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Importance: 10%
The Big Idea
An evolving design pattern for my ideal wild and kid friendly garden.
Written in the style of a Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander (Architect, Author)
Similar ideas: A Tea Garden Plant Care Plants Around Church
Context:
You are creating a garden in the Central Coast of California, seeking a landscape that is beautiful, resilient, and provides a rich, engaging experience for both adults and children.
You want a garden that works with the natural environment, minimizes water use, and offers opportunities for sensory exploration, learning, and harvesting.
Problem:
Conventional gardens often require significant resources (water, maintenance) and can be sterile or uninviting, particularly for children. They may lack ecological connection and fail to provide tangible benefits like edible or harvestable plants. Creating a garden that is both wild in spirit and structured enough for human use, especially for active children, presents a design challenge.
Solution:
Create a garden that embraces the principles of a “Garden Growing Wild (172),” anchored by a diverse collection of California native perennials and supplemented with resilient Mediterranean herbs. Design for a sense of discovery with meandering paths and integrated, natural seating and play areas that encourage lingering, observation, and exploration.
Prioritize plants that are drought-tolerant, primarily perennial, and offer elements for kid-friendly interaction, such as pickable flowers, fragrant leaves, and edible parts suitable for tea and cooking.
Allow for self-propagation to enhance the wild character and reduce maintenance over time.
General Layout and Paths
Lay out the garden with a sense of organic flow, avoiding rigid lines and formal beds. Let paths gentle curve and wander through planting areas, inviting exploration. Vary the width of the paths – some narrow and intimate, others wider to accommodate strolling or the enthusiastic movement of children. Edge paths naturally with plants that spill over, blurring the lines between the cultivated and the wild.
Natural Plant Placement
Plant in informal drifts and clusters, mimicking natural plant communities. The core of the garden will feature Central Coast California native herbs and flowers known for their drought tolerance and ecological value.
Thoughtfully Placed Seating and Play Areas
Nestle seating areas within the garden, made from natural materials like strategically placed boulders, logs, or simple wooden benches. These seats should feel like discoveries, offering different vantage points to observe the garden’s life – birds, insects, and the changing light. Ensure some seating is at a height comfortable for children.
Play areas should emerge organically between groups of plants and can integrate loose parts or even freshly picked plant parts offering a bridge between play and nature.
Specialized Areas
Designate specific areas or incorporate key plants for tea and cooking. These can be grouped together or scattered throughout the garden to encourage a sense of foraging.
Wild Tending
Encourage self-seeding and natural spread by minimizing mulch in some areas and allowing plants to complete their seed cycles. Observe how the garden evolves and work with its natural tendencies rather than imposing strict control. This contributes to the wild character and reduces the need for constant replanting.
Engaging and Resilient Kid Friendly Space
Ensure the garden is resilient to the presence and play of children. Choose sturdy plants where pathways might be occasionally strayed from. Avoid thorny plants or those with known toxicity in high-traffic kid areas. The informal nature of the planting can also help absorb the impact of play.
Provide elements that stimulate the senses and encourage interaction. Include plants with different textures, scents, and sounds (like ornamental grasses rustling in the wind). A small water feature, if feasible and safe, can add another layer of sensory experience and attract wildlife.
Continuity with the Rest of the Yard
Connect this garden to the larger landscape. Consider how it flows from the house and connects to other outdoor spaces. Allow views into and out of the garden, blurring the lines between your cultivated wildness and the surrounding environment.
APL Pattern Connections:
APL Source (Missing Some Patterns): A Pattern Language Alexander.pdf APL Digitized: patternlanguage.cc
This pattern is supported by:
- POSITIVE OUTDOOR SPACE (106): By giving the garden a defined yet informal structure with paths and seating, you create inviting “outdoor rooms” that draw people in.
- GARDEN GROWING WILD (172): The emphasis on self-propagation, native plants, and a less formal aesthetic directly embodies this pattern.
- PATHS AND GOALS (120): The meandering paths lead to discoveries – a hidden seat, a particularly fragrant plant, a patch of pickable flowers.
- SEAT SPOTS (241): Good placement of seats help to make the garden inviting and useful.
