In “An Open Invitation” (web title: A Garden Design to Bring People Together), a feature in Fine Gardening issue 187, we explore Barbara Morrison and Ken Magnuson’s consistently colorful garden on California’s North Coast. Their gorgeous garden rooms are younger than you might guess, and the reason for this is quite dramatic.

In 2006, a squall-line microburst blew across their coastal acre, and 106-mph winds leveled their well-established woodland garden, toppling 38 coastal pines in a matter of minutes.

After many weeks of cleanup, the garden was nearly a blank slate. Ken and Barbara spent a rainy winter drawing, measuring, and imagining their new garden design, and in early 2007 they began to rebuild. This photo gallery shows the devastating aftermath of the storm and Barbara and Ken’s early work to put their garden back together. The progress they have made in just over a decade is truly inspirational!