Friday, February 18, 2011

An Early Spring Walk Through the Neighborhood


We had a spell of warm dry weather for a couple of weeks, and all of a sudden blooms started popping up everywhere. It was heart-warming to see so much beauty so early in the year. Please join me on a little walk through the neighborhood  and look at what is happening in the gardens around me.


This is an old neighborhood with tiny lots that have mostly escaped the horrors of "low-maintenance landscaping". Nearly every garden looks different, and a gardener's taste comes through clearly in the choice of colors and blooms.



This area is located at the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains which provide a dreamy evergreen backdrop  to the well-tended gardens.



Like much of California, the climate here is Mediterranean with dry hot summers and mild rainy winters.


In fact, at the turn of the century, after a prestigious British medical journal recommended this area as having "the most equitable climate in the world", doctors sent tuberculosis patients here in the hopes of prolonging their lives.


I am glad that some of the "old age" look is still present. Mature plantings (even if a bit overgrown) are a lovely sight, and not too common: it seems that whenever houses change hands, a new owner starts out by removing the plants chosen by someone else before him. 


The pressure to conform is ever present, so it is a welcome surprise to come upon a garden that looks so different from everybody else's: indeed, why have a lawn when you can grow weeds? And so beautiful too, like this garden full of bermuda buttercups (buttercup oxalis),...


...which go so well with flowering quince.


As the area's primary business gradually changed from farming and orchard-growing to high tech, the interest in maintaining a garden dwindled. Neighborhoods with creative and carefully-tended landscaping are by no means ubiquitous. And so when I find myself in such a place, I always try to spend some time walking around, and catching a glimpse of scenes like this one, of a serendipitous and fleeting harmony of color created by an ornamental pear against a neighbor's blue house...


...or a welcoming staircase nicely shaded by a mix of pink and red camellias...


...or an old, overplanted and a bit untidy garden with a huge red camellia and a rambling hardenbergia vine getting over into the neighbor's yard.


I hope this neighborhood will stay unchanged for a long time and maintain its sense of history and tradition, in gardening as much as in everything else.

45 comments:

  1. I enjoyed looking at your beautiful post! I love the older neighborhoods with heirloom gardens. They have so much character and beauty. Thanks for sharing your walk.

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  2. Masha, I truly enjoyed the walk through your neighborhoods today in the morning. I love mature plantings and when individuality comes through in a garden. So your great photos are really to my liking. Thanks for visual treat!
    Christina

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  3. Thank you, Amy, and nice to meet you. You are right, older neighborhoods have a lot of charm and beauty. I am glad you liked my post.

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  4. Thank you, Christina, and I am glad to hear from you again.

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  5. I love old neighborhoods, the gardens and architecture are so individual and charming. Beautiful photos. I can't wait for things to start blooming here in NJ!

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  6. Thank you, Shannon. Spring is coming to you too!

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  7. Dear Masha, What an interesting and attractive neighbouhood you live in. As you say, it is made so much more intiriguing as each garden has a unique and quirky style. And, such a wide variety of plants are grown.

    J, my gardener/ handyman would certainly have a fit at the buttercup lawn but I love it!

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  8. Dear Edith, thank you and I was actually thinking about your Daisy post when I was taking the picture of the buttercup lawn.

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  9. What a delightful stroll...every one of these homes seem to say, "C'mon in."

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  10. Thank you, Darla, and you are right, they do look inviting.

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  11. What a beautiful place this neighborhood is! All those flowers are just breathtaking. So beautiful! I would love to take a stroll around that neighborhood and enjoy all that beauty!
    You know, Masha, from your blog I learn the names of many flowers and plants. From one of your previous posts, I learned the name "candytuft" as I have it my garden too. And today I learned "bermuda buttercups". I've seen these wild flowers very often and was wondering about their name.
    Thank you for your beautiful and interesting blog.
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  12. Wow, what a wonderful little tour. You live in a lovely neighborhood.

    FlowerLady

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  13. Thank you, Olga, for such a wonderful comment. You made my day!

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  14. Thank you, FlowerLady. I am very happy you enjoyed it.

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  15. Oh, so lovely...I really enjoy the overstuffed look- the gardens you have shown are stunning.

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  16. Thank you, Hanni, I am glad you like them.

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  17. Thank you for this tour through your neighborhood Masha! Chenomeles, Euriops, Camellias.... Colours are already very vivid down the Santa Cruz hills... Lucky you!
    (PS : the most equitable climate in the world also exists down there, between St Tropez and Nice!!)

