I married a MacGyver~ Eclipse Day in the Garden

MacGyver, the action adventure hero played by Richard Dean Anderson from 1985- 1992  has nothing on my husband when it comes to rigging up parts to solve a problem. Like watching a solar eclipse safely. 

The parts I recognize underneath all that blue painters tape include a digital camera, binoculars, cardboard and a part of the shop vacuum.  

Gerry testing his device out in advance of the eclipse.

From the map with more red dots than a kid with chicken pox posted on his Facebook page with where his travels have taken him- he probably has seen as much of the world as the Hollywood  fictional spy was scripted in. Israel 7 times,  he stopped counting Norway trips at 54, Great Britain he visited even more. And those are just a a very tiny portion of Where in the World is Gerry. 

Gerry watching the eclipse in our backyard

Of all the places he's been, where's my globe trotter's favorite spot - why Diamond Bar, California, of course!  

Dennis McCreary, the Civil Engineer next door, came up with his daughter to check out the viewing device. His daughter named this scene "Nerd Central".  What did they see? 

My SLR brought into service to capture the viewer

The shadow of the moon crossing in-front of the sun.   

Now that I've shared the "scientific" part of the day- if I can only get through my list at a decent hour, tomorrow I can catch up posting some of the garden's splendor.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - May 2012

"I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like, but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will not ask, 'How many good things have you done in your life?' rather he will ask, 'How much love did you put into what you did?" 

~ Mother Teresa

Our oldest son sent a Mother's Day card, telling me to "Take the day off. Smell some of the roses."

When the color swirls over the petals as it does in 'The Disneyland Rose'- scent is an option

Particularly if your garden is like mine, a living perfumery. 

A niece bought her first home. Soon, some of her grandmother's purple iris will be shipped her way. 
The trumpet vine taught me to never give up on love. It died. So I thought. Evidently, not. 

An old bonsai pot taught me to think twice before giving in to my urge to purge. The shallow pot is under the cascading  Hatiora gaetneri- the spring blooming Easter Cactus. Tracing its ancestry back to on-high in Brazilian tropical rain forest trees, if it can be hybridized for a longer bloom season, perhaps the new cultivar might be named 'orchid cactus'. 

This year, the backyard is a bit chaotic. Just as life can be. Just love it. Work at it. Live in the moment- but with a plan.  


Linking to May Dreams Gardens world wide garden party. 

Encinitas- ~ Vaya con Dios

"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

Passing through the orchid guarded gate, if a garden could be a benediction, the  pronouncement of divine blessing, this garden is alive with holy spirit. 

In using every inch of space to good purpose, this garden brought out the joy of California's Spanish heritage in romantic details. 

An  abundance of detail embrace each other, redefining perfect order as something requiring time to burnish in the glow which comes  with aging well.   

Paving and planting are clearly defined as to purpose.  Stucco Walls are softened with greenery and decorated with murals matted in Terra Cotta surrounds. 

Framing the tile murals is the touch of grace- the raised plaster frame- a halo signifying their status as true artwork.

Diane Watson of D& D Interiors taught me to only use tile where the color runs through: no chips and edges detailed like couture . If the edges on these rises were not the same as the surface, the effect would not be so enchanting. The eye would go to a detail ignored, instead of to the flattened arches and  cooling lushness.

Note the breathing space. Just as we need it in our relationships, so do plants. 

Not all the paving matched, but compatible by tone.  More orchids on the table. One can never have too many orchids. Note the icicle lights along the wall.  If you are smart and copy this look- match the wire color as close as you can to the wall. 

An old tree with a lazy limb adds character. Without it, this part of the garden would be like Marilyn Monroe without her birthmark. Just not as interesting

The purple arrows were like bread crumbs- keeping us from getting lost in this amazingly endless garden. 

Every inch of the garden was put to good use. The traditional meaning of frugal isn't cheap. It is used to highest and best advantage. Which this series of raised beds floating in gravel certainly are. 

The railings to the very back of the garden had just enough detail to keep them from being purely utilitarian.

Which is fair, because we women forget that romance is not just about what we want. It's about what he wants, too.

What says man cave like classic cars in a showroom garage with checkerboard floor and red cabinets.

Getting older makes life more romantic. We have these memory triggers to make us smile. Like gas pumps that were manned by service people wearing hats who also washed our windshields at checked the air in the tires. For free. With a smile.

And so I bid fond adieu to Encinitas. 

Thanks to the Metagenix Detox diet, I'm currently down 7 lbs from when this picture was taken

If I have been spare on plant names, it is because this was a date with my husband, not a scouting expedition. This was down time. Complete with dinner out.

However- this spectacular Echium candicans (Pride of Madeira) deserves to be honored with mention.  So lovely in the spring. So dignified in its beauty. With its 10' wingspan, it will eat up most private gardens. However, in the springtime in the San Gabriel Valley- take a drive on Pathfinder Rd between Ronald Reagan Park and Fullerton Road.  Their is quite an impressive stand whose purple spires are a seasonal delight.

