Monday, May 4, 2015

Hospice garden tour 2015 1

I love garden tours. What could be a better way to spend a leisurely afternoon strolling though beautifully manicured gardens while at the same time supporting a good cause? For me, walking through gardens is like therapy for my mind and soul as well as a learning experience. It gives me a chance to see what plants do well in our area.  Today I went on a local hospice garden tour with my husband. I think that was best time we spent together, since we both share the same passion for the plants. I wanted to share some of the images with you all. 

There is so much to share that I have to divide this post into two. These two gardens are an entertainer's paradise. Take a look.

My first spot was the Reitz garden. This entire garden looked as though it is part of a natural setting. The homeowner incorporated many succulents and it is all created with water-wise gardening in mind. 

Solar pool



Outdoor kitchen


All through the garden you see succulent designs



Unusual stone bench at the fire pit




Ground cover with mini-pansies


A large covered outdoor living room with a stunning fireplace with two chandeliers.


Similar colors and textures are echoed thoughout the garden


The colors are subtle but elegant. I love how this blue pot is echoing the color of the blue succulents


The 2nd garden is the McCarthy garden, which was simply breathtaking. As you are enter the garden, you feel like you are entering a 5-star tropical paradise. It's hard to believe that this is someone's backyard.

The backdrop to the garden is the a 21-foot high multi-level rock structure with a magnificent waterfall and a water slide embedded with marble tiles. 



Once you over come with initial surprise with ooohs and aaahs, there are so many new discoveries and delights to unfold


I like the wooden beam ceiling on this sitting area. I like anything that is rustic with natural elements in the garden.


The garden slowly unfolds its secrets at each twist and turn



This is the aerial view of the garden with lush tropical plants, waterfalls, and statuaries





The winding paths makes you wonder what is beyond to explore


Yellow clivia 


Throughout this garden, there are so many hidden treasures to explore. The one you see below is a  out door room with giant chess set and it has a disco ball. When you are not playing chess, this place is used as a dance floor.




At each turn, you see a surprise. The one below is a tiki bar.



This is one of the jacuzzis with a fire pit in the middle. This garden has two spas and four fire pits all together, each with its own entertainment value


A lion sleeping on the mountain is not bothered with the traffic



At one turn in the garden, there is a dry sauna


At another turn, there is a wine cave to discover


Driftwood is placed in the garden to hang parrots. Neat idea!



There are numerous seating arrangements throughout the garden to pause and savor the surroundings.


Hope you enjoyed the garden tour. Please join me in my next post to see two more gardens. 

For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes),please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.

 

2 comments:

  1. This is such a pretty garden... I love all of those winding paths. Such a nice place to relax!

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  2. Very beautiful gardens, hope you can post more.

    Erika

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