FULLERTON'S BEAUTIFUL 2016 GARDENS

Sunday, April 24, 2016 was the Fullerton's Beautiful Garden Tour, which is held every Spring.
This year do to the drought there were not as many gardens as in the past.  Two of the gardens on the tour were Fullerton's Police Station Gardens.  Which was planted with succulents, stone and native California plants.

The other garden was The Emmanuel Community Church Garden.  The children were encouraged to grow & experience and knowledge of plants.   It really turned out very nice.
I have seen these as I drive by so we didn't go in and tour them.

Two of my friends and I went on the tour.  The first garden was The Spencer Garden.  There is a song that describes this garden - Afternoon Delight.  It is a delight any time of the day that you step into this garden.  This large property was developed in 1949.  It had been part of the original Valencia orange groves enveloping the city.  There were railroad tracks next to the property where trains took fruit to the packing house.  The original trees are now gone along with the tracks, but through the years the grounds have housed 69 chickens for 4 H projects, goats, a horse and a pigeon house.  Nancy Spencer enjoys designing and redesigning gardens which include a rose and perennial English with an arbor, fruit trees and a pond, Mediterranean shade and the newest, a succulent and cactus garden.

Each space has a relaxation and entertaining area including a front yard swimming pool with its own garden.

This was the most stunning home - I loved it.  Nancy was featured in House Beautiful many years ago.  This is the second time I have toured her gardens.  The last was about 10 years ago and I was so happy that she was back on the tour this year.

Did you notice all her roosters and chickens around the yard.  She loves them as we do.

Another home that I really liked was close to where I live in Fullerton.  The Sarah Roberts Garden.
How lucky for all of us that this was on the tour.  I didn't even know this beautiful garden was there.
                                                                                                                   

This 2015 Fullerton Beautiful Front Yard Award winner led us to a beautiful back yard this year.  I could have kicked my garden to the curb after seeing this one.  The back space was almost the same square footage as mine.  Most of Sarah's plants were propagated from seeds, clipping, roadside discoveries, pass-alongs or gifts.  Add this to a playful mix of birdfeeders, yard art, water features, meandering paths, garden lighting and beckoning seating areas and you have a welcome retreat for wildlife or just sit and watch the sun set.

My mind is twirling as to how I can change mine.  But, I am afraid I am to old to under take this task, but I can dream.

The Collins Garden - with a fascination and love of the Orient and a passion for pink, Kathie began working on her garden in 1952.  She carefully pruned and wired the black pines and junipers from small plants to large bonsai over decades to create a garden of peace and harmony.  There is a Chinese writing as you enter the back yard and it reads "Welcome to the Funny Canyon Home".
Very calming and beautiful areas to sit and dream the day away.

The Sanders Garden, this Sorrento Hills home underwent a complete remodel of both the front and back yards two years ago It was designed by a local landscape architect, Alison Terry.  The pool was redone using custom tiles made in Sausalito.  The backyard space is maximized for entertainment and minimized for maintenance.  The flower beds are watered underground and utilize an interesting array of drought resistant plants and trees.

This garden was very pretty, but way to sterile for me.  There was one more garden but it was to full of succulents, rocks and gravel, which we were not interested in.  We are all Cottage Garden gardeners.

Crystal had to get home to fix dinner for her family, so my friend Teryl and I went to a little Mexican restaurant that was not a fast food and had some great tacos. Yum Yum.  It's hard to find original Mexican food, made from scratch.

It was a beautiful sunny day with a little breeze, a great day to be out and about on a garden tour.

This is my very large sunflower, notice the color - I didn't plant this - the birds gave me a present.

Hope you enjoyed my tour of these unusual gardens.

We hope that you will leave a comment as we love to read them.

Mary, Waldo and Lili, my little helpers.

Dwellings ~ Amaze Me Monday

      The Dedicated House ~ Make it Pretty Monday        

    Between Naps On The Porch ~ Metamorphosis Monday

A Stroll Thru Life ~ Inspire Me Tuesday

Confessions of a Plate Addict ~ The Scoop

Coastal Charm ~ Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style ~ Wow Us Wednesday

Ivy and Elephants ~ What's It Wednesday

No Minimalist Here ~ Open House Party Thursdays

Between Naps on the Porch - Tablescape Thursday

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson ~ Share Your Cup Thursday

Thoughts of Home on Thursdays @ At Home With Jemma

My Turn for Us ~ Freedom Fridays Blog Hop

Common Ground ~ Be Inspired Friday

The Thrifty Groove ~ Thrifty Things Friday

WHAT TO DO ON A HOT WINDY WEEKEND

What is one to do when it's a HOT and WINDY weekend?  My girl friend and I decided to go to Fashion Island in Newport Beach for lunch at P F Chang's.

Fashion Island is a up scale shopping center for the rich and famous.  It is off of Pacific Coast Highway setting on a hill.  The view is spectacular looking at the Pacific Ocean.  The restaurant is on the second floor so you can see the ocean from each table.

The bar area of the restaurant - great views

We had a delicious lunch of Lettuce Chicken Wraps, Hot & Sour Soup, Honey Shrimp and PF Chang's Spicy Chicken with Brown Rice.  For dessert we had Banana Egg Rolls with Vanilla Ice Cream.

Can you tell that we didn't like the dessert LOL

We were so full that we had decided to go to Rogers Gardens about a mile down the road.
We needed to walk and I was hanging on the cart (more on that later).

Being a gardener I am always interested in seeing what's new in the garden world.  I was not disappointed.  Here a few of the shots from there.  But oh were they expensive.  Their living wreaths were so pretty.

This tree is right after you go into the gardens.  In the winter they have a little train running around the tree with houses and villages.  Very pretty.  Now of course it's beautiful flowers.

Can you see the living wreaths in the background?  Oh, so very pretty  Lots and lots of succulent's.

Here I am hanging on to the cart.

By this time my hip was killing me as I had pulled my muscle by my stomach that runs down your leg.  And, I had left my cane in the car and was walking with the garden cart.  I was scared to death that I had somehow injured my hip. The Doctor said no, it probably was the pick, that you were using in the garden while planting flowers.

Well, I got scolded by the Doctor and my son.  So I am in the dog house LOL.  Believe me I will not ever do that again.  By the time I got home, plus I was the driver, I was ready for bed.

So I felt so bad this morning that I skipped mass and thought I would take it easy.  Well, you know me, I never want to miss anything.  My girl friend and I jumped in the car and took off for Anaheim to the Red Robin Restaurant just down the street from Disneyland.

  Again, another delicious lunch as it was to darn hot to cook.  Do you have a Red Robin Restaurant where you live?  They are so much fun and have such great food. Their hamburgers are to die for.  So guess what, I am back dieting again as I do not want to put any weight back on and not being able to walk - no exercising.

More of my garden ...

This iris is considered a black one, as it is very dark purple.

My giant sunflower, compliments of the birds.

My butterscotch Iris

Can you see who is waiting for their dinner.  They look like they are starved..... LOL

Hope you liked my weekend tours of Orange County and trying to stay cool and not cook.

We hope you will leave your comments, as Waldo, Lili (my garden assistance's) and I loved reading them.

Mary