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Garden Visit: In Petaluma, a Couple with No Yard Creates a Magical Outdoor Space Just Down the Block

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Garden Visit: In Petaluma, a Couple with No Yard Creates a Magical Outdoor Space Just Down the Block

September 17, 2024

On a quiet side street dotted with older homes and industrial buildings in downtown Petaluma, California, is a secret garden: the unexpected Balinese-inspired “backyard” (you’ll understand why this is in quotes as you read on) of commercial photographers Stephanie Rausser and Lawrence Cowell. The space is thoughtfully named “Alchemy,” for the way it seamlessly combines gardening, cooking, and design. “Each element enhances the others to create something greater than the sum of its parts,” explains Lawrence.

Join me as we take a tour of this magical space:

Photography by Stephanie Rausser and Lawrence Cowell.

Lawrence, Stephanie, and their rescue dogs, Stan Lee (smuggled in from Bali) and Chicqui, in front of Alchemy. Their actual home is a block away.
Above: Lawrence, Stephanie, and their rescue dogs, Stan Lee (smuggled in from Bali) and Chicqui, in front of Alchemy. Their actual home is a block away.

Alchemy’s slender 34-by-100-foot lot was weed-infested and bordered by droopy fences when Stephanie and Lawrence purchased it in 2005. Originally, the couple intended to build an office there for their photography business, but life and work and kids have a way of slowing—and altering—plans. Not to mention, the space lacked basic essentials like electricity, sewage connection, and water hookup. So, instead of building their office, the couple bought a two-story townhouse a block away that is now both their home and office. “It was a big decision as the townhouse has no outdoor space, but we convinced ourselves it could work if we could make Alchemy work as our ‘backyard’,” remembers Stephanie.

Stephanie and Lawrence remodeled a \1966 Airstream so that friends and family can stay here during visits. It also serves as the property’s restroom, as there is no other bathroom on the property. Upright Karl Foerster feather reed grass and red bunny tails fountain grass soften the Airstream and pathway.
Above: Stephanie and Lawrence remodeled a 1966 Airstream so that friends and family can stay here during visits. It also serves as the property’s restroom, as there is no other bathroom on the property. Upright Karl Foerster feather reed grass and red bunny tails fountain grass soften the Airstream and pathway.

Over the past three years, the once neglected space has evolved into more than just a yard. Today it exudes a thoughtful combination of beauty, productivity, and sustainability.

Lawrence feeding the chickens in the homemade coop, complete with a festive disco ball.
Above: Lawrence feeding the chickens in the homemade coop, complete with a festive disco ball.

Alchemy has become a place to harvest fruits and veggies, collect eggs—and do some serious barbecuing with friends and family. “Our neighbors often see us carrying eggs, flowers, and vegetables from Alchemy to our home down the street,” says Stephanie.

The meandering pathway, according to Lawrence, is a metaphor for life: Things get rocky, life is a bit unpredictable, and you don&#8\2\17;t always know what&#8\2\17;s around the bend. At the end of it is the gladak he and Stephanie had custom-made in Bali. The pieces were numbered so that the couple would be able to easily assemble it according to the artisan&#8\2\17;s instructions. A large patch of comfrey grows on the left and cheery annual sunflowers skirted with California native white yarrow borders the right.
Above: The meandering pathway, according to Lawrence, is a metaphor for life: Things get rocky, life is a bit unpredictable, and you don’t always know what’s around the bend. At the end of it is the gladak he and Stephanie had custom-made in Bali. The pieces were numbered so that the couple would be able to easily assemble it according to the artisan’s instructions. A large patch of comfrey grows on the left and cheery annual sunflowers skirted with California native white yarrow borders the right.

The Javanese design accents were inspired by the couple’s three-year sabbatical in Bali. They, along with their daughter Cleo, moved to the island in 2017 and promptly fell in love with the region’s unique design elements that are now peppered throughout Alchemy. “We had furniture built in Bali and in October 2o2o, our 20-foot container from Bali arrived. Several of the pieces in the container were especially made for Alchemy, the most important being the gladak [a traditional Javanese wood house] and pergola,” shares Stephanie. The gladak stores all of their utensils, cups, plates, and tools so that they don’t have to haul items all the way over from their home kitchen when they want to dine outdoors. “We have an actual kitchen at Alchemy, with a sink with running water and a propane stove, and the lights run on solar power.”

A rambunctious passion vine and gracefully drooping Podocarpus henkelii surround the dining area where family and friends gather.
Above: A rambunctious passion vine and gracefully drooping Podocarpus henkelii surround the dining area where family and friends gather.

Other pieces in the garden, including chairs, tables, benches, and the large Buddha, were acquired over the last three years—none of it new. All the furnishings are either reused, rebuilt, or recycled.

A generously-sized Buddha head that the couple uses as a water feature. Red passion flowers bloom in the background.
Above: A generously-sized Buddha head that the couple uses as a water feature. Red passion flowers bloom in the background.

The couple also garden with a circular mindset: Lawrence applies a “chop and drop” method when he prunes, simply dropping his cuttings to the ground, where they eventually get absorbed by the soil and become food for life. “It’s about understanding the cycles of nature and creating a thriving, balanced ecosystem,” says Lawrence. Interventions takes place in the form of fish and sea kelp emulsion that’s sprayed every four weeks; some mycorrhizae that’s added at planting time; and organic mushroom compost that’s mixed in. As a result of these organic techniques, bird and beneficial insect activity has multiplied, shares Lawrence. “We have authored a whole ecosystem.”

Prolific Swiss chard thanks to Lawrence and his abundant soil prep.
Above: Prolific Swiss chard thanks to Lawrence and his abundant soil prep.

Lawrence purposefully keeps the garden shopping local: plant starts come from California Flora Nursery, Cottage Gardens of Petaluma, and Harmony Farm Supply and Nursery; seeds are from nearby Petaluma Seed Bank; and weed-free rice straw, used as mulch, is from right down the street at Rivertown Feed & Pet Country Store. He even collects goose poop from the nearby docks down by the Petaluma River to use as organic fertilizer.

While Lawrence does the gardening and cooking, Stephanie is in charge of weeding, creating floral arrangements, hosting gatherings, and in general reaping the fruits (and veggies) of her husband&#8\2\17;s labor.
Above: While Lawrence does the gardening and cooking, Stephanie is in charge of weeding, creating floral arrangements, hosting gatherings, and in general reaping the fruits (and veggies) of her husband’s labor.

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