What IS YOUR FAVORITE PART of BEING in the GARDEN?
I love the sense of peace and tranquility I get from being in a garden.
There’s no better place to unwind – to disconnect from daily concerns and connect with a gentler rhythm.
IF you had no care for costs would your GARDEN be BIG or SMALL?
WHY?
If cost were no concern, I’d have to go for a LARGE GARDEN!
I’m thinking of the many grand gardens I’ve visited in Great Britain, places like Bodnant Garden, Snowshill Manor, Chatsworth House, and so many more, where the garden presents itself as a series of garden rooms.
I imagine what it would be like to follow your fancy to whichever garden room had the best blooms or scent or fit your mood on any particular day.
I’d also like space for a large potager, or kitchen garden, and room for a greenhouse or two!
DOES A GARDEN GIVE YOU ENERGY?
Does a garden give me energy? Now that’s an interesting question!
I most often go to the garden to relax but I suppose you can think of that as a means of cultivating a sense of lightness and gentle energy, as opposed to frenetic energy.
I do know that after spending time in the garden, I’m restored and better equipped to take on the day.
IF YOU HAD TO PICK THREE FAVORITE PLANTS WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
TELL US WHY if you can?
This is a hard one, so I’m going to go with the three plants that come to me and fits:
TOMATOES, because they are so versatile. – from freshly sliced heirlooms to tomato sauce on pizza. I can’t imagine life without tomatoes.
WISTERIA, because there’s nothing as magnificent as a wisteria in full bloom. Between the show-stopping flowers and the heady scent, wisteria always takes my breath away.
IRISES, because they may be my favorite flower. I especially like Douglas Iris, which is a California native and one of the first to bloom in my garden. But, really, I love all varieties, they’re delicate, yet strong, but never bold and brash.
PEONIES, because I can’t count to three and they are simply magnificent!
WHICH FLOWER MOST DESCRIBES YOUR PERSONALITY?
I relate best to lacecap hydrangeas. Here’s why: they prefer shady conditions; their flowers aren’t as showy as their better-known cousins the mophead varieties; they tend to wilt when it gets too hot, but a nice cool drink will revive them. That pretty much sums me up!
FAVORITE FERTILZER?
I only use a seaweed based fertilizer that I dilute with water.
It’s an all-purpose organic choice.
Although, I do fertilize my lemon tree and fuchsias with used tea leaves.
At what AGE did you start to GARDEN?
I don’t remember exactly when I started gardening, but some of my earliest childhood memories are of planting radishes. Why radishes?I don’t know…I don’t even like radishes. But remember planting them in our family garden. I think cosmos were the first flowers I planted, maybe at the age of 7 or 8. Both radishes and cosmos provide easy success for a young gardener!
Any Tricks for Deer or WILD TURKEYS?
The only trick I have for deer is to plant things with strong scents and stick leaves around the plants the deer prefer. They seem to avoid certain salvias, especially Salvia clevelandii, better than any deer deterrent I’ve tried. Our backyard is fenced to keep them out, but the deer literally raise their young in our front yard, but they don’t go near the salvia. The neighborhood turkeys haven’t figured out that our dog Maggie is more afraid of them, so they stay away.
Tell which season gives you the most JOY in descending order………
Favorite first than least favorite last!
SPRING because that’s when my garden looks its best. It’s also the season that’s so full of promise for the future. Watching plants reemerge after the winter is nothing short of miraculous, to me.
FALL, even I miss the explosion of fall color that I enjoyed back east, there are still trees in California that change color. And, I appreciate the Fall days and promise of rainfall.
WINTER, because we all need time to snuggle down and rest.
Summer is a tough one, because I appreciate the bounty of produce I get even from my few raised beds, but I really don’t like hot weather!
There’s nothing that I love more than an English cottage-style garden. I’m fortunate to be able to visit England every summer, and the highlight of our trips…you might even say, the main focus…is visiting gardens that are part of the National Trust.
When we lived in Alexandria, Virginia, we inherited a fabulous perennial garden from the previous homeowner. There was always something in bloom…and we had a wisteria that was a real show stopper. Cars would stop in front of our house to admire it.
