Y ear 2007 started with a mild- weather gardeners worst nightmare: a big freeze. As night fell, thermometers dropped into the %26#8216; teens and lower in some areas. Tarps and blankets no longer protected plants from the cold. Citrus shriveled, succulent stems became rank and pulpy, vines shed their leaves. Street trees like jacarandas turned black overnight. Gardeners eyed their pruning sheers, but the wisest among them did nothing. Within three months, most plants and trees had sprung back to life, evidence of natures triumph once again.
On the following pages, we show you some of the outstanding gardens weve covered in the past year. They run the gamut from farmerly to Zen, dry stream beds to luxuriant ponds. We hope they inspire you to pick up shovel and rake in 2008.
%26#8211; Rochelle Reed, The Tribune
Donaldson garden, a passion for the prickly, Jan12
Ted Donaldsons passion for propagating cacti and succulents began in 1977 with a gift packet of cactus seeds. At one point, he had 3,000 seedlings in flats and tiny pots at his home. He moved to Morro Bay in 1985 but found the soil lacking. He built a raised bed in his 15-by-20-foot front yard area, filled it with a mixture of sand and top soil, and began planting. Today his garden hosts magnificent cacti specimens, including a hoary Old Man of the Andes, with softer texture succulents offering pleasing counterbalance to the spiny plants.
Sparks/Graham garden, work-free and relaxing, Feb09
Dr. Richard Sparks and Sue Graham lead busy lives. Although married for 18 years, they work in different towns %26#8211; he in Phoenix, she in Laguna Beach %26#8211; meeting weekends at their Los Osos cottage. Realizing they need relaxation rather than yard work when theyre together, they hired landscape architect Jeffrey Gordon Smith to design a spa-like retreat on their narrow lot. Using concrete pavers, their sharp lines blurred by elfin thyme filling in-between spaces, Smith created a garden of %26#8220;calming simplicity%26#8221; with a Zen-like atmosphere %26#8211; no maintenance required.
Dry Streams, evoking the feeling of water, Mar02
Local gardeners have good reasons to re-create this natural feature in garden settings. In a drought-prone area, they evoke the sense of flowing waters without wasting a drop. In this story, we featured three Los Osos yards belonging to Brenda Robinson, the Blasingames and Jim Manock, where gravel, rocks and native ground covers create the natural appearance of a streambed. But the best aspect of this garden feature is that when correctly planted, a dry stream requires minimal maintenance, little water and always has something in bloom.
Stokes garden, a relaxing oasis with blooms, Apr27
Five years ago, when Janet Greer-Stokes and her husband, Mel Stokes, moved into their Paso Robles home, the property was flat and barren lot with the exception of a giant oak tree in front. Today their yard, especially the back, is a small paradise with a koi pond, manmade creek, lush plants, extensive grasses, a variety of trees, plots of vibrant flowers and in late spring, an arbor breathtakingly covered with three types of wisteria vines for prolonged blooms. Numerous seating areas allow the couple to enjoy their yard from different spots around the property.
Agro-style garden, taking inspiration from crops, Jun15
This property on the Nipomo Mesa overlooks fields in the valley below. The view constantly changes in colors and textures as crops are planted, grow, and then harvested. The fields, seen from high above, resemble squares in a patchwork quilt, inspiring landscape architect Jeffrey Gordon Smith to incorporate those elements into this gardens design. Blending Asian simplicity and Mediterranean color, Smith used large groups of plants to create a sense of calm and move the eye through the scene. Geometrically patterned plantings, some of them in raised beds, repeat the agricultural view in the distance.
Renfro garden, a garden redone with love, Jun22
When Christy and Bill Renfro moved from Fresno to Los Osos in 2002, they left behind a garden that Christy had tended for 30 years. Their new property overflowed with mature plantings and trees, but it was the pond that caught Bills attention. After removing 90 wheel-barrow loads of soil, he turned to Lee Mace Landscaping of Los Osos for their expertise in pond design and construction. Today the enlarged pond flourishes with water lilies and an ultraviolet light in the water circulation system prevents bacteria and algae build-up. Because the pond has straight sides, visiting raccoons cannot reach the resident fish.
