Prairie Paradise

I'm a landscape designer; in my design work, I've always been partial to destination retreats and there are four in the backyard. PV (Puerto Vallarta) is a gazebo-type affair, Paradise has a bistro table and umbrella, Punta de Mita is a small intimate area for two people, and Palmetto (named after a long-gone palm) is the bar and lounge area. There are gardens around all the retreats. In addition, there is a 30' × 18' redwood-covered patio with a flat-screen TV, recliners, and other amenities one would expect. All the gardens are no to low water except the raised vegetable/flower beds. We moved in 30 years ago and started the gardens a couple of years later. Initially, the landscape was typical urban blah with overgrown pfitzer junipers, viburnums, and Kentucky bluegrass. Today, I still maintain a huge "throw rug" of turf in the backyard—perhaps 200 square feet, but it offers a nice foil for the gardens to play off. I am not a maintenance maven; I'd rather enjoy the garden than have it become a millstone. In the last few years, I've strived to change my mindset; instead of thinking of it as a dreaded obligation—then it will be—think of it as an opportunity and it can be, to be a better guardian for my plant communities.

Open Days 2024:  Saturday, June 1
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.