Creeping thyme grows between flagstone pavers in this entry garden. More thyme fills pots and lavender and salvias add color. A grafted gardenia ('First Love') near the gate provides a touch of sweetness; a white-flowered geranium fills a pot at far left. The birdhouse on the wall above it — designed to look like a summer hat — houses an active nest.
Rana Malas wanted a garden that felt like the ones she grew up with near the Mediterranean Sea. That meant aromatic foliage plants like scented geraniums, lavender, rosemary, and thyme.
Malas insisted on a few edibles, such as a fruiting olive tree. "In the Middle East, an olive tree is a lucky plant," she says. "It brings you riches." A grapevine was also a necessity. "Living so close to the beach, I knew we might not get much fruit. But I love having the leaves handy to use in cooking."
Malas's ideal garden had to include lots of clay pots in classic shapes. Many contain her favorite herbal plants, but others ― especially the large ones ― are left empty, to be appreciated for their own beauty.
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