This pattern supports:
- OUTDOOR ROOM (163): The seating areas within the garden create smaller, more intimate outdoor rooms.
- GARDEN SEAT (176): Integrating various natural seating options throughout the garden.
- CHILDREN IN THE CITY (54): By providing a rich, engaging, and safe natural environment for children to explore and interact with.
- NETWORK OF LEARNING (18): Focusing on the interactivity of the garden can make it a place of organic learning and development.
Possible Plants
Plant Ratings
Each plant is rated on a scale of 0-10 based on how well it aligns with the pattern’s key principles:
- California native or Mediterranean climate suitability
- Drought tolerance
- Perennial nature (preferred over annuals)
- Child-friendly interaction (edible, fragrant, non-toxic)
- Self-propagation potential
- Sensory engagement
- Multi-functional benefits
Native California Plants (8-10 Range)
California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) - 10/10
Reasoning: Perfect Central Coast native that thrives in dry conditions. Highly aromatic, providing sensory experiences for children. Traditional tea use aligns with the pattern’s goals. Requires almost no maintenance once established.
Black Sage (Salvia mellifera) - 10/10
Reasoning: Exceptional native plant for the Central Coast with fragrant foliage. Attracts pollinators, has traditional tea uses, and thrives in the local climate with minimal water. Perfect embodiment of the wild garden philosophy.
Blue Sage/Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii) - 10/10
Reasoning: Highly aromatic native sage with striking flowers. Exceptional drought tolerance, provides sensory interest, and makes excellent tea. Creates natural structure while requiring minimal care.
Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea) - 10/10
Reasoning: Perfect for the shaded areas of the garden. Native, spreads naturally via underground runners (supporting the self-propagation goal), attracts wildlife, and has a fruity aroma that’s particularly appealing to children. Works wonderfully in tea.
Purple Sage (Salvia leucophylla) - 9/10
Reasoning: Native sage well-adapted to poor soils and drought. Beautiful silver foliage provides visual interest and texture. Excellent for tea and sensory exploration.
White Sage (Salvia apiana) - 8/10
Reasoning: Native with striking silvery foliage and drought tolerance. Cultural significance for tea. Rated slightly lower as it’s more sensitive to overwatering and may require more specific soil conditions than other natives.
Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii) - 10/10
Reasoning: Described as “the finest tea herb California has to offer.” Native ground cover that spreads naturally and provides delightful lemon scent. Perfect for children to interact with and creates an excellent sensory experience. Works in both sun and shade.
Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa ‘Russian River’) - 10/10
Reasoning: Perfect native mint substitute with wonderful aroma released by touch. Attracts pollinators, provides sensory interest, makes good tea, and thrives in the local climate. Excellent for children to discover and interact with.
Butterfly Mint Bush (Monardella antonina) - 9/10
Reasoning: Native that attracts butterflies, has aromatic foliage, and makes excellent tea. Perfect alignment with the pattern’s goals of ecological connection and sensory engagement.
Mediterranean Herbs (6-9 Range)
Lavender (Lavandula spp.) - 9/10
Reasoning: Mediterranean classic that thrives in California conditions. Highly sensory with fragrance and texture, attracts pollinators, makes excellent tea, and requires minimal water once established. Not native but perfectly adapted to the climate.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) - 9/10
Reasoning: Exceptionally drought-tolerant Mediterranean herb that thrives in poor soils. Aromatic foliage provides year-round interest and sensory engagement. Makes good tea and has culinary uses.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) - 8/10
Reasoning: Low-growing Mediterranean herb that tolerates drought and poor soils. Creates sensory interest with fragrant foliage and tiny flowers. Excellent for tea and cooking. Can create natural paths between larger plants.
Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora) - 8/10
Reasoning: Mediterranean shrub with intensely lemony fragrance that children love. Makes excellent tea and provides sensory engagement. Drought-tolerant once established. Not native but well-adapted.
African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum) - 7/10
Reasoning: Unlike annual basils, this is perennial in the Central Coast climate. Drought-tolerant once established with edible flowers and leaves. Attracts pollinators. Slightly less wild in character than some other options.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) - 7/10
Reasoning: Mediterranean herb that’s drought-tolerant and makes good tea. Not as well-integrated into the wild garden concept as native sages but offers similar benefits.
