2013 Fullerton Beautiful's Open Garden Tour ~ Part 2

There is a special state where worries are flushed away by the shear beauty of lush tropical plantings fill the air with color. 

In the corner of the state is a waterfall that fills a pone where a family of growing koi  lap in lazy loops around the dozens of aquatic plants the Knigge's have collected. 

This is not just a state of beauty; a reminder of the homeowner's vacation on a peaceful Central Java Island, the beauty begets practical benefits.

The nutrient rich water feeds the plants with all the trace nutrients that are needed to maintain their health and vigor.  

On the patio table is the picture of the swimming pool  that was walked around far more than it was swum in when its age was going to require major modifications.  A detailed list of visiting birds.

With a love a nature and a desire for a retreat from city life, Larry and his wife decided on a design which is an homage to her Indonesian heritage.

 They named the garden Balifornia- for the Bali Hai state of mind crafted in the heart of Southern California suburbia.

From a lounge built for two the couple counts the birds- and their own happiness.

Bending indoor and outdoor living in our moderate climate allows Southern Californians to bring furniture and decorative touches most of the world can only dream of.

Design Notes: Tropical plants are compatible compadres. Lushness does not require fence to wall greenery. It requires healthy specimens and the recognition that unless you are going for the look of a sand dune- nature abhors a vacuum. Mulch  not only conserves water- it conserves energy by keeping down weeds.

We have a few more gardens to gander.  I thank you for your patience in all this- in every way, this is the busiest time of the year in the life of gardener and garden communicators- of which I am both. 

Until next time- thank you for all YOU do to make the world more beautiful.

Linking to My Romantic Home

Happy Thanksgiving ~ What We Love About America

"Best of all is it to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a thanksgiving, and for every breath a song." 

-Konrad von Gesner

Plaque celebrating America on display in Jackson, Wyoming 

When I was fortunate enough to meet my husband on his International travels, my favorite question of people who visited the United States, was what impressions did they take back? 

The vastness of our land, the diversity of our people ~

Our friendliness. Our natural aversion to class distinctions. 

The changing of the seasons in Wyoming. The coldness of autumn's breath turns the leaves bright  while the angels  flocked the pine trees up higher in the mountains.

The greatness of this nation I shall always believe is inscribed in the coinage of the realm 

"In God We Trust"

What was the answer here when a child asked, "Are we there yet?"

 Before it was planes, trains and automobiles- immigrants crossed this continent-wide nation by  horseback and wagon.  When those failed, it was a very, very long walk. 

Sunshine breaking through in Idaho 

Modern transportation makes it easy to take for granted how fortunate we are to live at this very moment. 

Just traveling through my native Los Angeles County is equivalent to driving through a land  equal in acreage to the combined are of the states of Rhode Island and Delaware. The county's population is greater than 42 states in the Union. If it stood alone as a nation, our economy is the world's 8th largest.  

In addition, a normal year finds me mucking about gardens in nearby counties- San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

The last quarter I was also blessed to travel the states of Colorado, Arizona ,Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. 

It is good to travel. It is even better to be back home in Diamond Bar, California.

God painted parts of Utah in Technicolor 

Folders are stuffed with stories to query editors for interest. Hoping to find my stocking filled with that most wonderful three letter word in a four letter sentence. 
"Yes- You are hired."

So much to do. But as Stephen R Covey wrote, "First things First. " 

It was about this time last year a medical professional in the  hospital room of a loved one shared his belief that "Life is a miracle." 

The beauty of the desert exemplifies of what he spoke. In nature's vastness, so much has to go right for the miracle of a butterfly to come across an oasis with food, water, nesting and shelter.  For God's grace, He deserves credit for the biggest backyard habitat ever. Our planet. 

It is tempting to give into being overwhelmed with so much stacked about me. Yet handling it all is as easy as the title to the Stephen R Covey book, putting "First things First. " 

And so I say goodbye. Not forever. Just long enough to express my gratitude to the Lord on high in the tradition of my faith, as a Christian. Spend quality time with family. Renovate the office. Re-write a mission statement. Then back to the race which is the writer's life. 

