HOME & GARDEN
TOP: Jasmine placed
container gardens in
and around living spac-
es to keep her favortite
plants nearby.
LEFT: The Fitzwilliams
love gathering around
their large firepit.30 JULY/AUGUST 2019 SUNSET
couple turned to Kasi Schnell of Studio
Nectary (studionectary.com). “Kasi under-
stood my vision for a desert vibe with Scan-
dinavian-meets-Moroccan tendencies. She
really helped bring order to my stream of
ideas,” says Jasmine.
About those ideas: Jasmine selected the
latches for the garden gates because she
wanted them to be real door handles, not
latches with a flimsy string attached. She
sourced specific decomposed granite to
mimic desert sand. And she used the retain-
ing wall in the front yard to effect a flat, de-
sertlike space for plants. Even the backrest
on the seat wall around the firepit was an-
gled for better lounging.
These efforts weren’t without obstacles.
After setting up wood frames to pour the
concrete walls in the front yard, a plumbing
issue required them to replace the main
plumbing—which ran under the formwork.
“I was in shock,” Jasmine says. “All this ef-
fort; all this planning. Then we have to re-
move the forms, spend a bundle to replace
the plumbing, and start over.” The front
yard is now desert-flat, and the firepit area
in the backyard delivers on the Palm Springs
spirit the Fitzwilliams wanted for hosting
friends and the inevitable visitor fleeing
Canadian winters.
With the hardscape installation behind
them, the Fitzwilliams turned their atten-
tion to planting. “I had a plant list with well
over 100 plants, so I knew I’d need help
selecting and sourcing material,” says Jas-
mine. Enter San Diego–based horticultural-
ist Kirk Neuroth to help.
Desert-inspired gardens can feel sparse,
but Neuroth employed a handful of key de-
sign techniques to make this one feel lush
and vibrant. Cactus and other succulents
are mixed with leafy plants such as Salvia
chamaedryoides, a fruitless olive, rosemary,
Artemisia californica, Salvia apiana, Mexican
bird of paradise, and even artichokes—just
enough leafy plants to soften the garden
and make it feel verdant. Jasmine says, “I
didn’t want the garden to look like vacant
desert. It had to be cactus-rich—
because I’m obsessed—but it couldn’t be
crispy and dry either.”
The Fitzwilliams also focused on planting
colorful varieties that introduce blues, reds,
oranges, and yellows to the garden. These
“I wanted the garden to feel like Joshua
Tree in front and Palm Springs in back.”
—Jasmine Fitzwilliam