Santa Barbara front yard named ‘Best in America’ by Better Homes & Gardens

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A Santa Barbara home has nationwide bragging rights after being named the "Best Front Yard in America" by Better Homes and Garden Magazine.

The small front yard of Stephanie Poole and her husband Bruce Hinckey claimed the honor by beating out 1,800 other submission from around the country.

“Our property is a postage stamp, so it was important for me to make use of all of our space, not only the backyard,” says Poole, an architect, who lived in the Santa Barbara house with her husband, Bruce Hickey, and their son, Liam, for more than a decade before she finally had time to revamp the front yard. Enlisting landscape contractor Ashley Farrell to help with the installation, Poole started by replacing the chainlink fence with a low wall made from local sandstone that’s wide enough for neighbors to sit on when they stop by for a chat. In that wall, they added geodes the family picked up in Canada, Hickey's homeland, for an extra personal touch.

Better Homes & Gardens - By Miranda Crowell 

Their yard features a vertical garden, driveway bocci ball court and plenty of water-wise plants. The article calling it a space to relax, gather and play.

For winning the contest, the Santa Barbara front yard will be featured in the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens.