1 /7 Thomas J. Story A Fresh Start
Who hasn’t dreamed of leaving the city behind for pastoral fields and life in the country? (Fresh air! Farm animals! Plenty of room to grow the garden of your dreams!) Which is why, in 2010, when almost five acres of former dairy pasture appeared on the market in Ojai, California, 90 minutes northwest of Los Angeles, Steve and Brooke Giannetti quickly snapped it up. Sure, their home in Santa Monica had chickens in the side yard and vegetables in the front, but there just wasn’t enough square footage for what they really wanted—a sprawling landscape with a greenhouse, a pond, and some hoofed additions to the family. “Our life was evolving to be more centered around gardening and animals,” says Brooke of the daily routine with their three children. “We were thrilled to find this property.” The landscape is pulled together with large sweeps of boxwood, Carmel creeper (Ceanothus griseus horizontalis), lavender, and rosemary. These tough shrubs blend well with a scattering of native valley oaks and more recently planted California pepper, California sycamore, and Italian cypress trees, while vining Boston ivy and wisteria soften walls and structures. Nothing feels fussy; every plant has its purpose. “We kept the palette very limited,” says Steve. “It makes things simple, plus it’s easier to maintain.”