When we moved to California 25 years ago,I had visions of recreating the beautiful garden I had in Virginia. The only problem is that the climates are drastically different. I killed a LOT of plants those first few years. I think it took me five years to finally come to terms with the fact that it really wouldn’t rain all summer. Frustrated with my lack of gardening success, I started to focus on plants that would attract wildlife. I’m quite taken by California quail, and I read somewhere that they like flowering currant, or ribes. I planted a few, and sure enough, we started seeing more quail in our yard. From there, I looked for plants that would attract pollinators, and overtime, developed a garden that is predominately California natives. Of course, there will always be room for non-native favorites, but the natives really do support a wider variety of wildlife.
Now when I garden, I take time to notice the birds that call our garden home, I like to think of them as my gardening buddies. We’ve watched generations of chicks hatch and enjoyed discovering how many varieties of bees visit our flowers. Best of all, native plants are generally drought tolerant, thereby requiring very little water and they seem to need less fussing. I’m lucky to have found a landscape designer who knows a tremendous amount about native and drought tolerant plants. Working with her, I’ve been able to create a garden that is always in bloom.
I’m adding my own question, because you asked it of someone earlier, and it’s the only one I had a ready answer for:(CONTESSA LOVES THAT YOU DID THIS!)
NAME TWO GARDENERS YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE OVER FOR DINNER.
That’s easy, Monty Don and Beatrice Potter. Monty Don is the host of Gardeners World on the BBC (US viewers can watch him on BritBox). Not only is he extremely knowledgable about gardening, he approaches it with a sense of joy. It’s not an overstatement to say that Monty Don has helped me get through these uncertain pandemic times. I’ve been known to binge watch multiple episodes in one sitting. And, Beatrix Potter was a business woman and conservationist way ahead of her time. She bought acres and acres of land up England’s Lake District and later left over 4,000 acres to the National Trust. Plus, she raised sheep and was the first woman elected as president of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association.
LEAVE US WITH A GARDEN QUOTE…….PLEASE!
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.”
Lady Bird Johnson
THANK YOU PAT for a VISIT TO YOUR GARDEN and your STUNNING PHOTOS!
That mushroom looks FAKE?
The View the Flowers and the WILDLIFE SURROUND YOU!
Looks like PARADISE to ME!
PAT OWNS A SMALL BOOK STORE IN MY HOME TOWN OF ORINDA,CALIFORNIA.
Love your Garden Floozy features! Pat, you are delightful and inspiring! I love your garden, dog, birds and if I lived in California I would visit your book store! I hope this comment shows up as I cannot see any text that I’m tryping, strangely enough!
Loved this post. I’m the worlds worst gardener but envy and appreciate your knowledge and skill!! I do love to watch the birds and bees feast on my fruit!
Pat sounds lovely, Elizabeth! And anyone who has a garden and bookshop is a friend of mine! Beautiful pictures, I love learning about your friends. One tip you might pass on to Pat as far as the critters and deer eating away her plantings, I’ve used coyote urine pellets, available at Home Depot, Amazon, and the like. Sprinkle around, the pesky animals are afraid and it’s a done deal. A lot of farmers and gardeners are keen on it.
HELLO JANE……….LION PISS was POPULAR here about 15 years ago I have Never heard of these PELLETS!MY ITALIAN couldnot stand the LION PISS SMELL……so this is NEWS TO ME!!I shall Look for it in Home Depot.
THUNDER & LIGHTENING HERE ALL NIGHT LONG…………WE NEVER HAVE THIS KIND OF WEATHER!!!THIS EARTHQUAKE GAL is TERRIFIED!
SO IS MISTER BANKSY the BIG PIGGY!
XX
What a wonderful read and glimpse into Pat’s world. Her vistas are pretty amazing! What a delightful life she leads, heading to England annually on a garden tour. Lucky woman! Ditto on the Monty Don chatter, and we’ve presently got his French Gardens series on telly at the moment, but try to seek out his Italian Gardens series – you’d love it!! I concur that his Insta account is pretty lush but I’m going cold-ish turkey on that medium right now. Need to bring some focus back into my life, there’s been a bit too much drifting aimlessly of late. Instagram was a noble sacrifice, hahah!!
