Landscape designer Christian Douglas’ San Rafael garden is a sensory experience — see, smell, touch, pick, taste — where edibles mingle with ornamental and native plants. It’s the taste element that tends to spark the most engagement from visitors. While wandering in the garden, one might easily be inclined to pluck a cherry tomato dangling from an arbor-covered walkway, sample fragrant herbs planted along the pathways, forage for raspberries growing alongside the potting bench, snack on a string bean from a vegetable bed or munch on an apple pulled right off the tree in the orchard below the native oaks overlooking China Camp State Park.
Designing edible landscapes for Marin residents and beyond has been Douglas’ passion for more than two decades. The English-born landscape designer began his career in the United Kingdom focused on classical design but found himself drawn to agriculture. Eventually, he landed in Marin in 2012, where he founded Christian Douglas Design, focused on combining landscape architecture and growing food, as well as the Backyard Farm Co., which teaches homeowners around the world how to grow food.
In 2019, Douglas purchased a midcentury home on a 1-acre hilltop property surrounded by native oaks in San Rafael, presenting the perfect opportunity for him to design a garden of his own. While completing the project, he was simultaneously writing his new book, The Food Forward Garden: A Complete Guide to Designing and Growing Edible Landscapes (Artisan Books, October 2024). The book features many gardens in Marin, including acclaimed chef Tyler Florence’s terraced garden in Corte Madera, as well as Douglas’ own garden, which he drew upon to demonstrate the essential techniques needed to design and maintain edible landscapes.
“With my garden, I wanted to experiment and create a landscape that was both nascent habitat as well as growing lots of food — annual vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs,” says Douglas, who prioritized using local craftspeople and reclaimed materials whenever possible. “The book was a way that we could show people how to grow food without compromising on design. There are always ways to bring food into your garden at different scales and different vernaculars of architecture.”
Inspired by his travels hiking through the mountainous regions of the Himalayas, where he encountered many small subsistence gardens, Douglas dubbed his own garden “wild wonderland.” “It’s ‘wild’ in spirit, and every day is different,” Douglas explains. “The plants constantly change; the wildlife comes in and comes out; and along the pathways, there’s always something to forage — that’s the ‘wonderland’ experience.”
Take a walk with us through Douglas’ garden.
Growth Mindset
Set yourself up for edible gardening success with these surefire tips from landscape designer Christian Douglas.
Seek the sun
Sunlight is the most important factor to consider when planting edibles. “Anything less than four hours of full sun a day is not ideal,” Douglas says. Locations with southern exposure are optimal to maximize sunlight year-round.
Soil matters
Second to sunlight, healthy plants require healthy soil. “I can’t stress that enough,” says Douglas, who recommends getting soil tested annually by an agricultural lab or university cooperative extension, and boosting nutrient content as needed with compost and organic fertilizers.
Be purposeful about proximity
The saying, “out of sight, out of mind” is key here. Plant edibles within easy reach of the kitchen to encourage regular tending and harvesting. “Side gardens are often too out of the way,” Douglas says.
Think outside the (vegetable) box
No room for a vegetable bed? Kiwis, grapes, tomatoes and passionfruit can grow on a trellis, and herbs work well in pots. Herbs are also easy to incorporate into an ornamental landscape, along with fruit trees and berries — just remember to consider the plants’ water needs, Douglas advises. For example, “rosemary works well in a native landscape here in Marin, because they both have similar water needs,” he says.
Easy entry
Growing edible plants can be intimidating for those just starting out. Douglas advises newbies to choose easier-to-grow varieties, such as fruit trees including apple, persimmon, fig and plum, which only need to be fertilized once a year, unlike many vegetables, and pay off with a robust once-a-year harvest. Strawberries, classic herbs and cherry tomatoes are also a safe bet. “‘Sungold’ cherry tomatoes are a good gateway to the vegetable community because they produce fruit for months on end,” Douglas says.
