A garden reborn: water wise, fire resistant, full of color

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Wildfire destroyed more than 200 homes in the Santa Barbara area in 2008 and roared up a hill within a few feet of Eden Johnson’s house. The Spanish-style structure was saved, but the garden was little more than scorched earth. Johnson and her husband, Kevin Jenkins, turned to Grace Design Associates for help bringing the landscape back to life.

Photos: A Santa Barbara garden reborn

Photos, clockwise from top right: The garden’s ‘spool,’ which the homeowners say is more than a spa but less than a pool; orange-flowering lion’s tail, one of the low-water perennials that color the landscape; Grace Design Associates principals Dawn Close, left, and Margie Grace walk the gravel paths that traverse the hillside property. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times.

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