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To fully dig in, many backyard farmers simply plant seeds directly into the garden. If
this is the way you decide to go, remember: it’s always a good idea to work some compost into
your existing soil every time you change crops, predominately to replace nutrients and organic material
that have been taken out or become depleted by the previous crop. Keep in mind you may have to fence the
growing areas to discourage, rabbits, squirrels and other Montecito wildlife.
Other Options
To make your landscape an edible one, take out the tired junipers and group artichoke plants
together or use singularly as accents. When they bloom, cut off the “choke,” gently boil for 45 minutes,
and season to taste.
If you have a bare fence or arbor, forget about a trumpet vine and grow a fruit salad of passion fruit,
kiwis and grapes.
Instead of the ubiquitous flowering pear, try Asian pear and other deciduous fruit trees like
peaches, plums and apricots. They flower dramatically, provide summer shade and oh, then there’s
all that fruit.
Landscape designer and part-time gourmand, Pat Brodie, integrates edibles into her already
eclectic garden, and favors growing things she can cook with. “I like to grow things that I use often,
like garlic, chives, herbs and other greens,” she says. “I also like to grow the plants that are hard to find
at the market, like heirloom vegetables, unusual peppers,
tomatoes, and beans like Christmas Lima Beans.”
She’s also fond of artichokes and fava beans.