Encinitas - The Anatomy of Desire- Fantasy Gardens

"About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness and the rest are bread-and-butter designs."

~Manalo Blahnik 

Shoes. Landscapes. The anatomy of desire is the same in all endeavors where humans participate.   

 Is it just me- or does this gate look like something from the set of Game of Thrones? 

 Scientists may someday discover that Garden Tours cure loneliness. 

When the birdhouse is lavished with this sort of attention...  

Ever consider pots as sculptural elements in the garden? 

I do believe 'Midnight'- our long deceased black cat, is reincarnated.  With all this lushness- Encinitas is kitty heaven.

The elephant fountain is a bit of whimsy in this roomy garden. 

Gardens aren't just for keeping busy. They are to enjoy. A chair, a table and two vanity stools are at home outside. The mirror, reflecting the greenery, punches the vignette as though it were a large painting.

If you only knew how steep the path was leading to this spot- you would know how appropriate the mountain goat is):- 

All this red lava reminds me of childhood hiking over ancient lava flows.  In a smaller garden, the coloration would overwhelm. Here: it adds to the fantasy. 

If your home is a tropical resort- this might be what it looked like.

Agricultural wheels, a remnant of the agricultural past carried forward to the present.

Looking up to where the office, with its own deck, looks down.

Blue roofs are an architectural element that is hard to pull off. But when it is right, it is oh, so very right.

One more post to go in this series.

Encinitas 3- Charming Rurality

"Humility is the gateway into the grace and the favor of God." 

~ Harold Warner   

It was a humble house. Two large trees and a lawn bordered in river rocks. At one side, there was a gate to the private part of the property. It was all but hidden in shrubbery gone a bit wild. Through this opening was but a glimpse which whet the imagination with visions of what might beyond.

This homeowner clearly understands the dramatic impact of strong focal points and the purpose of defined pathways.

The strength of material, mixed with originality indicate intent- The angled wood door of the gate framed under the arched brick eyebrow- the intellect goes to work on solving the riddle of- What is the purpose? 

 Whatever is beyond- it must be wonderful to warrant all this detail.

Say Hello to my husband, Gerry

As a Garden Communicator. I look for elements that are not just visually pleasing; they are thoughtful. The Patina-ed cedar bridge allows visitors to pad across the water feature without needing to leap it like a deer. 

 

Pond owners are apt to enjoy naming fish like pets. Then the sad day comes when the little ones are gone from the water. Vanished. Some bird has discovered an easy shallow water source to swoop in for a quick fish dinner. While the shaded roofing won't detract raccoon- it is a good line of defense against birds of prey. 

The sundial rests upon the ground, marking the turn in the stone pathway. 

Every good garden has a sense of place. In this modest garden, I could feel God's grace in the humble execution of details.  

Yesterday I visited more charming gardens in Newport and Corona del Mar. Each with a fabulous story to share. As soon as we finish enjoying the rurality of Encinitas. 

Back in Business - Encinitas -2 - Painting the Garden

" Take thy plastic spade,

It is thy pencil; take thy seeds, thy plants,

They are thy colours."

~William Mason, The English Garden, 1782

Boulder at right front of drive anchors the scene

One dead computer, one sister recovering from her heart attacking and one Beverly Hills hair makeover by Shannon and Adrienne at José Eber's new salon and I am back. Ever more thankful for God's grace in this life.

Back to where we left off,  walking the Encinitas Garden Festival and Tour. Come, learn more of how gardeners paint their outdoor spaces with plants and negative space, one vision at a time.

Note the boulder at the front left of the driveway.  Its mass gives impact to the entrance. It adds to the perspective by providing the eye with a resting place before it journeys up to the house across the concrete divide.

Well- spaced billowing plants are both water-wise and back-friendly. Containing the water bill and less maintenance. As I ease into my senior years comfort and cost tip the scales as important values when nearing a cash register.

Balancing rock with mulch keeps the scene from being quarry-like

Attention to detail is not just in the plantings, but in what is brushed between. Note the walk-way colors repeat in the stones bordering  the driveway. Thus, mulch beyond is held back from muddying up the hardscape during a torrential downpour. Which we do get in California. Ask any one who has had both cars and the house windows washed at once.  Its an immediate cosmic reaction to keep mere humans from believing we have control. 

Not visible from the street, a generous lawn bordered by a bodacious outline drawn in paving stone  allows the house to breathe.  Ever wonder why splendid castles in France aren't hugged by shrubbery? Function first: in medieval times, lions might look upon a doorway as the opportunity for making a dinner out of those entering or exiting the safety of home.

Nowadays, notwithstanding the occasional bear or mountain lion galavanting from their hillside homes to ours, there is still plenty of wildlife we should design escape routes for or from. Snakes, rats, skunks- those sort of charmers ought to have separate, if not equal, habitat.