeably thicker each year, and reach full height by winter, staying tightly sheathed all the way up (tallest are well over twenty feet now). In spring they let loose leafy side branches. Here you can see the utility pole in the corner; but you never will again!

That same new growth from two years ago has turned golden, and is considered mature. Last year's culms are still green. And this year? Um, can you see why my bamboo is scaring me?

My task as a responsible, rule-breaking gardener is to keep these beasts in check. Which is surprisingly easy to do, if you deal with them before they are bigger than you are! I have three ways of helping my bamboo do my bidding.

The first approach is a short, sharp, shock. You can see this unfortunate fellow at the far right in the picture above. Too close to the path, no shoot for you!

Until it is about two feet tall, a bamboo shoot is very pliable and loosely connected at the joints, just give it a wiggle and it pops right out. To further control growth from this spot I could dig it out more, but it won't be up to any more mischief this year.

This species of bamboo is also edible; if I were more adventurous in the kitchen I'd think of something tasty to make with it. For now, it's nicely compacted green waste. [see comment from Annie below for a preparation suggestion, courtesy of none other than Allen Lacy, one of my pantheon!]

The second way I work with bamboo is by training the new culms, which are often pointing in odd directions (continuing the trajectory of the rhizome below the ground, I guess). Such waywardness can be turned to an advantage with the right training, giving the culms graceful curves.

When they have reached about four feet and their bases are hardened
a bit, I train new culms by tying them to older ones (built in plant stakes!) By doing this I can separate canes that are growing too closely together, position the tall plumes just where I want them, and encourage the elegant interplay of the culms at ground level. I like to use raffia-wrapped wire, as it is inobtrusive, strong, and reusable.

Old-Hammy would love to be leafy to the ground, but for my small space I want to keep the lower part of the culms clean. So the third trick to bamboo dominance is removing the leaf nodes at the joints. Again, if done cleanly and early, they won't sprout again.

One of my design inspiration books is about Japanese courtyard gardens. My favorites feature timber bamboo, trained by skilled masters to just a few choice culms, in some impeccable setting.

So I am NOT insane!

The tallest culms now meet over the top of the Red Umbrella. Between the dappled shade and the way it catches every breeze, my scary bamboo has made this a heavenly place.

Understanding that I am the master here, and making the sometimes ruthless choices needed to develop the space, has been critical. I think of it as editing the garden; removing what is superfluous and grooming what remains so that it can shine.

A Day In The Life - Pottery Planet

When one of my projects requires pottery, there's no doubt as to where I go: Pottery Planet in Santa Cruz. The beautiful drive to the coast is always a treat, especially when I take Old San Jose Road, my favorite back way over the Santa Cruz mountains. Having it all to myself on a sunny summer day is pure nature+driving therapy.

Located on bustling Soquel Avenue, Pottery Planet is a delightful oasis. They import hand-made pottery directly from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Greece and Italy. I have never failed to find exactly what I need there (and it is often something completely different than what I THOUGHT I needed!)

The secret to their success, I believe, is in the diversity of their product. Other pottery suppliers buy their inventory through brokers by the container load. Pottery Planet founders Polly Joseph and Bob Goode chose instead to travel directly to the source, visiting smaller kilns in more remote locations, sometimes purchasing all of their production.

I hadn't visited for a couple of months, and when I walked in last week, I stopped in my tracks. The indoor showroom was gorgeous! Same layout as always, but something was different. Things were lighter, brighter, and the displays were impeccable.

The outdoor yard looked just as great. What was going on? It turns out that Polly and Bob had sold their Santa Cruz store to one of their importers, who are Swedish. They are obviously doing a good job breathing new life into the place, without losing any of its charm.

Northern California designers, take note: one of Pottery Planet's specialities is helping their customers turn pots into fountains. Almost any glazed pot can be made into a water feature; they supply pumps, hoses, fittings and several sizes and shapes of underground basins, and will help with design and assembly.

Pottery shopping for a project can be tricky. For one thing, I can only shop for one client at a time. I arrive with an idea of size and quantity, and maybe some preference for color and shape. I do at least two laps of the place, paying attention to what catches my eye. Only then do ideas and options start coming into focus.

Round or square? Tall or short? Classic or modern? Bright or neutral? Shiny or rustic? Ornate or minimal? The choices are endless!

So here's what I came up with last week. My initial thought had been square and brown, because of the bright color of the Craftsman style house. Then this fellow caught my eye: I'd never seen this quilted diamond pattern before, and the rich pewter color is unexpectedly perfect. Client was thrilled. AND it was on sale!

Thanks for joining me on my pottery jaunt! Next up, my day continues with visits to the growing grounds of a large commercial producer of plugs and liners (starter plants sold to wholesale growers) and one of my favorite wholesale nurseries.

Santa Fe Chronicles - Cool Ranch

Two years ago I was asked to help create the landscape for a custom home in the high desert northwest of downtown Santa Fe. It had just been completed, and there was literally nothing around it but a dirt clearing, littered with construction debris. The native desert vegetation: juniper, pinon, seasonal wild flowers, grasses, and a smattering of cacti, lay beyond.

