The Art of Home & Garden,
Fall 2025 Edition
Serene Interiors, Immersive Gardens,
and the People Who Bring Them to Life
By Tiana Molony | September 11, 2025
Image credit: Courtesy, Ingrid Bostrom, Celine Richardson
As a child, I was captivated by The Secret Garden. The idea of discovering a hidden gate, overgrown with ivy, that led to a place where nurturing plants could awaken something in you felt irresistible.
That longing doesn’t fade with age. Even as adults, we seek out restorative spaces that feel secluded and transformative. For Jefferson Woeste, the owner of J. Woeste in Los Olivos, cultivating such a refuge has been a lifelong pursuit. His garden shop is so immersive that visitors often lose track of time — and occasionally even get locked inside.
Places like these offer more than escape; they remind us why sanctuaries, both indoors and out, are worth protecting.
That’s the thread running through this Home & Garden special section. You’ll read about bringing greenery indoors, the role of native plants in our yards, and how a simple lawn can be reimagined as a rain garden.
Inside the home, too, we’ll explore how order and intention can turn rooms into havens of calm — proof that whether outside or in, the right environment can spark a little everyday magic.
—Tiana Molony
Walking Around Grandfolia’s
World of Plants
From Orchids to Palms, Grandfolia Has Spent Nearly 30 Years Making Sure Plants Thrive in Homes, Offices, and Commercial Spaces Across the Central Coast
For Nearly Three Decades, Jefferson Woeste Has Welcomed Locals and Visitors Alike to His Los Olivos Garden Shop,
Where Every Corner Holds a Story
Organize with Santa Barbara’s Neat Method
Kat Pettey, Owner of Neat Method Santa Barbara, Helps Clients Transform Messy Spaces into Streamlined Sanctuaries — Proving That a Tidy Home Really Does Mean a Clearer Mind
Santa Barbara Expands Lawn Rebate Program to
Include Rain Gardens
New Incentives Encourage Residents to Save Water, Recharge Groundwater, and Rethink Their Yards as
Part of the Local Watershed
From Coast Live Oaks to Buckwheat, Native Plants Are Key to Conserving Resources, Supporting Wildlife, and
Creating Resilient Gardens
How Thrifting and a Little Creativity Can
Turn Any Blank Wall into a Statement
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