The Mary Lou Heard Memorial Garden Tour this past weekend yielded this Asian style garden; it is also on Santa Ana's West Floral Park Open Garden Day next weekend and is well worth a visit, as the following photos will show. We begin with the hell strip, which is no hell strip at all, being dominated by a mature California Sycamore at least 60' tall, creating dappled shade below.
The front yard had a bit of lawn and lush wide borders, the window boxes adorned with ornamental (rather than weedy) Oxalis...
...though the eyes were immediately lured to the entrance to the back garden: a substantial area of dappled shade created by airy Pittosporums. The shade was taken up by several Acer palmatums in wooden boxes; an Asian style quickly established and expanded upon as one walked around the property. The Asian style was not so emphatic as to conflict with the 40's ranch house. Japan was suggested, rather than insisted upon.
The side garden housed shrubs, small water features...
...leading to a creek-style stony water garden.
There was a side deck from which to enjoy the water garden. Beyond, in the back corner of the property, was an absolutely beautiful potting shed, every gardener's fantasy, from the angel on the door...
...to the soda-bottle crate filled with pot supports...
...matching containers for hand tools...
...all far more perfectly arranged than my living room, (though that's not saying much).
Beyond the potting shed, now behind the house at the back of the property, was a rabbit pen...
...and a chicken coop as nearly as beautiful as the potting shed, in a shrub-filled setting of white Abutilon and 'Iceberg' roses.
The other back corner of the property was a pergola with Stephanotis vine, its sweet fragrance to drift upon summer evenings.
Yes, that's artificial turf, and a wise choice for such a shaded area and a dog-owning family.
More potted maples at the back of the home:
The color scheme was mostly blue and white. Salvia:
Ceanothus:
Another small water feature...
And another water-garden-with-koi along the other side of the property.
Yet another maple hung over this pond, its foliage reflecting in the water:
A long, narrow pergola shading a bench was the main feature of the other side yard leading back to the front of the property.
The homeowners designed and did most of the work themselves. A great achievement! I was quite shall we say green with envy.
Another amazing garden.
ReplyDeletevery inspiring. and i'm green with envy also.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made the tour so I can see it through your photos. That is an amazingly tidy garden shed -- mine has a bolt through the clasp to keep the stuff from spilling out. Project No. 142, build a bigger shed.
ReplyDeleteAnd i am envious too! This is my first time to notice a Cyanotis, i haven't seen that ever. Maybe it is a temperate or subtropical plant, oh i am sorry i cannot have it here!
ReplyDeletePerhaps the potting shed of our dreams is one that is tidy and organized, rather than merely beautiful? :)
ReplyDelete