Cottage Garden

I have a great job that gives me the opportunity to meet people at their homes. Today I went to a house in Del Mar, a well-established affluent community on the coast. The famous Del Mar racetrack is nearby. The neighborhood I was in was tucked in the hills and very secluded. I went down a narrow 100-foot driveway to get to the house, and found a lush garden in the front patio area. It was modest house, but the owner clearly spent a lot of loving hours tending her plants and flowers. I complimented Patricia on her artistic composition of the potted plants. She was pleased at these words, but modestly apologized for being "addicted" to flowers. She had English primrose, snapdragons, cineraria, fuchsias, ivy, and many others that I can't remember. Everything was in clustered pots and the plants tended to overflow from one pot to the next. She had a potting bench with running water and a painted iron table and chairs. It was so charming and restful. I guess you could call it more of an English garden than anything. I wish I had had my camera and could have asked her if I could take some pictures.

Our house has evolved to a Mexican colonial / Mediterranean style. English cottage gardens don't really go with this style. Cacti and succulents in pots are probably what I'm going to need to deal with, as well as some flowering tropical plants like hibiscus and bougainvillea.

Each type of garden has its charms. I'm inspired to create an oasis in our courtyard where we can relax after a long day at work.