Sunset Backyard Secrets (Best of 2009)

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Party Pantry
( June 2009 Issue)

A Wine Country Kitchen Garden Supplies Ingredients For Improv Meals

Party Pantry Party Pantry with Start

Gold Gravel with Fountain A love of entertaining inspired the well-planned kitchen garden pictured here, on Susie and Jerry Wunderlich's property in Healdsburg, California. All summer long, when friends drop by unexpectedly, Susie can dash out to the garden to grab ingredients for last-minute meals. "I have everything I need to throw together several dishes," she says. The garden's four raised beds, as well as in-ground plots, are packed with organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and cutting flowers. Espaliered 'Bosc' pears grow against the barn. Trellises for climbing roses and wisteria add structure and height.

Trained as a Master Gardener, Susie plans just enough crops for the season, plus a few choice tomatoes and other produce that catches her eye. She mixes flowers among her edibles. "I love to see nasturtium and pansies growing next to parsley. It's eye candy," she says. Susie especially love the spontaneity the garden allows. "Having a vegetable garden is nirvana," she says."

Design Secret
Giving the garden structure keeps it looking good all year long, even when crops aren't at their peak. Powder-coated sheet fencing defines the space (and keeps out hungry rabbits), while two trellises, made of the same material, add height.

Beautiful Bounty
Vegetables, Fruit, and Flowers