In the 1930s and ’40s, inspired by the British fairy tales of their youth and the natural beauty around them, Harriett, Brenda, Mildred and Wilma Moody designed and built a series of fanciful pixie-style cottages in and around Montecito. Guiding the homes from concept to completion, the Moody sisters pooled their talents to defy traditional roles and expectations of their time.
Today, 35 Moody Cottages still stand, including an enclave of six homes on idyllic Periwinkle Lane. To tend one of these vintage cottages in today’s world is an opportunity to continue the legacy of these strong women. Given the sisters’ grit and artistry, a dash or two of modern-day creativity seems a welcome element when ushering these homes into the next generation.
With steeply pitched roofs, open-beam ceilings, mismatched windows, and cozy fireplaces, the cottages share common characteristics, yet each one is unique. Making use of salvaged materials from Montecito estates that had been liquidated following the Depression, the sisters repurposed paneling, window panes, and whatever materials they could glean, resulting in a charming jumble of new and old.
Colors were important to the Moody sisters. In a 1989 Santa Barbara News-Press article, Mildred Moody, at the age of 92, shared, “Our favorite was the color of eucalyptus leaves, a muted blue green, with the trim done in the same color, only deeper, or white.”
Each cottage also contained a good-luck talisman, such as a jar of pins and needles built into a fireplace hearth, intended to ward away bad fairies. Such details attracted owners who appreciated whimsy. As Mildred put it, “Artists, poets, and writers like to live in them, or people that want to have a garden and pets and stay home.”
Local firm CJM::LA was recently enlisted to redesign the outdoor spaces of one of the Moody cottages on Periwinkle Lane. As I walked through the gardens with Courtney Jane Miller, the firm’s president and founder, she identified the plants and flowers surrounding us and described the transformation of the landscape from “before” to “after.”
Miller shared that the project was very much a collaboration with the homeowners, who had recently purchased the property. Her firm was tasked with creating a “California cottage garden” blending native species with more traditional bulbs and perennials. “We wanted to create a wild, informal, meandering, and immersive series of spaces that brought continuity to the outdoor environment surrounding the existing cottage,” described Miller.
When CJM::LA started the transformation, the house was surrounded by a high wooden fence, completely shut off from the rest of the neighborhood. The fence was eliminated, and the front garden is now open and inviting. Miller shared that her clients were drawn to the property in part because of the mature oaks throughout the area. Indeed, huge oak trees in the front and back of the house seem to reach out to their neighbors nearby. Stone paths welcome visitors, gently moving them from one area to the next. Spaces are defined by shaped gravel punctuated with boulders and unique decorative elements.
Miller is as specific about color as the Moody sisters were. Plants and materials for the project were selected around a color palette that shifts as one moves through the garden. The hues will also shift with the seasons, as different plants and flowers bloom. “For this property, we worked with a muted palette of pale pink, white, peach, wheat, silver, pale yellow, and cream,” said Miller.
Whimsical details were included in the design of the gardens, again echoing the tendencies of the sisters Moody. Mushroom-shaped English staddle stones, faux bois planters, and found objects from the property mingle among the landscaping. The homeowners’ own collections are also featured, including heirloom cuttings that they add wherever and whenever it strikes their fancy.
Miller shared her diagrams showing the names and images of all the plants considered. Romantic fairy-tale names such as ivory bells, St. Catherine’s lace, and pink charm iris blend with local names such as white sage, Little Sur manzanita, California buckwheat, and even Santa Barbara daisy, highlighting the hybrid nature of this cottage garden. Even the roses — with names as disparate as Fun in the Sun and Emily Brontë — flaunt the spectrum of flowers included herein.
[Click to zoom] This site analysis was part of the vision package that guided this project from concept to completion. | Credit: Courtesy
The diagrams and plans for the project are almost as impressive as the gardens themselves. CJM::LA creates a living document full of drawings, ideas and images early in the process. This vision package is updated as the project moves from initial concept through to completion.
Seeing Miller’s handwritten notes and illustrations reminded me of the four strong sisters of almost a century ago. I couldn’t help thinking that Mildred, Brenda, Harriett, and Wilma Moody would be pleased with the planning, care, artistry, and talent being dedicated to the gardens of their cottage and the seeds being planted that will be enjoyed for generations to come.
This cottage on Periwinkle Lane in Montecito is not for sale. Please do not disturb the occupants. CJM::LA Landscape Architects can be reached at cjm-la.com or (805) 698-2120.
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