6 minute read
Sowing Seeds of Connection: A Local Home Garden Blossoms on Tour
By Allie Mandel, Donor Relations Manager
Just as springtime reached its peak, when the flowers were blooming and the birds were singing, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden volunteers and (for the first time) members welcomed other Garden volunteers and members to visit their beautiful native plant gardens and yards at homes across Santa Barbara County. Each home garden was unique, showcasing how California’s native plants can be seamlessly integrated into your outdoor space and why they are essential. The hosts shared their inspirations behind their gardens and the knowledge they’ve gained from years of growing native plants.
Sharing the Bounty of Beauty
Christian Stepien and Melissa Riparetti-Stepien were two such hosts, who’ve “been working really hard on [their] garden for a long time and wanted other people to enjoy it.” I was lucky to take a closer look at the magic and to listen to their tips and stories. So even if you couldn’t attend the Home Garden Tour in person this year, read on to get inspired for next year!
When I asked Christian and Melissa why they decided to open their garden to visitors, their answer came from the heart: “There has been a ton of love and care that’s gone into it, and we love to share it with people.” Their garden is truly spectacular, offering sweeping views of the Santa Ynez Mountains and even glimpses of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden itself.
Starting From Scratch
Melissa explained the garden’s origin: “After the 2009 Jesusita Fire that burned down everything including our house, we had a blank canvas and could create from scratch. We worked with Carol Bornstein, who was the former director of horticulture at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, to help us create our garden.” The collaboration with Carol has been ongoing and meaningful. Melissa elaborated, “Carol still comes by occasionally to see what worked, what plants thrived, and what didn’t. She wanted to support all the wildlife and botany of the area. We let her run with it!”
Even before the fire, Christian and Melissa had been interested in native plants. They wanted to support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and because of climate change, they felt it was important to do their part for biodiversity. “We wanted to make a space where wildlife would feel at home.”
Keeping the Garden Wild
So, “I have noticed climate change affecting the landscape and wildlife, especially because I grew up here,” Melissa observed. But they keep at it, applying a practical approach to gardening: “We use no pesticides, so what doesn’t work, doesn’t work.” Over the years, they’ve documented the wildlife that visits their property in photo albums filled with images of bobcats, roadrunners, foxes, and, most recently, a badger, just to name a few.
Christian and Melissa credit the native plants for the remarkable biodiversity they now see in their garden: “There are so many animals that come to this property.” Melissa noted, “I love the birds, and the Santa Barbara Audobon Society. My favorite are the woodpeckers (Family Picidae) and the Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana). We’ve actually raised quite a few over the last five years, and most years they come back. They know my whistle.”
They shared a memorable story about their dog Cody chasing a mountain lion up into a tree. They hired an expert and learned that mountain lions often escape threats by climbing into oak trees (Quercus spp.). “Always look up,” is the advice they were given, which certainly gives all of us something to think about during our own garden walks.
Their property includes some very rare native species, including a Kinsel oak (Quercus x kinseliae) growing just outside their fence. “It’s a really rare oak that only grows in Mission Canyon,” Christian explained. “Ours burned in the fire but has since grown back.”
When asked about their favorite plants in their garden, Christian reflected, “It depends on the seasons. Up in the meadow we have a lot of soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum). They only open up at sunset and all of the bees gather around them. They weren’t planted; they were here and survived the fire. We walk around there every day.”
Lessons Learned
“With planting natives, I think it takes people awhile to get used to them, especially if they are used to more curated gardens. The garden has kind of a wild look,” the couple explained. Letting the plants grow as they please is part of the charm of Melissa and Christian’s garden. “We know it is helping the environment and integrating into nature.”
They’ve also become accustomed to rolling with the experimental nature of California’s native plants. It’s taken years of work in their own yard, but Christian and Melissa eventually “learned which species work where. It’s likely about the light and soil, but it’s definitely an experiment. We’re learning all the time."
When asked what inspired their garden, they laughed and said, “Well your Garden, of course — Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.” We at the Garden are just as inspired by them. Their garden demonstrates how native plants can create thriving ecosystems that support local wildlife and integrate easily into the already existing beautiful natural landscape. The Home Garden Tours allowed our members and volunteers to absorb new inspiration outside of the Garden, connecting with others who may have similar questions, desires, and thoughts around planting natives. This is how community blooms — through shared knowledge and deep curiosity, and by working with nature instead of against it.
