Garden Tour with the Garden Writers - Santa Barbara 2/2/14

Garden Tour with the Garden Writers Association

I had the pleasure of attending this great event on Sunday.  Thank goodness for my connection to Billy Goodnick who posted about the event on Facebook.  We met at San Marcos Growers at 9:00 am.
Nan Sterman, the Region VI national director, was there to greet us with Peet's coffee and some nice snacks.  I think there were about 17 of us gathered for the tour.  Lydia Punk and Billy Goodnick shared host duties and they all gave us a warm welcome. Randy Baldwin, general manager, started off the day with a wonderful tour of SM Growers.  Of course I took a ton of photos, so here are a few.

Click on any photo for a full screen view:

Beautiful setting.

Randy showing us around.

Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan' - dwarf butterfly agave

Aloe 'Erik the Red (Sunbird)' - Amazing!

Just look at Erik's flowers up close!

Can't wait to go back.

 

Our next stop was the La Huerta Gardens at the Santa Barbara Mission then on to Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens.  Nan arranged for lunch from Panino and it was so good!

For me the highlight of the day was our tour of Casa del Herrero.  This is a garden and home that I have wanted to visit for some time.  Too bad the sun wasn't out, but it's hard to complain knowing how badly we needed the rain we got.  Casa del Herrero was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2009 based on its landscape architecture. Acording to their brochure...To paraphrase the National Historic Landmark application: the Case del Herrero estate comprises one of the most important residential landscapes of the early twentieth century.  Its designed landscape is an outstanding example of the synthesis of the contemporary and historic design forces at play in the search for a design solution for the Mediterranean climate of southern California.  The result is a fusion of architecture, art, horticulture, and landscape design unequalled today in California.

The home itself was designed by George Washington Smith in 1923.  I am such a fan of his work and the Spanish Colonial Revival style. But the owner of the home and property, George Fox Steedman, made it truly one of a kind with all of this hand made metal and brass adornments that you still see around the property.  Touring his workshop still intact on the property was also a highlight of the day. Volunteers do a wonderful job of keeping the property flurishing with flower cutting gardens and they keep fresh bouquets in all the rooms of the home.  You can tour the Casa and gardens on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Private tours are available for groups of 12 or more.  This is must to add to your bucket list!

Here are just a selection of the 200+ photos that I took.  I can't wait to go back again and again!

Front entry - check out the pebble mosiac walkway!

Living room

Library

Every door is a work of art.

They used vintage tile...even in 1923.

From the upstairs balcony looking across the 11 acre property.

Close-up of the vine.

You can't see another home from this property.  Just one block from the upper village of Montecito.

The antiques and decor and tile...all intact and original.

Another stunning bedroom with lovely tile alcove and attached bath.  A true luxury in 1923.

You could give a tour of just the tile.

But the furniture was worthy too.

A brass piece by George, made in his workshop.

Some of George's iron work.

Love this unique fountain.

Stunning!

Incredible Dragon Trees - I've never seen them in Santa Barbara.

Mahonia lomarifolia.  The berries look more like flowers on tall almost bamboo like stalks. Click photo to see this full screen.

Far end of the gardens. 

Side patio area.

Side patio. 

This stove was an addition a few years ago.  It is a stunning restored piece.  The docent pointed out that usually these types of homes are quite plain in the service areas.  But in this home they carried the attention to detail throughout.

The workshop...

Complete with a kiln.

He was very orginized.

George added a flower arranging area for his wife in this workshop.  I love these vintage pots.

Just as we finished the tour of the Casa and gardens, it started pouring.  The group continued on the Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria, but I just went on home since I live only a mile up the road.  

What a wonderful end to a fun day, when I got home I was treated to a rainbow!