The Reading Warehouse

An exclusive look at the exquisite residential gardens of the American Riviera.

Private Gardens of Santa Barbara is an invitation into eighteen distinctive private, and beautiful gardens; large estates, modest homes, and surf retreats run the gamut from sublime and naturalistic to bold and urban. What they have in common, however, is what makes them truly inspiring. Showcased through 190 stunning images in more than 250 pages in this elegant coffee table book format, each beautiful landscape represents a widely varied garden style developed in response to the unique character of each site, the architecture, and the larger environment; and adapted to the lifestyle, personality, and practical needs of the individuals and families who live there.

In a career that spans over 30 years, Margie Grace, principal of Grace Design Associates, has established herself as an expert in sustainable landscape design and advocate for environmentally sensitive gardens. These gardens offer endless inspiration for sustainable home garden design, created with water-smart, maintenance-smart, and fire-smart priorities in mind, with high habitat value and plants well adapted to the Southern California climate of Santa Barbara.

About the Author

Twice named International Landscape Designer of the Year and with an impressive career spanning over three decades, Margie Grace has joined an elite echelon of garden and landscape designers whose work is celebrated both locally and internationally. Whether designing gardens for historically significant estate properties, relaxed bungalows, or coastal family retreats, Margie takes her cues from her clients, their lifestyle, the architecture of the property, and the land itself. By applying the principles of design to create the framework of each project, Grace Design Associates sculpts the terrain to mimic nature and layers on essential elements - organic materials, stone and plantings - to create a dynamic, living ecosystem that supports the local biome and utilizes water in the most efficient and considered way. With more than 350 projects - designed from concept to completion - under her helm, Margie's work has been featured in top publications throughout the world including Garden Design, Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Veranda, Luxe, Sunset, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal.