Lafayette Edible Garden

Food threaded through a garden that already existed.

The project

The orchard went in without a single wall.

A hillside property above a Lafayette creek. The rear garden had good bones and more hardscape than it needed, and the owners wanted it producing food.

The kitchen garden went in tight against the house, on a strip of thin, shaded lawn that was never going to be a lawn — close enough that picking something for dinner isn't a trip outside. The beds are redwood. The existing hardscape stayed.

Terracing a hillside orchard usually means a run of retaining walls, and most of the slope torn up to build them. Here each tree got its own eyebrow instead — a dry-stone ring cut into the grade, one at a time. The slope stayed the slope.

The fruit trees were chosen against the site's actual winter chill hours rather than off a wish list. Milkweed brings the monarchs; the existing lavender terrace brings the bees. I led the design at Farmscape and saw it through construction.

Herringbone cobble path running between the redwood raised beds — A herringbone cobble path runs between the redwood beds.

The kitchen garden from above — beds, path, and hillside beyond — From above: beds, path and the hillside beyond.

Young orchard tree ringed with a dry-stone circle on the slope — Each young tree gets its own dry-stone ring.

The orchard slope in autumn — young fruit trees each ringed with dry stone on the open hillside, planting filling in between, oaks and golden hills above — The orchard slope the autumn after planting — a ring at each tree, and not a retaining wall on it.

Lavender terrace in bloom along the garden's edge — The existing lavender terrace, kept, brings the bees.

Raised beds and softened patio areas stepping across the hillside site — Raised beds and patio stepping across the hillside site.

Before — the side corridor in November, thin dry grass between the cobble path and the clipped hedge, deer fence and hillside above — Before — the side corridor in November, thin grass between the path and the hedge

After — the same corridor with redwood raised beds where the grass was, tomatoes staked, in morning light — After — the same corridor: redwood beds where the grass was

Lavender in bloom beside a white planter — Lavender for the bees.

Milkweed in bloom, planted for the monarchs — Milkweed, planted for the monarchs.

Project credits

Design team — FarmscapeLara Hermanson (principal), Sharon DeBell — design through construction administration

Design & buildFarmscape

ForemanDalton Carter

PhotographyFarmscape

← All work Los Altos Residence →