In Full Bloom

From Santa Barbara Magazine | sbmag.com
Posted online: January 2011

More than 30 years ago, inspired by a European flower stand, Trace Robinson set up her own in a Montecito courtyard. With an eye for design and a heart that stays true to all things organic and sustainable, the now-renowned landscape architect still calls Santa Barbara home and brings beauty to the local garden scene.

Robinson reworks a site from beginning to end—from analyzing soil to seeing a project transform into a sustainable garden paradise. Responsible for some of our town’s most treasured landscapes, she’s known for the grounds of Montecito’s Birnamwood—an English-inspired rose garden that blooms year-round, thanks to Robinson’s care and study. Her Santa Ynez Valley ventures include the Alisal Guest Ranch and Golf Resort, where she has presided over the landscape and flowerbeds for the past 10 years, bringing the property to an eco-friendly state.

With many ideas in bloom, she uses her own space as a testing ground for introducing edible plants and other floral projects, and she distills essential oils from flowers and herbs for her daughter Minka Robinson Stevens’s skincare line. “My garden is my place to get inspired, work hard, dream, and ultimately get restored,” she says of her own landscape, which she brought back to life after it was taken by the Tea Fire in 2008. Robinson takes great care to explain to her clients the inner workings of their new grounds, urging a transition from traditional chemical methods to a “viable organic and sustainable practice.” She adds: “Utmost and foremost, I want people to love and live in their garden.” –Chanel Betuk