apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

How did you create it?: Two edges of our backyard are marked by a redwood fence I built to support espaliered roses at the south, and fruit trees to the west. At the eastern fenceline is an herb garden and a compost bin made of reclaimed redwood. The driveway separates the herb garden from the larger side of the yard, where I have a vegetable bed formed of dry-stacked stone, including cobble from old San Francisco streets. And at the foot of the cobble wall is a small patio made of the broken pieces of concrete I removed from my driveway to prevent runoff.

In our tiny yard we have about 12 fruiting trees and bushes. There are two apples espaliered along the west fence, and I have grafted about 4 varieties on each. There are two figs, also espaliered, four pineapple guava, an Asian pear, a weeping Santa Rosa plum, black currant, a Fuyu persimmon, and (formerly) wild huckleberry. Ornamentals include a collection of ground covers, succulents, hellebores, hollyhocks, scarlet runner beans, five rose varieties, and fuchsia. Elena's touches really make the garden nicer aesthetically. The blue pot with the cumfia, the hellebores, not allowing me to cut down all the sweet peas, and the roses are all her ideas.

Recommended store, site, product or resource? Flora Grubb Gardens for ideas and all things classy and beautiful, Regan Nursery in Fremont for bare-root fruit trees and roses in the winter, and your public library for books on everything from graywater to building a Belgian fence.

(Images: Seth Boor)