Living outdoors is a special treat that can’t be passed up in Southern California and the trend keeps gaining momentum as home activities spill out the back door. Urban designer Molly Wood of Mollywood Garden Design believes outdoor living is here to stay. A recent recipient of the 2012 Star of Design award, Wood creates beautiful designs for living and enjoying life outdoors. While relaxing on vacation with her family surrounded by the beautiful Sierras, she gave me some insights to making the outdoors a special gathering place for family and friends, and the trends that are sprouting up in yards everywhere.
Q: The trend in backyard landscapes has everything to do with eating, yes?
A: Edible gardens have slowly been making their way into gardens. People are becoming more aware of the importance of having food as fresh as possible and the role it plays in a healthy diet. It’s a great way to introduce good foods to kids and at the same time have fun with them digging in the dirt and watching things grow. Start out with delicious edibles such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers that require minimal care. Make sure you give the edibles lots of water so vegetables or citrus fruit stay nice and juicy and get a lot of sun to sweeten them up. A drip irrigation that goes down to the roots of the plants is the best way to keep them hydrated. Plus, adding a good amount of mulch to the top of the soil helps sustain moisture and keep the weeds to a minimum. Malibu Compost is my favorite. The company not only provides great biodynamic compost, it rescues dairy cows from uncertain fates.
Q: What creative ideas do you have to spruce up the outdoor area?
A: For this summer, beautifully bright vivid pillows are a great way to spruce up a garden. Right now an all-American look with locally made picnic tables is gracing the outdoors. A nice snappy white table surrounded by bright oranges and yellows livens up the place and goes so well with the green in the garden. I also see a lot more being done in the front yards where people can enjoy the outdoors by throwing down some gravel and placing a fountain with some chairs to lounge on and chat.
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