I TOUR THE CARMEL GARDEN OF TERI Winton

As I photograph gardens and talk with their owners, it becomes clear that not all Carmel gardens enjoy equal growing conditions although all are in Zone 10 A.

Gardening zones are determined by temperature. But here wind, salt air, and sandy or rocky soil play a huge role. And these conditions can be quite different just 3 or 4 blocks in from the ocean.

The gardeners of Cypress House

Great Expectations

And Kuster -Meyer House

Have less protection from the elements and they choose their plant palette accordingly.

5 blocks from the beach, # 5 Casanova has many more plants to choose from.

As does the Lincoln Green Inn.

This trip, I notice this lush garden.

I am so impressed that I leave a note on the front door asking if I might photograph the garden. The owner, Teri Winton calls back. She laughs when I tell her I am amazed at the variety of her plantings. She jokingly says that they live in the “Banana Belt”. A Banana Belt is any segment of a larger geographical area that enjoys warmer weather than the region as a  whole.

This is a very talented gardener. Let me show you around.

This is what I refer to as a “plantswoman’s garden”.

These tend to be highly dynamic gardens as the latest must-have varieties and hybrids keep claiming their place in the border. So much is going on that the design is crucial, but temptation frequently thwarts the good intentions of the master plan.

Seats and arbors are a good way of punctuating planted areas, while a network of paths makes the borders inviting places to meander through. The charm is that these gardens are labors of love, with hours spent cherishing them.

This is the front entrance to Teri’s garden. It is clearly defined by the rose covered arbor 

Irish yew and boxwood hedges form the parterre beds that delineate the front of the garden.

The path work lends structure, although it is fast disappearing in spots where the plants spill about happily.

I push past a climbing rose 

And start down the path to my left

The bench at the end serves as a focal point as I wind my way through pink hydrangea, purple heliotrope, Verbascum, wallflower and dahlias. The bees are in seventh heaven.

A birdbath is tucked into the dense plantings.

 

Now I make my way to the right of the trellis.

I pass pink roses and Alstroemeria 

And this amazing sight. Boxwood, barberry, yew, heliotrope, pink and orange roses and yellow santolina in bloom.

There is another entrance from the driveway marked by a conical boxwood.

I love this mix of roses and lochroma

The garage window box shows off fuchsia, fern and Abutilon.

The stacked stone arch between the house and garage invites me to the large patio.

The patio is level with the house but a narrow planting bed is reached through this arch covered with clematis and roses.

Could these roses be happier?

I surprise a quail and her babies. She flutters off the birdbath 

And quickly moves them into the Santa Barbara daisies .

Surely the birds must love this garden with multiple birdbaths and sheltering plants.

I follow the lower path to the garage and climb the stairs back up to the patio.

As you can imagine, the scent of the roses is delightful. 

The flagstone path going back to the driveway is bordered by azalea, camellia, roses, purple senecio, and pink abutilon.

Isn’t this a lovely sight. Thanks Teri for letting me tour.

“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.”

David Hobson