Smith garden, a garden that rocks, Jul13
Each June, the Grover Beach Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a free garden tour. The theme for 2007 was %26#8220;The Year of the Rock,%26#8221; and as promised by tour organizers, the garden of Doug and Diane Smith makes effective use of stone. Rock is incorporated in several ways, most notably the flagstone encircling a three-tiered fountain in the backyard. Ground covers used between stones include blue star creeper, baby tears, Irish moss and chocolate mint. Best of all, while the Smith garden appears lush, it requires little watering due to its generous use of stone.
Schwartz/Dawley garden, their gift to the neighborhood, Aug17
On a narrow peninsula at the Baywood end of Morro Bay, a dead-end street provides access to a double row of tidy beach cottages. One lot is filled with colorful plants, a dry stream with an arched bridge and a diverse assortment of garden accents. A wooden sign near the rose arbor at the entrance reads, %26#8220;Sherm%26Giselas Rive Gauche.%26#8221; In this case, the Rive Gauche (Paris famed Left Bank) is the work of a Sherm Schwartz and Gisela Dawley, who created a garden for their neighbors on a vacant lot that they purchased to preserve their view of the water. Now the land thrives as a public garden of sorts, a true gift to the neighborhood.
Stokes garden, a backyard with legs, Aug24
On any given day, neighborhood kids might be spending the afternoon picking fruit, feeding chickens or watching horses play in the yard of Tom and Barbara Stokes. When they bought their 1.5-acre property 10 years ago, it was a bare hillside dotted with oaks. Today, the ample acreage allows space for horses and chickens plus room for plantings of roses, hollyhocks and curly willows, grown hydroponically in wine barrels.A lavish vegetable garden provides asparagus, green onions, artichokes, olallieberries, key limes and more, an ultimate outdoor haven.
Smoot garden, formal yet romantic, Sept07
At the Paso Robles home that she shares with husband Jim, Treanna Smoots formal garden speaks romance. Revealed bit by bit along its winding gravel paths, each hedge-rimmed garden room is fragrant with roses. The garden started out as a rustic cottage garden but evolved as Treannas tastes changed. After reading books on formal English gardens, she planted tall viburnum and low boxwood hedges.A trip to Europe gave her a passion for statuary, which she purchased in San Francisco. Roses are highlighted with sword-leaved perennials for contrast, and Italian cypress adds height and structure. Pure romance.
Jackson garden, designing for difficult spaces, Oct12
The Cayucos home that Dianna and Ray Jackson purchased three years ago had nearly everything they were looking for %26#8211; an ocean view, ample room, impressive architecture and nearby open space. The one problem was a sloping lot with erosion concerns. Rather than fight their steep terrain, the couple worked with landscape designer Christine Takahashi to create a natural-looking yard that hosts a babbling brook, anchored with rocks, in the rainy season as well as drought-tolerant plants that require little maintenance.
Greiling/Rivas garden, making friends with nature, Nov02
Many gardeners would have looked at Paul Greiling and Pamela Rivas 1.5-acre lot in Baron Canyon and seen nothing but challenges in its steep slope and thick canopy of oak trees. Rivas saw opportunities. Instead of replacing the native flora %26#8211; manzanita, ferns, California holly, lupine and oaks %26#8211; she made them the foundation of her landscape and then added 500 more nearly undetectable new plants. Next to a stone path that meanders down the property is the gardens piece de resistance, a wrought iron railing by Oceano artist Justin Venturini made to look like vines.
Fitzwater garden, matching garden and home, Nov09
Guy and Libbie Fitzwater love the Craftsman architectural style. After transforming their home into a Craftsman bungalow, they turned their attention to the garden. Having studied Arts %26 Crafts gardens of the early 20th century, the Fitzwaters knew that the gardens of Craftsman houses were typically unpretentious, naturalistic and eclectic with elements inspired by English, Italian and Japanese gardens.With the help of expert gardener Steve Super, they brought this elegant and historical sensibility to their three-level Los Osos yard.
Tags:
18 years,
amp,
architectural style,
blooms,
cacti,
cactus,
chocola,
drought,
dry stream,
ferns,
front yard,
grass,
grasses,
gravel,
landscape,
landscape architect,
Landscape Design,
landscape designer,
Landscaping,
perennials,
plantings,
plants,
plants and trees,
s yard,
seedlings,
soil,
stream bed,
vegetable garden,
water lilies
0
