Twin Palms

Perched on a hill with dizzying city skyline and bay views, this urban oasis on a double-plus-sized lot is deeply rooted in the English country garden tradition but with sustainability designed into its heart. Blessed by rich soil and underground natural springs, 80-year-old boxwoods and camellias thrive on their own from the garden's first period, 1939 to 1992. In 1992 the current owners challenged the landscape architect to incorporate in-situ specimen shrubs to anchor a fresh design that included a new bluestone patio and a freestanding heated all-glass conservatory. The hardscape design now echoes the sweeping curves of the Art Deco architecture of the home. Over the last 30 years, the landscape has evolved into a bird sanctuary and perennial garden featuring wisteria trained upright. The central recirculating water rock is a year-round magnet that draws in resident hummingbirds, finches, and sometimes even red-tailed hawks for their daily bath. Native hawthorns, propagated from the original mother, now bloom plentifully throughout the garden in dense stands, as trees, and in bonsai forms. Starting in late June when the hawthorn nuts ripen, they provide a daily feast for a pandemonium of the city's famous wild parrots!

Open Days 2023: Saturday, May 20
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.