I HEAR YOU!
I’m NOT POSTING TODAY………….
AS I am relocating my clothing from ALL OVER THE CASA to MY NEW AND MUCH IMPROVED CLOSET!!!
BREAKS ARE GOOD ON MANY LEVELS!!!!!
I will look for that SERIES!!!
GRAZIE!
XX
Radish was my first thing to grow too. 🙂 I think my Dad let us grow radishes because the seeds are bigger (easy for little hands), the plants grow quickly (helps impatient kiddos to see quick results) and he loved to eat them! Love this look into other gardener’s lives. Stay safe! <3
I loved this! I need to try the tea leaf trick. I wonder why she uses them on citrus? I get the acid loving plants, maybe her soil is different. Pat sounds like someone I need to get to know!
I honestly don’t remember where I first heard about this trick. I’m pretty sure it was something I read that said used coffee grounds are good for citrus. Since I don’t like coffee, I just started using tea leaves. There was one year when I was in an accident and didn’t get out to “fertilize” the lemon tree. That year, we barely had any lemons. Could have been a coincidence, but I’ve been using tea leaves ever since and always get tons of lemons.
Thank you for introducing Pat and her wonderful garden. I do so enjoy a peak into another gardeners world. The photos are wonderful, the colours in the iris and the toadstool.
I too am a fan of Monty Don and a repeat of his tour of French gardens has just shown here in Australia. I must remember the liquid fertiliser as our dog eats any thing else.
Once again a complete joy.
Loved this… your questions are marvelous and so were her answers! Such a treat to meet Pat… the flowers, the views, the too magical to be real mushroom, baby bird (prize winning photo, and the nest with eggs), her darling dog (the masthead photo in profile : ), seaweed fertilizer… EVERYTHING she shared!!!
For me, the cherry on top was finding out about her bookstore… I’m sending an email, as she mentioned Chatsworth and my story includes the Duchess of Devonshire : )
Oh, please do send an email…I’d love to hear about your Duchess of Devonshire connection!
When we visited a Chatsworth last summer, the gardens featured dogs, at the Duchess’s suggestion. You have to love that!
I love her garden, Elizabeth. Especially her view! I don’t have a view here and it makes me miss the ranch I sold in the Texas Hill Country. It was much cooler there than here in the city and I could always sit out on the veranda in the mornings and the afternoons. xoxo, Brenda
HER VIEW IS PRETTY SPECTACULAR which was not reveled until they took down a couple of TALL Pine trees………that were leaning in the direction of The Home.
You have a GORGEOUS AREA……..sorry to hear its TOO HOT in the AM and PM.
What about a MISTING HOSE……………XX
Cheers to Pat, your latest Garden Floozy! Gorgeous photography! And, that mushroom is NOT fake, we had many like it in our yard over the winter. I was fascinated … they look right out of a fairy tale. I’m completely on-board with Pat’s favorite plants and if our garden is ever completed they will be the first ones in the ground. Love little Maggie in the garden. She looks a lot like our, Pippa. Perhaps cousins. I follow Pat on Instagram and look forward to her shop doors reopening so I can meet her in person. xo
TIME TO GET OFF THE SNOWBERRY HILLSIDE!
ORINDA BOOKS IS OPEN AS ARE ALL THE OTHER SHOPS IN TOWN!
THEY DO HAVE SHORTER HOURS.I THINK THEY CLOSE AT 4 pm.
PAT PLEASE VERIFY THAT!!!
DO GO SAY HELLO……………YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY!SHE WILL MAKE THE CONNECTION!SHE IS AS SMART AS A WHIP!I wonder where that saying came from?!Anyone know?
XX
Yes, Orinda Books is open, with shorter hours…10 – 4 Monday thru Saturday. If you stop by when I’m there, just let me know that you follow La Contessa!