All images and words on this post are copyright protected by Lydia Plunk

09/11 Thoughts ~Loveland, Colorado~The Benson Sculpture Garden~ Part III

Patriotic American mini flag by Toland

 

September 11, 2001 was like so many other days. Yet like no other. Not in my lifetime. Such a beautiful day. A clear sky day turned somber. In the weeks which followed, in my hometown we met at the corner of Diamond Bar and Grand.

We marched clockwise around the intersection, waving flags. Many lit candles.  The crowd grew.  Probably in the hundreds. The patrol cars pulled up, the officers wanting to know who was the organizer.

No one. We were just citizens united in our grief. Offering comfort to each other.

We promised never to forget. We fly flags to promise this.

Today, on the 11th Anniversary, came a sobering reminder of what we have lost between now and then. Commitment and Clarity. Why else the American Embassy wall breached, an American killed at the US Consulate in Libya. Our President too busy for our steadfast ally in that dangerous neighborhood, Israel.

God bless Jordan for harboring the refugees from Syria. May the missing relatives of people I know turn up safely there. 

I cannot make the world safer. All I hope, is to spread a bit of beauty to those I am honored to visit this site.  

 

I have been remiss in not sharing more of the setting of the Benson Sculpture garden, which rims the lake. Cattails. Pine. Aspen. Beautiful apart, gathered together, they elevate each other's beauty.

 

Where there is water, there shall be geese.  What is evocative about this park is how God and man have worked together.

SWAMP DONKEY, Bronze by TD Kelsey

 

  Sited at the edge of the bog, the majesty of  large game,  realistic and rightly romantic.

 

Our oldest son confirmed, swamp donkey is Canadian for moose. It is also slang for many other things which I am going to forget I found on the blogosphere.

 

If today was emotional for you- click on Baby Moose in Sprinkler  to get back in touch with the emotion of  innocent joy.

The First Estate of Beverly Hills~ Home and Garden Tour ~ Part III

"A garden should make you feel you've entered privileged space- a place not just set apart byt reverberant- and it seems to me that, to ahieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into something nearer poetry."

~ Michael Pollan, Second Nature: A Gardener's Education

Design note: citrus are social trees. Give them companions.

Travel mixed with good earth and the blessed weather of Southern California make for wonderful gardens. Terraced hillsides holding cutaways for citrus trees borders on Nirvana. Don't you just love how the the fruit bearing limbs are shown off amongst other greenery?

Our modern selves take for granted shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables. In the early decades of Beverly Hills, not even wealthy socialites could send their staff out for much in the way of fresh produce. It was grow your own or do without. 

Before the summer sizzled, the lath house orchid's is frequently shaded under a blanket of purple morning glories.  The MacKenzie-Childs watering can and artwork punch up the visual interest of the good eats of the vegetable garden near the kitchen door. 

Image found at  The Department Store Museum blog

Virginia Robinson, with her taste for couture, while serving on the board of the family flagship stores (J.W. Robinson's) heavily influenced the decision to build its first major branch store outside Los Angeles. Built on the site of a successful Hollywood Atelier, the building designed by Charles Luckman and William Pereira was set off by the landscape  design by Florence Yoch and Lucile Council. The luxurious interiors by Raymond  Loewy specified Vermont marble and Brazilian agate. In 1952 the store opened to accolades- anchoring Beverly Hills reputation as a destination for status shopping. 

Each cypress is trimmed exactly 2" shorter than the last to subtly enhance the perspective

With mountains of money at her disposal, Virginia Robinson was not content to just spend it on personal pleasure. Not content to spend her time at board meetings of the department store founded by her late husband's family.  She put her resources to work as a benefactor of charities as diverse as The Hollywood Bowl through Kennel Clubs. 

However, her greatest legacy is the home and gardens she bequeathed the public. She died just a few months short of her 100th birthday, leaving behind a property that was old and in need of repair. Gratitude to the Friends of Robinson Gardens and the LA County Board of Supervisors for working lovingly with the property- and respectfully with the neighborhood.

