A Sustainable Garden - St. Clare Garden

The Franciscan spiritual tradition emphasizes a loving appreciation of nature and responsible stewardship of the environment. In addition to portraying the life of St. Clare of Assisi, this garden demonstrates sustainable design features appropriate for gardens and landscapes in this region.

"Sustainability is providing for the best for people and the environment both now and in the indefinite future. In the terms of the 1987 United Nations Brundtland Report, sustainability is 'Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.'"

Owen O'Dell, a landscape architect and landscape contractor in Los Angeles, describes a sustainable garden:

"Imagine a garden that rarely needs pruning, watering or fertilizing. One where natural controls usually take care of pest problems before the gardener even becomes aware of them. A peaceful garden where the sound of blowers, power mowers or chain saws never intrudes. Imagine a garden that also serves as a climate control for the house, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter, a garden that traps rainwater in an attractive streambed to deeply irrigate the trees and recharge the ground water, one that provides habitat for wildlife and food for people. Imagine a garden that truly works. This is the sustainable garden, not barren or sacrificial, but as lush and beautiful as any other without all the struggle and waste. Yes, it is just that simple."

"The Sustainable Garden," in Pacific Horticulture Magazine, Winter, 1998.

Skipper Butterfly on Flower © 2005 by Edward Rooks, a nature artist who occasionally teaches art at Santa Clara University.

This web site was written and designed by Nancy Lucid whose research was supported by a generous grant from the Bannan Institute for Jesuit Educational Mission at Santa Clara University.