Fetzer Vineyards – The Fetzer Sustainable Winery Garden

‘The Fetzer Sustainable Winery Garden’ designed by Kate Frey is ‘green’ and features a winery and a vineyard, which functions are guided by principles of sustainability.

The garden illustrates the use of green power, water conservation and recycling. It also uses local and sustainable materials and is a habitat for local and migrating wildlife.

Recycled materials dominate the garden. The centrepiece winery and a picnic table are made out of recycled barn wood and tin to illustrate the principles of recycling and locally sourced building materials. The windmill sails and water trough are made of long-lasting galvanized steel.

A windmill pumps water into a trough and any excess is used to dilute the wastewater from the winery. A system of aquatic plants filter and cleanse the water as well as offering a perfect home for aquatic life.

The soil to the right of the winery under the grape vines, cypress and windmill is dry and infertile, like many of the hill vineyards in California. Grasses and wildflowers that thrive in dry rocky conditions grow here and provide protection for the soil, fertility and habitat without requiring extra nutrients or water. Clumps of barley, cornfield annuals and clovers infiltrate this area. On the left hand side of the garden is a flowering habitat border to encourage beneficial predatory insects and to support wildlife. A wetter aspect is illustrated with the rough meadow alongside the water filtration ponds. In decomposed granite around the winery are culinary herbs.

The plants in the garden are wildflowers, agricultural and culinary plants and are appropriate to the soil types and moisture they grow in.

Grape vines and Italian cypress are the largest plants in the garden. The garden’s boundaries incorporate a flowering habitat border and a traditional grape stick fence of varying height, softened by climbing plants. Climbing roses, ivy and clematis clamber on the winery.