Magenta pops of color on blooming succulent Calandrinia 



Swaths of lavender essential oils warmed by the hot Southern California sun spoil you forever for the real McCoy

Virginia was not corseted up by her original vision of a totally Mediterranean ambiance. As the land was worked and the microclimates forced some plantings into fields of mulch, she worked with the reality that because dreams don't always come true, there is no reason you can't have another, just as lovely dream

Hanging pots of  succulent hides the imprefection of an aging wall

Our docent led tour mentioned that the reality of growing water constraints feeds changes to the garden.

The stairwell would be stark wihtout the symmetrical planting of pots

The 90 minute tour left time to notice vignettes and the broader context of the garden.

This gateway to the mansion was originally straight from the cul de sac. But Virginia decided life was not that way. So she had pedestrians turn on entereing; a physical metaphor for life's journey.

I apologize that the richness of photos and lessons just over-flow what I intended to be my last post on the garden. To live the poetry created on a once barren dirt hill requires a bit more time to digest than planned.
 Please come back one more time for this series closer. I promise- we'll rest our feet while we stop to smell the roses at The Ivy Restaurant on Robertson...

The First Estate of Beverly Hills~ Home and Garden Tour

“Gardens are a form of autobiography.”

~Sydney Eddison,

 Growing Older with Your Garden: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older

In 1906, noted east coast landscape designer, Wilbur David Cook, Jr. drew plans to turn land  mostly barren ~ or hospitable mostly for unfussy lima bean crops~ into a garden-centric community named Beverly Hills. With prices beginning at $900 for lots measuring a minimum of 80 x 160' in "the flats", the lots largely languished until a pair of newlyweds got lost looking for the Los Angeles Country Club.

Virgina Robinson and her husband, Harry, fell in love with the unending views from a particularly barren  knoll  above Sunset Blvd. From the plateau, the dreamers and shakers  envisioned an Italian inspired home surrounded by terraced gardens, which once complete, exemplify the seamless indoor- outdoor California lifestyle. 

When the young couple returned from an extended vacation in 1911, it was to a formal home straddling the hillside. Built of reinforced concrete, their villa took full advantage of the spectacular views which stretched across the LA basin to the mountains , slinging back all the way to Catalina Island, twenty miles offshore in the opposite direction.

This view is near where Mrs. Robinson started her mornings. From her room, she  would have picked her outfit for the day from a notebook filled with illustrations and  fabric samples of her impressive wardrobe.  A decision made, an assistant was dispatched, fetching the dress from the tailor's area. 

The family library is special in the lady of the house is reputed to have actually read every book in it. Before there were megalithic bookstores, the place to purchase books was JW Robinson's Departments stores. Mrs. Robinson's book collection undoubtedly was built from the first offerings delivered from the warehouse stockroom.

When Alex Haley's Roots was released, I was an assistant buyer in the downtown LA headquarters. On the morning of the booksigning, a line of people wrapped more than completely  around the full city- block multi story department store and up the stairway to the second floor book department.  Such response to an author was unprecedented. Every clerical worker was pulled out of their office and into action. The pre-purchased books pulled from the employees for the customers. When my copy was replaced with the writer's autograph inscribed, my volume instantly and forever remains one of my most precious possessions.

Shortly before her death in 1977 , the first lady of Beverly Hills bequeathed her estate to Los Angeles County. The government entity, in concert with the non-profit Friends of the Robinson Gardens, preserve the estate for  public enjoyment. This extraordinary look into the inspired lifestyle of the irrepressible Virgina Robinson is is open for escorted tours via advance reservation. 

 I know. The restricted hours of the tours and LA Traffic make visiting the garden in real life difficult.  Which is why I will dedicate the next few posts to bringing you to the world that Harry and Virginia built.  Surviving her husband by 4 decades, her home and garden are the epitome of  how a physical space can survive to speak in silent autobiography. 

When we're finished, we will glide over to The Ivy Restaurant, on Robertson, for lunch. My daughter-in-law recommended it for my friend and I. Besides picking my son, recommending this divine spot for refreshment goes to Shannon's impeccable taste.

 Dear Readers- Thank you for your patience while I was off the grid. Its a bit of a hullabaloo catching up after a week exploring the wonder that is Colorado. Not helped one bit by Google eating 4 hours of work in the wee hours of this morning. The words were so delicious, we shouldn't  blame the Internet for swallowing whole):-  

The Weather, Hawks and Wildlife Report

When the skies cleared, the red tailed hawk took to gliding over the air currents .

