Santa Barbara -- Geremia-St. Francis Ranch

In 1989 the owner purchased a 600-acre working ranch in the Santa Barbara foothills, with views of the Santa Ynez coastal mountain range and Lake Cachuma. The hillsides that were covered in scrub brush have developed into rambling succulent gardens with native California plants and exotics from Australia, Mexico, and South Africa that can withstand dry summers and wet winters. An adobe house and guesthouse with a courtyard garden with tiled lily ponds and fountains form the traditional garden room with the succulent gardens expanding beyond this perimeter. Boulders were moved to define paths and garden beds. California coast live oak, California poppy, echium and ceanothus are native in this location and return every year. Exotics include Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton) from Australia, Mexican grass tree (Dasylirion longissimum), aloe varieties, opuntia cactus, and ponytail palm (Beaucarnea). Whimsical metal sculptures are sited among the vegetation. The ranch also is home for Watusi cattle, zebras, wild turkeys, peacocks, and native wildlife. Persons associated with the garden's design: Dan Horgan (landscaper and design consultant, 1990); Randy Baldwin (horticulturist, circa 1990- ); Jeff Chemnick (horticulturist, 2000- ).