Rose Society of Saddleback Mountain~ Sneak Peak of The 2015 Elegant and Enchanting Garden Tour~ Part III

"You can't really have a relationship with God unless you have your hands in the garden."

~ Georgia S. 

The garden is like Georgia, effervescent

Meet Georgia. Once a chef in one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world, it is the San Clemente garden she shares with her husband and two daughters which gives her the most joy. 

Before- a yard

Once a resident of Chicago, while she does not miss the frigid winters, her landscaping aesthetic was honed wandering about dazzling displays at the Chicago Botanic Garden.  When she and her husband, Allan, looked for a home on the southern coastal tip of Orange County- they wanted a home with a decent-sized yard.   When it came time to make the garden their own, her husband said

"Do it right. I don't want you to ever look back with regrets."  

Rhythm and texture  

Down went the block wall, out went the grass. In came the creativity of someone used to creating recipes where the sum is more than the individual parts. 

After- a garden

The look is lush- but the environmental footprint is light.  Georgia believes  "You can't waste water when watering by hand because you have to be honest with yourself about how much is used." 

The lounge chairs were sourced off the Internet. That they were made from wood reclaimed from waters where timber operations once floated lumber to market: a lesson in miracles made real from unlikely sources. 

 A lesson in gratitude courtesy of feathered friends: Birds don't need fancy houses. Use what you have  on-hand.

 A pond features two small waterfalls at each end. Using solar power and managing the hours it runs in daylight to when they are outside reaps the most enjoyment at the lowest cost.    

Roses are selected so even a lazy-man can have

"Pretty is very important." Smart is equally so. The homeowners' obsessive attention to detail makes this garden both. For example- the low retaining wall is more conducive to efficient use of water than slopes.  It also creates a visually cohesive match to the elevation rise required for the waterfall at the garden's edge. 

Locally- Georgia recommends the Lake Forest/ El Toro Green Thumb Nursery  as having the best selection in pond supplies. 

Home-schooling Clarissa and Audrey, Georgia uses the garden to enhance lesson plans and draw the family together. This is a family garden. One where on Sunday pizza is made on the barbecue.

Mandevilla trained beneath barbecue island  

Meet Clarissa. A Renaissance-woman in training. At 4 minutes into the video you'll see the sisters bonding over pizza. 

Little sis' is pretty good with designing fairy garden and cooking. Check out her food blog here. 

There is more to this garden- but you MUST simply come to the Open Garden Tour to experience what a treasure this family has created. 

Until we meet again- Thank YOU for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.

This family garden is just one of five gardens The Rose Society of Saddleback Mountain is featuring in support of Plant Biology Science and Horticultural Scholarships at local universities and colleges. 

Date: Saturday, May 09, 2015

Time: 10 AM until 4 PM

To order Tickets for the self-guided tour, or for more information, please click here, or phone (949) 837- 2141.