Our challenge was to blend this new landscape with the existing terrain, while still giving the owners a sense of enclosure and personal cultivated space. We started with a thick layer of golden brown gravel around the house. This gave immediate relief from the dirt and dust, and provided a simple and inexpensive hardscape base to develop the garden around. We never drew any plans; everything was worked out on site with waving arms and sticks in the dirt, plus visits to nurseries and rockyards and lots of emails.

On our blank gravel slate we worked out the plant and materials palette. First came a low, meandering native stone wall along the edge of the clearing, separating wild from cultivated. This is where the gravel stops and nature begins. It has been interesting to see how plants have 'hopped the wall' in both directions; natives moving in and garden varieties moving out. This blurs the edge a little, which is nice.

The front entry, above, was first to be planted; it faced west and desperately needed to be softened and cooled by a green zone. The general contractor had already installed some Aspen and New Mexican Privet saplings, so we worked around them, adding low-growing conifers like Mugo Pine and Dwarf Blue Spruce. These are much appreciated for their evergreen structure in winter. We filled in with tough, sun-loving, low-water perennials such as lavender, russian sage, lamb's ears, yarrow, hummingbird mint, thyme and goldenrod.

The rest of the space around the home took shape slowly over the next year. Paths were formed, subtle grades were captured and enhanced with more stone, and the over-flat construction grade was returned to the more undulating form of the surrounding desert with gentle berms and large boulders. These structural elements guided the placement of plants, so that the open spacing of the surrounding desert was preserved in the garden as well.

I wish I could say that I was very scientific about plant selection, since this was my first project in Santa Fe, but I'll confess right here that I based my first round choices on what was available in good quality and quantity at Lowe's in June. I figured these were good backbone plants, and I was right. Having a wonderful resource like High Country Gardens nearby was such a delightful bonus; most of the remaining plants were hand-picked from their nursery, including some choice perennials and conifers.

This picture shows how the low walls were used to define the main living space, and also how some of the high-visibility areas outside the walls (in this case next to the motorcourt) were further detailed with stone and gravel to set off accent plants.

Another detail area; you can see how different colors of gravel were used to enhance plantings and define the space. The flat stone band also serves another purpose, as a 'super highway' for the owner's Corgi, whose feet get a little sore from chasing local critters on the gravel!

Perennials rule the show in this garden from May to October. These are some of the outstanding performers from the original plant palette. Above, a pale Achillea (yarrow) combined with Perovskia (russian sage) and dwarf English lavender looks great all season

Lavender also combines well with another New Mexico favorite, Agastache (hummingbird mint). I believe this variety is called
'Desert Sunrise.'

Did I mention that Buddleias do really well in New Mexico? These are a dwarf variety that make a colorful and fragrant hedge along this pathway. (Yes, honoring alternate spelling today!)

This simple stone patio, interplanted with creeping thyme, is one of my favorite details. I'd like to stress at this point that my contribution to this project was overall concept, plant/materials palette, ongoing advice and occasional great ideas. It was the creativity and ingenuity of the owners and their skilled craftsmen that created charming details such as these.

One thing I will take a lot of credit for, however, is the labyrinth. The goal for my second working visit was to figure out what to do with a large, open space outside of the master bedroom, which was also the main area viewed from the roof deck. Flying into Albuquerque I realized it would be a perfect spot for a labyrinth. We made a pilgrimage out to the one I had seen years earlier at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu (where Georgia O'Keefe lived, now a retreat center) and it was agreed that this was the best idea ever.

We quickly decided on the size, pattern and materials of the labyrinth, and were fortunate to discover a great resource for pre-printed labyrinth designs, The Labyrinth Company. The pattern is printed on weed cloth (you can see edges of it in the construction photo above) which made it infinitely easier to build. We chose the construction materials from a local rock yard: square flat cobbles paired on end for the 'lines' and a finer pea gravel for the walking paths. (See first picture for a closer view)

This is how the labyrinth looks today. The area around it was beautifully shaped into a natural plateau, and two large benches from Santa Fe Stone make this a popular gathering place. There's a nice page about the labyrinth on the Cool Ranch website describing what it means and how it is used.

Another construction shot, late fall 2007. This also gives you a better idea of how the rest of the landscape looked (please note supervising Corgi).

The same view today. A storm started rolling in as I was taking these pictures, (flower pics taken in full sun just moments before!) One of the things I love about New Mexico is the changing weather and the incredible skies; they are an important part of this garden as well.

Thunder in the distance, rain approaching. I like how the once-modest planting of Agastache has gotten a little out of hand this year (where's the center stone?) It will be gone soon enough. Winter in Santa Fe is long; this year they had snow as late as June.

Oh, and did I mention we included hidden rope lighting in the labyrinth? I'd love to see what this looks like from a satellite! The different kinds of structure we created for this garden, like the sculptural shapes of the gnarled pinon and juniper in the surrounding desert, give it form and grace in winter as well.

Thank you for joining me on what may have been my farewell visit to Cool Ranch; it is now on the market and may soon be sold. If you know of anyone who would love to live in this magical place, please pass this along!