A Garden with a House Attached
What waits behind the gate is a verdant pleasure indeed. The gardens surrounding this modest bungalow, situated on a generous one-third-acre lot, have been thoughtfully arranged in a series of “rooms.” You find yourself drawn from one lovely setting to another on pathways of brick, stone and gravel. You’re struck at once by the openness of the grounds and the inviting intimacy of the smaller enclaves within them.
Many an evening is spent out in the greenery, sipping wine around the chiminea with family and friends, who rarely leave without a bag of persimmons, loquats or whatever happens to be in season tucked under their arms. Neighbors stop by on their evening walks to admire the progress of the native gardens and share their own experiments with native plantings that Debe and Martha have inspired. In this lush place, the welcome sign is nearly always out. “Our unwritten rule,” says Debe, “is if the back gate’s open, come on in.”
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