Phan Yamada shared these photos of a sustainable garden in Los Angeles.

We mulch with wood chips (free from the city) to hold rainwater from our roof. The deep mulch holds in moisture very well. We have planted the edges with mock orange (Philadelphus) and bulbs for erosion control. We have planted some fruit trees with beautiful flowers (red baron peach, burgundy plum, snow queen nectarine, and four other peach varieties). These trees produce a lot of fruits in summer. We grow fragrant plants such as mosquito plant, rosemary, and lavender. The surrounding drought-tolerant plants do well too (not in picture: pomegranate, ginko, and shade-tolerant vines). The tall Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia, Zones 4–9) to the east offer medium shade from noon sun, but the canopy is high enough to let the morning sun in. This bed is also sheltered from the west by our one-story house.

To reduce the heat from the southern face of a wall, we strung up a grape trellis (‘Perlette’). This vine gives us a lot of grapes to make wine. We also plant a Santa Rosa plum in this courtyard. This tree has a lot of flowers with a sweet smell, and the fruits are delicious and beautiful. We also use this area to keep our outdoor orchids when not in bloom.

These two rows of trees are so beautiful in spring when they are full of flowers: white apricots, hot pink double-delight nectarines, red-baron peaches, and light pink apples. A rose garden is closer to our window bedroom so that we can see and smell the roses from our bed. The grass uses very little water, as it is mostly shaded in summer and we don’t fertilize it! The south face of the wall has jasmine, bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Zones 7–10), and another grape trellis to absorb reflected heat.

We plant cilantro, kale, lettuce, strawberries, and herbs in our vegetable garden. Our kale salad is a favorite dish for any gathering. The flowers are pretty too. This area sits between a detached garage, another fruit trellis, and on the south, a 15-foot-tall hedge.

We built many berms to catch rainwater. Our area receives an average of 17 inches per year, less than 3 inches during a drought, and more than 30 inches in wet years. When it comes, the rain falls in torrents—1 to 3 inches a day—so we capture as much as we can. To make good use of the captured water, we plant a lot of trees, bushes, and wildflowers. Our garden attracts a lot of birds and butterflies.

In the last five years, we have rarely had to turn on the portable air conditioner in summer, as the trees in the garden keep our house cool. We also don’t have a heater. We bought orchids from the grocery store, and they flower again every year. We leave the indoor orchids on our kitchen window and outdoors in the courtyard. Whenever they flower, we put them on our front porch, where we can view them from our dining table.

My husband built many trellises from recycled materials. These are good father-and-son projects. Once vines climb over, they look beautiful.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

If you want to send photos in separate emails to the GPOD email box that is just fine.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

You don’t have to be a professional garden photographer – check out our garden photography tips!

Do you receive the GPOD by email yet? Sign up here.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Corona E-Grip Trowel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Handle Material: Aluminum. Handle Length: 14-1/2 in. Overall Length: 14.5 in. Head Material: Aluminum. Handle Color: Red.

Buy at Amazon

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

The Nature of Oaks reveals what is going on in oak trees month by month, highlighting the seasonal cycles of life, death, and renewal. From woodpeckers who collect and store hundreds of acorns for sustenance to the beauty of jewel caterpillars, Doug Tallamy illuminates and celebrates the wonders that occur right in our own backyards. He also shares practical advice about how to plant and care for an oak, along with information about the best oak species for your area.

Buy at Amazon

Berry & Bird Rabbiting Spade, Trenching Shovel

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Ideal Tool for All Gardeners Use: Our heavy duty trenching shovel is designed by a professional gardening tool designer. Lifetime Durability: This heavy duty drain spade is made of high-quality stainless steel, it is very strong and durable, even if it is used for high-strength work, it will not bend. Ergonomic Wood Handle: The handle of this planting spade is made of ash hardwood harvested from FSC-certified forests and has an ergonomically streamlined design, making it very suitable for everyone's hands. Multi-Use: This digging shovel is generally used for digging trenches, digging holes, transplanting, edging, moving compost, cutting thick turf and furrowing. The sharp blade allows you to cut, scoop, dig, lift and dice in hard soil.

Buy at Amazon