 

Weaving hither and about, it mesmerizes like the swinging watch of the hypnotist.

To and fro, searching for food. Small rodents, snakes and the like

I wonder if the smaller Coopers Hawks will come visit this summer. 

The sparrows pay no mind. It is rare that little birds are snatched from bird feeders. That is usually the scalpel precision of falcons. Otherwise, the arms of the mature cultivated garden make it difficult  for larger predatory birds to successfully swoop in  for dinner..

Other than the striking emerald green laws, it is hard to imagine the pounding the rain gave last weekend. 1.10" between midnight and daylight, with a thunder strike nearby.  My husband told me the lightning flash and thunderous cymbal crash were nearly syncopated. The house heaved- awakening me from a deep slumber with thoughts of tornadoes. It mustn't have hit a house: such close calls with disaster usually makes the news, Things that  because things that frighten make the news.  

The wind blew dry anything it didn't plain blow-away. The smallest portion of warmth is enough to bring out the butterflies. Swallowtails and Painted ladies this week.


Painted lady nectaring from a scabiosa

 When spring is young, even the lizards are lovely. I've never noticed one with such a beautiful blue belly.

Or maybe this wonderment was here all along. What changed is this winter I got a lesson in slowing down. In paying attention to the details. In savoring life.  

God bless you all. Thanks to the support and prayers of people like You, I understand the importance of the expression "Thank God that's over with." 



Thank you to Gerry Plunk for using my camera to take these photos while I was locked up in a witness hearing room. Glad to be home.  

Bona-fide Baby Shower- Part III. Beach Decor and Presents

It must be the food in the last post looked so good: the Internet ate this last bit):- 


Instead of a lawn, the couple has a harbor 

Back for one last taste of Baby- Bingo bash

This  scene brought back memories. Uncle Frank didn't like being a landlord. So when he and Aunt Doris sold their apartment building, rather than splurge on a couple weeks in Hawaii, they moved to Huntington Beach for one magical year. Living at the base of the pier, Uncle Frank got a pair on binoculars to sight- see from his deck. Aunt Doris had the first microwave oven of anyone our family knew.    

Ocean related motifs authentic to the beach living

 Beach living in California isn't all ocean views. But when you have neighbors with stained glass windows featuring cranes and sailboats, there are advantages to being packed in. You get artwork to enjoy. For no additional cost):-

A young family's home should include touches of humor. Because Chris and Gennina are down to earth, thrones in the entryway work. Custom crafted in Texas, "The chairs were given to us by one of our friend, Johnnie MacDonald. Chris's throne was given to us on our wedding day. Mine was given on our 1 year anniversary. " Beneath the Pirates of the Caribbean-suitable  family crest a prince's chair awaits baby Joseph's arrival.

The family embraces the inside joke with more royalty- themed baby wear.

What's a baby shower without the crochet hooks getting busy? 

Or tiny shoes (that may be too big when baby arrives)  

The Baby even got a jogging suit that matches his daddy's

Although Papa Chris definitely takes a larger size ):-

When Jonathan debuts- it is with quite a wardrobe.

But as good as the party and the gifts were- this party was a success because the celebration brought family and friends being together in joyful anticipation.

Cheng's Daughters name is Vanessa and Jessica Hernandez's daughter is Samara.

Children taught moms how to boogie

Paul Bona standing in front a Memory Wall

The young couple's family orientation is exemplified in how they solved the common decorationg dilemma: the "great white wall" that came with their honeymoon cottage on the beach. Gennina related how this memory wall came to be, "We came up with the idea to put a cork board... Chris and Kenny had a ritual to go fishing every Saturday." Originally thought that the wall could be used as a backdrop to display "every fish that they caught.... we ended up putting pictures of our family and friends as memories for Chris and I."

Kenny with his bride- Shannon

Thank you to our youngest son Kenny-  for demonstrating uncommon loyalty.  What a blessing it is to be in a position to be 30ish  and already have friendships, such as with Chris, a quarter of a century old. When you and Shannon are ready to expand your family, that devotion will see through the changing seasons of marriage.