Designer Water, the Ojai Way

There wasn't a shrub or a blade of grass anywhere on the half-acre I bought in 1995, so the idea that this barren patch was included on the annual Ojai Garden Tour this year is supremely ironic. But there I was yesterday, greeting more than 200 visitors who traipsed through my garden admiring the landscape. "Oh," I could have said, feigning modesty, "it was nothing." Right. Nothing but years of hard labor, a truckload of boulders, river rock and gravel, dozens of trees, miles of irrigation lines, 30 cubic yards of mulch and an egregious amount of fertilizer.

But I never question if it was all worth it. It was and is and will always be worth all the expense and time. This garden is my sanctuary and a quiet respite for contemplation. There's enough space for entertaining, and the citrus and fruit trees, herbs and veggie beds are a source of edible treats year-round.

In the shade of the pergola, I set up a decorative urn of cool water flavored with sliced oranges, lemons and cucumber. I discovered this infusion years ago at Spa Ojai where guests love this simple but refreshing thirst-quencher. I added about a dozen slices each of Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange from the garden, plus an equal amount of peeled and sliced cucumber to two gallons of filtered tap water. I keep a small jug of this lovely water in the refrigerator all summer, and it's a tonic on a hot day when I'm working in the garden.