In the Rear View Mirror--Idyll Haven
It's my habit to look back on gardens visited at the end of the year; and at the same time I start to look forward to what the next year holds. 2013 was particularly fine and I have high hopes for 2014. Any year that I have the opportunity to visit my friends in New England is a good one for me .
What accident of fate made me a California girl ? A beautiful , diverse state--4 hours to the dessert, 3 hours to the Sierra Nevada, 1 hour to our spectacular coast. 5 hours I'm in Oregon, 7 I'm in San Diego.Walk out my door, I'm in wine country. None of this is taken for granted. And even so, when I venture away from here , I can clearly see the attributes of places that are not California. My friend Sue is a New Englander, born and raised. She does battle with bugs that don't hang around at my house -thank god. She lives with that humid thing -but the tropicals love it.It actually rains in summer and you can't buy that kind of water. In July I have to put on long sleeves to go outside after the sun goes down. I could leave the long sleeves at home when I go to New England in July if it weren't for freezing cold airplane a/c and having to wait for an airport shuttle bus outside in San Francisco.
I visited Idyll Haven in June where we gathered to kick-off our annual Idyllunion garden touring long weekend. Is this New England or what ?
One of my favorite areas of Sues property is the garden that runs along the driveway..Sue has wonderful design instincts and no fear of editing her choices if shes not happy with the result.
I try to avoid overused lingo like 'garden rooms' but in fact as the paths meander around the perimeter of the house , and encounter boundaries such as the low green picket fence or a small speciman tree , it is quite like a series of rooms . Here we see the east side . I'd be pretty jazzed if my Symphytum got that big.
Step up to the fence and see the view to the back garden.
The patio garden.
New England isn't on my travel agenda for 2014 , so I guess it will be another year or so til I get my next Idyll Haven fix.
What accident of fate made me a California girl ? A beautiful , diverse state--4 hours to the dessert, 3 hours to the Sierra Nevada, 1 hour to our spectacular coast. 5 hours I'm in Oregon, 7 I'm in San Diego.Walk out my door, I'm in wine country. None of this is taken for granted. And even so, when I venture away from here , I can clearly see the attributes of places that are not California. My friend Sue is a New Englander, born and raised. She does battle with bugs that don't hang around at my house -thank god. She lives with that humid thing -but the tropicals love it.It actually rains in summer and you can't buy that kind of water. In July I have to put on long sleeves to go outside after the sun goes down. I could leave the long sleeves at home when I go to New England in July if it weren't for freezing cold airplane a/c and having to wait for an airport shuttle bus outside in San Francisco.
I visited Idyll Haven in June where we gathered to kick-off our annual Idyllunion garden touring long weekend. Is this New England or what ?
One of my favorite areas of Sues property is the garden that runs along the driveway..Sue has wonderful design instincts and no fear of editing her choices if shes not happy with the result.
I try to avoid overused lingo like 'garden rooms' but in fact as the paths meander around the perimeter of the house , and encounter boundaries such as the low green picket fence or a small speciman tree , it is quite like a series of rooms . Here we see the east side . I'd be pretty jazzed if my Symphytum got that big.
Step up to the fence and see the view to the back garden.
The patio garden.
New England isn't on my travel agenda for 2014 , so I guess it will be another year or so til I get my next Idyll Haven fix.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos of Sue's wonderful garden. My mother always said New England is the most beautiful place on earth but I've yet to travel the region. I, too, am a California girl, born and raised; however, SoCal is so markedly different than your area of California it hardly seems connected (and, in fact, I hear there's another campaign afoot to split the state). I don't envy your colder winter conditions but, as you envy New England's summer rain, I envy the heavier rain you get in the winter - we've had a paltry 3.6 inches this year, the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1877. As the saying goes, it's always something...
ReplyDeleteKris, I think our rainfall totals are on par with yours--I wonder if we will have mustard in the vineyards this year. It is dry dry dry...
DeleteWhat a surprise as I was scrolling through Facebook tonight! It's always a pleasure to host my garden friends from afar-especially when they take such flattering pictures of my garden. Thanks Kathy! Come back soon-you are always welcome!
ReplyDeleteYou are a first rate hostess Sue, wish I could shrink those 3,000 miles.
DeleteI just love seeing a garden that I think I know, but in a whole new way! Great photos of a beautiful place. Thanks for a blast of summer.
ReplyDeleteThe Idyll Nation can fix you up with some pretty fine gardens if you have a mind to visit New England Loree..
DeleteThese photos are a wonderful reminder of summer months Alison!
ReplyDeleteI meant Kathy, sorry for the wrong name!
ReplyDeleteAll is forgiven ! We left coasters must start to run together after awhile. :-)
DeleteSue has such a great eye for plants and also how to give them the best setting. Her level of gardening floors me -- the best analogy for it is running a marathon, taking that level of skill and intensity. Great choice of post to end 2013.
ReplyDelete