Garden Photo of the Day

READER PHOTOS! Roger & Mary’s garden in California

Front driveway: Pennisetum orientalis, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum', Stipa tenuissima, Lavandula 'Provence', Stipa gigantea TWO WAYS TO ENLARGE! Click directly on the image to enlarge in a pop-up. Click HERE to view the image in a new browser window.
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg

Today’s photos are from Roger and Mary Greenberg in Marin County, California. Roger says, “We started this garden from scratch 18 years ago, slowly amending the clay soil and planting drifts of ornamental grasses, lavender, and succulents. Other specimens were collected from our travels.

Pincushion protea (Leucospermum cordifolium)
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg

We are located on a south facing hillside and used large boulders to stabilize the soil during the winter rains. The plantings were paired for color and texture and to give year round interest. The garden is frequented often by deer, raccoons, butterflies, hummingbirds and an occasional coyote.”

Wow, Roger. You guys have created a gorgeous garden! I especially love the drifts of grasses in the first photo. Thanks for sharing!

Upper stairs: Succulent plantings with Yucca rostrata
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg
Stone palate: Loropetalum (Chinese fringe flower), Agave attenuata ‘Variegata’, ‘Hakuru Nishiki’ willow
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg
Rear garden (in the spring): Nandina, loropetalum, coralbark maple ( ‘Sango-kaku’), phormium (‘Cream Delight’), antique Moroccan door (our garden “folly”) surrounded by Mexican weeping bamboo.
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg
Aeonium ‘Zwartkopf’ in bloom
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg
Hillside: Bouganvilla, Yucca rostrata, cordyline (‘Electric Pink’), olive trees.
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg
Front Entrance: Nandina, Japanese maples, festival grass, verbena, mayten boria, butterfly maple, Cotinus ‘Grace’.
Photo/Illustration: Courtesy of Roger and Mary Greenberg

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Comments

  1. User avater
    meander_michaele 08/24/2012

    Roger and Mary, your have created a mesmerizing garden. I found myself lingering over each photo to enjoy all the intriguing and sometimes subtle details. Love the cast upon the ground statuary head in the picture featuring the succulents and Yucca rostrata. The swath of grasses and lavender in the first photo is intoxicating...my cup runneth over from the beauty of your efforts.
    What is the luminous light colored tree in the final picture? I had initially assumed it was a dogwood in bloom but since your identification comments did not mention that, I'm now wondering. Is it a type variegated Japanese maple? And, by the way, do Dogwoods even grow in your part of CA?

  2. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 08/24/2012

    stunning! great plant palette and cool stones, door, and art. thanks for sharing.

  3. Jay_Sifford 08/24/2012

    What a great garden! It's so artistically laid out, and with such a beautiful plant palate. I also love the door.
    Thanks for sharing.

  4. cwrosten 08/24/2012

    I just returned from a visit to northern CA and it hit 111 degrees while I was there. I love seeing what obviously thrives in climates so diverse from my midwestern world. I also am intrigued by the color contrasts Roger and Mary have created in a predominantly golden state.

  5. tractor1 08/24/2012

    Fantastic stonework with a very broad array of unique and mature plantings, very professionally configured and maintained... my immediate impression is that it was started 18 years ago by writing a massive boulder sized check to a major landscaping company.

  6. Wife_Mother_Gardener 08/24/2012

    Your Front Driveway planting is so beautiful - well balanced and perfect for summer's end.
    Great job, Roger & Mary! Thank you for sharing!!

  7. Formandfoliage 08/24/2012

    Love that agave!

  8. solana1234 08/24/2012

    More more! Do you do tours? Wonderful pairings, delightful art and symmetry of plants and boulders.

  9. Vespasia 08/24/2012

    Wonderful, what a lovely, eclectic mix of planting and artwork. I love the big rocks and the steps down to the door. It's obvious that your garden is a true labour of love!

  10. GardenWhimsy 08/24/2012

    Thanks to all for your nice comments...to answer your questions: Yes, Dogwoods can thrive in Marin County....we have a Cornus "Cherokee" and a Cornus Convolusa varigata that are doing well. The white flowered tree in the final pic is a Viburnum plicatum 'Tomentosum'-Doublefile (it has larger flowers positioned horizontally) Yes, we share our garden with groups from The Garden Conservancy, Pacific Horticulture,etc....and would be happy to give a private tour for anyone interested.The garden has slowly evolved over the years and continues to change. Mary and I do all the plant selection, garden maintenance and we love it.

  11. cwheat000 08/24/2012

    Stunning. Exceptional . I especially love the ornamental grass border.

  12. plant_lady_55 08/25/2012

    Your garden is lovely!!! I like the colors and textures and the hillsides. I cannot believe you have a Sango Kaku Japanese maple. I just bought one today for my son's home. I'm in the process of redoing their front landscaping. The nursery told me it would grow to 10 or 15 feet. When I got home and looked it up on the internet, it said 25 feet! That won't work. How old is yours and how tall is it? I heard that Sango Kaku means coral bark, and it sure looks beautiful in your picture. Thanks.

  13. sheila_schultz 08/25/2012

    Your gardens are truly a work of art. I am in awe of your vision. Thank you for the inspiration.

  14. GardenWhimsy 08/25/2012

    To Plant Lady 55: Our Sango-Kaku tree is about 6 yrs. old and almost 14' high...you could prune yours to desired height. The tree is deciduous and the bark turns a gorgeous coral red in winter...making it a focal point in the garden for months.

  15. idontwantone 08/25/2012

    AND your lovely garden is placed on quite a steep hillside - kudos!

  16. KiahG 09/19/2012

    The grasses are GORGEOUS

  17. Deziner 11/05/2012

    This is a beautiful garden tended by some truly wonderful gardeners.
    I live just up the road and have visited this garden at different times of the year during the various Open Garden Tour dates.
    The owners do not know me from Adam but have always been gracious in sharing their garden with other like minded gardeners.
    I love driving by their hillside garden , it it such a joy .

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