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Wylie Greig refers his backyard garden as a “magic kingdom.”
He and his wife, Janet, bought their Palo Alto home near Jordan Middle School in 1991, and lived there for seven years before calling in the designer who had made the garden in the Eichler they’d lived in previously so special. Their “new” house had a lot in common with Eichlers, with its central courtyard and plenty of windows.
Visitors on this year’s Gamble Garden Spring Tour, on Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, will have a chance to see just what garden designer Mary Gordon’s original vision of the Greig’s garden was nearly 30 years ago — and how the garden has evolved.
A low fence made of railroad ties anchored by short stone pillars sits at the front of the house, surrounded by lush plantings: Arctostaphylos ‘Emerald Carpet’ ground cover, Sarabande red roses and Roger’s Red grapes. On the left side of the property is a towering redwood, with layers of white azaleas, ferns and seasonal flowers below. On the other side of the flagstone walkway is an Arbutus tree, what Greig describes as “a wonderful climbing tree when the kids were young.”
The flagstone path leads to the entry, with its peach-colored Phyllis rose climbing over the front door. Inside is a large courtyard, with a series of tables clustered together to resemble a large farm table, surrounded by colorful chairs — enough seating to accommodate 18 when the family convenes.
Grass used to fill the center space, but during the drought the Greigs replaced the lawn with yellow decomposed granite. Now there’s more of an emphasis on water-tolerant plants.
“We used (the tour) as an excuse to redo the irrigation system. It was higgledy-piggledy,” Janet Greig said. “(The tour) provided an opportunity to look at stuff with a fresh eye.”
On one side of the courtyard is a hot tub, surrounded by wood benches, a raised steel planter filled with succulents and several Shona tribe stone sculptures from Zimbabwe. Along the side of the house is the chicken coop, where three chickens reside.
“One of Mary (Gordon)’s criteria is every room in the house needs to look out onto something,” Wylie Greig said. So, as one winds around Gordon’s characteristic meandering flagstone pathway, it’s easy to imagine the view from the master bedroom (an espaliered apple tree with a sculpture in front); from the kitchen (climbing roses); from the family room (camellias and an herb garden); and from the dining room (a bird bath plus pockets of variegated ivy hanging from the back fence.
“Janet grew up in a ranch house, in the middle of an orchard,” Wylie said. Growing up with “gorgeous gardens but no professional designer,” Janet wanted to recreate that feeling, to always have something in bloom. It couldn’t take a lot of work to maintain while the kids were young, she added.
“The side yards have their own characteristics,” Wylie said, noting that near the fence in back it’s quite sunny, while across the path and nearer the house is deep shade.
Many of their plantings are in pots that can be moved to follow the sun.
It’s difficult not to experience plant envy when strolling through the garden rooms, whether it’s for the many trees (persimmon, fig, plums, lemon, Japanese maple, gray birch), flowers (Snow Panda Fringe, begonias, cyclamen, cymbidiums, camellias, roses, Iceland and Matilija poppies, pansies, iris), ground covers or even vegetables and fruit (peas, onions, squash, lettuce, blueberries).
“We tend to mix vegetables in (with the trees and flowers). We try not to waste anything, in terms of space,” Wylie said.
In one corner is a fig tree overhanging a curved bench and fountain, with a circular brick patio below.
Some things have been tweaked over time. For example, the walkway in back used to break off into two legs, with an oval space planted with roses in the middle. Last year the Greigs removed one leg of the pathway and replaced it with three steel raised planter beds, each with a decorative metal trellis screen.
“Things planted in them just explode,” Wylie said, because the sun heats the metal and soil inside.
Wylie credits the success of their garden with “a little bit of planning, but a lot of luck. You learn what grows (where).”
Each of the Greigs spends some time in the garden most days, getting rid of detritus and tidying up. But they’ve called on landscape designer Janet Enright to help them refresh the garden in preparation for the tour.
“We piddle around all the time. If there’s major digging, somebody else does it. … The house is part of the garden furniture: Even when you’re inside, you feel like you’re in the garden,” Wylie said.
Other gardens on the Spring Tour include:
· a lush formal garden with a tropical feel, with potted sago palms flanking both the front entry and the back garden;
· an arch of Magnolia Grandiflors leading to sculpture, stone benches and planters;
· a peaceful formal garden aimed at year-round outdoor living, complete with a planted wall fountain that resembles a wedding cake;
· views from all windows, as well as a pool, outdoor kitchen, gazebo and a treepoline (woven rope platform in a tree).
In addition to touring the gardens, guests on the spring tour may want to check out the free activities at Gamble Garden, including the Over the Garden Fence market (gently used garden furniture, antiques, home decor, china and linens), plant sale, vendor marketplace, live music and a silent auction.
What: “California Dreaming” — Gamble Garden Spring Tour
When: Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Five gardens in Palo Alto plus Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto
Cost: $35 general admission, $30 for members and volunteers; pre-ordered (by April 21) lunch tickets are $18 for turkey, ham or vegetarian options catered by Calafia; limited lunch available on tour days
Info: Register online at www.gamblegarden.org or call 650-329-1356.
Freelance writer Carol Blitzer can be emailed at carolgblitzer@gmail.com.
Freelance writer Carol Blitzer can be emailed at carolgblitzer@gmail.com.
Freelance writer Carol Blitzer can be emailed at carolgblitzer@gmail.com.
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