This might be my favorite post of the Contessa’s, ever. And I like them all! Pat speaks directly to my condition: I find peace in the garden, love the birds, bees, and critters, and simply seeing everything so filled with life. I have that same peony! Here in East Tennessee, Spring has no equal, so it is by far my favorite season. Thanks, both of you, for sharing this amazing and beautiful place. Pat, please consider writing a book, preferably about gardening and birds.
I too have a garden filled with Native plants. I also have tons of Lavender and bees. I didn’t know there was that many varieties bees. I also have beautiful monarch butterflies and birds snuggling into my hillside. Love your garden floozzys.
Pat your garden looks beautiful! We lost five big pines last week, so now my shade garden is a full sun garden! I thought the mushroom was a fairy tale prop! ??
The mushroom is real…we get at least one every spring. I have a labyrinth made of stones. The first mushroom appeared after I installed the labyrinth…I find it rather magical. But the truth is probably that spores we’re probably brought in on the rocks. Whether it’s magic or botany, they always make me smile.
Thank you for this lovely walk down a new garden lane. It’s great to see how people in other parts of this big country we live in manage BEAUTY on their patch of land!
Pat, your sanctuary is peaceful and I wish you health and peace as we close out this summer and look forward to a new start.
YES, they do…….I cannot imagine BEING IN due to COVID without MY GARDEN.
Pat’s garden has been on a lot of GARDEN TOURS especially for NATIVE CALIFORNIA PLANTS………I have watched the transformation……………I am Lucky to call her MY FRIEND!
XX
Hello Contessa, This post prompted the memory of a special wisteria vine. My college was in an area full of beautiful 19th century mansions*, many of which had been taken over for department headquarters. Many of these old houses had back yards which now are neglected. However, one house had an old wisteria arbor behind it, with a huge wisteria vine, and in the spring, with the old house as a backdrop, it looked like something out of a fantasy. I used to go and sit there–no one ever interrupted so it was like my own secret garden.
–Jim
*Wait until you see the post I have in preparation now, regarding one of the houses!
Hi Elizabeth,
You did it again! This is a great post, such an inspiring garden and garden lover! The photos are wonderful, oh those views! I like how Pat compares herself to a lace cap hydrangea, funny! Someone I knew a long time ago nicknamed me Hydrangea and I’ve been partial to them ever since!
How’s the weather where you are and is your garden still blooming like crazy? Third bloom on my double delight rose bush!
XO Heidi
NO, MY GARDEN is LOOKING like “DOG DAYS OF SUMMER!”WE are getting some real heat today and the next few days so I should get UP and get outside to water MORE!September/ October it will Look GOOD AGAIN!XX
Elizabeth, I absolutely loved this post for a couple of reasons, well more than a couple but here is a woman who owns a real bookshop – I would love to own a book shop! And she loves Irises – they too are my favorite flower although I am also partial to summer flowering bulbs. Where I live in South Africa it’s way too warm for Spring Blubs so they are a no no for me, besides they don’t last long enough which always irritates me somewhat. And the icing on the cake for me is that she would love a walled vegetable garden. I feel exactly the same as her. There is something magical about a vegetable garden that I can’t explain. Oh this whole post was an absolute delight to devour and then had to be read again to take in all the nuances. Thank you Darling xxx
Irises, walled gardens…we are kindred spirits. I’ve never been to South Africa, but I suspect the conditions are pretty similar to what we have here in the San Francisco Area. I’m a bit inland, so we don’t get as much fog…I’m able to grow heirloom tomatoes, but my city-dwelling friends have no such luck.
A wonderful read and beautiful photographs …… and what a view from Pat’s garden in the first photograph.? We watch Monty Don every Friday night and have watched Gardeners World with different presenters over the years. XXXX
I do follow Monty on Instagram Pat and I met him once at Hampton Court. Being English and a gardener, Gardeners World is a must. Have you seen Monty’s Italian Gardens ? They are beautiful. XXXX
What IS YOUR FAVORITE PART of BEING in the GARDEN?
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