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  18. Thank you, Gabriel, and I knew I wouldn't have to name any plants because you know them all! It is an honor to be acquainted with such a knowledgeable botanist and photographer.

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  19. What a nice walk! Nice homes, and such interesting plantings. Everything is so pretty in its spring bloom.

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  20. I love this neighborhood especially the garden in the first two photos with the delicious red and purple and the brick walls. Thank you, Masha, so charming.

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  21. Thank you, Sherry, and that one was my favorite too!

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  22. This was a wonderful tour that I really enjoyed. I love older neighborhoods with the architecture and history. The gardens are so pretty, but I am betting it is your framing the images that is really showing them off at their best.

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  23. Thank you, Gardenwalkgardentalk, for such nice compliments from a discerning photographer. I am very happy to hear from you.

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  24. What a charming and beautiful neighborhood, and you photographed it wonderfully. It's a shame there aren't more places like that in this country, but those that do exist are to be treasured. Thank you for the tour. I haven't seen hardenbergia vine before and it's gorgeous.

    You asked about the rose in the last picture ~ that's a mystery passalong nicknamed 'Delia's Purple'. It's once-blooming, fragrant, and very vigorous, a hybrid China probably. I plan to take more detailed pictures and post to see if anyone can identify it.

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  25. Thank you, Sweetbay. How fun to have a mystery rose growing in your garden, that's my favorite type of rose:-).

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  26. How lovely Marsha, you are very talented both in your garden & with a camera. We lived in San Jose CA. 28 yrs ago when my husband John & I were newlyweds. I don't remember it being that beautiful but I think there was a drought going on then. We were only there about 2 yrs I mostly remember every thing was golden brown but a beauty of its own. Back here in Chicago land February is still winter although most of the 16 inches of snow has melted. I have a few roses, but oh my yours are just gorgeous. I will be back looking for more tips and enjoying your blog.

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  27. That is an amazing walk. your neighborhood looks fantastic. I am sure everyone takes a lot of effort for their garden. It is beautiful

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  28. what a lovely California neighborhood... it is cool to see 'old' stuff out there with a sense of time.

    As far as the climate, I agree, it honestly can't be beat. It just can't.

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  29. That was an absolutely wonderful "walk", what a beautiful neighbourhood!

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  30. Thank you, Fawne, and nice to meet you. Going from SJ to Chicago is quite a move in gardening terms!

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  31. Thank you, Fer, and I am glad you took a look at it.

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  32. Thank you, Jess, I was thinking of your descriptions of Charleston when I was walking.

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  33. Mac, thank you, and enjoy glimpses of Australia in your blog.

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  34. Hi Masha,
    What a beautiful garden with splendid roses. So wonderfull. I am impressed and therefore I follow your site. I have good news for you. I have selected you to receive the Stylish Blogger Award. To find out more, visit www.ellystuin.com
    I hope you like it.
    Greetings from a cold Netherlands, Elly

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  35. What a beautiful neighbourhood you live in! Stunning!

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  36. Masha, I really enjoyed your spring photos. I think I should move to California soon!

    Cindy

    http://www.cindydyer.wordpress.com

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  37. Thank you, Elly, and I appreciate the award. I am glad you found me all the way from the Netherlands.

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  38. Thank you, Christine, and nice to meet you!

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  39. Thank you, Cindy. I loved looking at your blog.

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  40. Thank you, Masha, for the Stylish Blogger Award, but even more, thank you for visiting my blog so regularly (daily, I think!) and for your comments which are always just right - and for following it from the very beginning.

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  41. Domy tak pięknie ozdobione kolorowym krzewami i drzewami mają wiele uroku. Chętnie bym w takim zamieszkała.Pozdrowienia z Polski

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  42. hello masha,
    My name is sophie and i have a little garden in france..
    I discover your blog with isabelle of "little bit of paradise".. Your garden is wonderful, I don't have words to describe my admiration...
    Your photos are so beautiful!!
    I'lle come back soon..
    Sophie

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  43. Bonjour et bien venue, Sophie! Je suis heureuse de vous voir ici.

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  44. hi masha this is the best blog ive had the pleasure of visiting i am thinking of starting my
    own blog but yours is lovely and interesting and the photograghy is very good too thank you
    for sharing and i hope you continue to add lovely photos and interesting news

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I am so glad you have stopped by!