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) - 7/10
Reasoning: Fruity aroma that appeals to children, attracts hummingbirds, and makes pleasant tea. Less drought-tolerant than some options but still reasonable for the climate.
Other Suitable Plants (5-7 Range)
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) - 6/10
Reasoning: Pleasant lemony flavor for tea and sensory garden. Child-friendly with soft leaves. Points deducted because it can spread aggressively and may require more water than ideal.
Mint varieties (Mentha spp.) - 5/10
Reasoning: Excellent for tea and sensory engagement with children. Rated lower because they typically require more water than ideal for the pattern and can spread aggressively, potentially overwhelming other plantings unless controlled.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) - 6/10
Reasoning: Good pollinator plant with licorice flavor for tea. Moderately drought-tolerant but not as well-adapted as native options.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) - 5/10
Reasoning: Makes excellent tea and has child-friendly daisy-like flowers that can be picked. Annual or short-lived perennial that may require reseeding. Needs moderate water compared to natives.
Bergamot/Bee Balm (Monarda species) - 6/10
Reasoning: Aromatic with showy flowers that attract pollinators. Makes good tea and offers sensory interest. Requires more water than ideal for the pattern but has good child-friendly interaction potential. Not native to California but adaptable.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) - 5/10
Reasoning: Edible flowers and leaves with mild onion flavor. Drought-tolerant once established. Provides sensory interest but doesn’t strongly contribute to the “wild” character of the garden. Can be good for borders and children enjoy the flowers.
Korean Mint (Agastache rugosa) - 6/10
Reasoning: Similar to Anise Hyssop but with more pronounced licorice flavor. Good pollinator plant and drought-tolerant once established. Not native but fits Mediterranean conditions reasonably well.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) - 5/10
Reasoning: Provides excellent sensory experience with strong lemony scent. Makes good tea but may require more water than ideal and protection from frost in Central Coast. Not native but offers distinctive texture in the garden.
Mulberry Leaf (Morus alba) - 5/10
Reasoning: Leaves can be used for mild tea. Tree provides shade and potential foraging opportunity. Non-native but adaptable. Requires space consideration as it’s a tree rather than an herb.
Rose (Rosa spp.) - 6/10
Reasoning: Petals can be used for tea with excellent fragrance. Many drought-tolerant varieties available, especially native California roses. Provides strong sensory experience for children but may require more care than other plants in the pattern.
Safe Plants with Lower Pattern Fit (0-4/10)
Corn Mint/Field Mint (Mentha arvensis) - 4/10
Reasoning: Similar to other mints but can be invasive. Makes good tea but may require containment and more water than ideal for the pattern.
Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii) - 3/10
Reasoning: Tiny aromatic groundcover that releases scent when stepped on. Makes interesting tea but requires consistent moisture and doesn’t handle drought well. Not aligned with drought-tolerance goals.
Round-Leaved/Apple/Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens) - 4/10
Reasoning: Fragrant mint variety with interesting leaf texture. Makes good tea but requires more water and can spread aggressively. Consider container planting.
Spearmint (Mentha spicata) - 4/10
Reasoning: Classic mint for tea with child-friendly flavor. Water needs and spreading tendency reduce rating for this pattern.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) - 4/10
Reasoning: Strong flavor good for tea. Same water and spreading concerns as other mints.
Moroccan Mint (Mentha spicata var.) - 4/10
Reasoning: Popular tea mint but with same water requirements and spreading concerns as other mints.
Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) - 4/10
Reasoning: Beautiful flowering perennial with medicinal properties. Makes good tea but may require more water than ideal for this pattern. Not native to California.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) - 3/10
Reasoning: Makes mild tea and attracts pollinators. Annual or short-lived perennial that doesn’t strongly contribute to the permanent garden structure.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) - 3/10
Reasoning: Edible leaves with lemony flavor. Short-lived perennial that might require replanting. Not particularly drought-tolerant.
Tulsi/Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) - 2/10
Reasoning: Makes excellent tea but typically grown as an annual in California. Requires regular replanting and more water than ideal for this pattern.