‘Sunday in The Gardens’, Folsom Garden Club, Spring Garden Tour 2007

By Marion Pedlar, Garden Tour Chair

Folsom Garden Club, Spring Garden Tour 2007 “Sunday in The Gardens” Sunday, April 29

Description of the six featured gardens:

Garden #1

Asian accent Japanese garden in Folsom with maple trees, charming lanterns, and garden art.

This lovely garden has a definite serene feeling with Asian accents such as Japanese maple trees, charming lanterns, and garden art. Black pines, azaleas, ferns, heavenly bamboo, a mayten tree and other suitable evergreens enhance this owner’s design plan.

This backyard retreat was designed and created by the homeowners about twelve years ago. A beautiful swimming pool is in front of an impressive waterfall built by the homeowners. During the early construction phase they gathered large rocks for the waterfalls and flagstones for patios and walkways. The homeowners did most of the work themselves. Almost all of the trees and shrubs were starters in one gallon cans.

Today, under many mature shade trees, paths lead to several patios, to a bridge over a large koi pond and to a hidden vegetable garden. Several separate dining areas make this a wonderful garden for entertaining.

Garden #2

Garden waterfall in Folsom Garden Club Spring Garden Tour.

Picturing an old English garden, this lovely seven year old garden was designed by the owners and has been carefully built, planted and maintained by the owners.

As one enters the garden a white gazebo and working waterwheel immediately attracts the eye. Looking to the right, a quaint curved bridge leads over a pond featuring some very large koi which are kept safe from raccoons by a deep water design. Paths lead to a meditation garden, a landing where one can look over the entire garden, a rose garden, a waterfall, and a hidden fruit and vegetable garden. Notice the charming garden art throughout the well executed garden.

This garden features many micro climates and accordingly has many plant varieties including a beautiful weeping blue spruce, hostas, azaleas, ferns, trumpet vine, verbena and Italian cypress.

Garden #3

This beautiful garden surrounds a custom home in a quiet, relatively unknown area of Folsom.

As you enter the front of this delightful garden, the eyes are treated to spring flowering trees, shrubs, bulbs, and flowering plants surrounding two brick patios. Shaded by a beautiful trident maple and other mature shade trees the homeowner has created a lovely place to sit and enjoy the front yard. The back garden features crepe myrtles, native oaks, and other shade trees. A beautiful water fountain is an attractive focal point at the south end of the garden.

Garden art such as birdhouses, beautiful pots, and a decorated shepherd’s crook with lovely hanging artwork is arranged for your enjoyment as you stroll along on the stepping stones through the rear garden to the exit on the left of the home. All add interest to this very attractive gardener’s garden.

Garden #4

Italian villa garden in Folsom Garden Club Spring Garden Tour.

An extensive garden surrounds a replica of an Italian villa located on one-half acre near Historic Folsom. This impressive home, built about twenty years ago, is surrounded by a many faceted garden featuring native oak trees along with spring flowering trees, shrubs, and planting beds for bulbs, perennials, and annuals.

To enter, you will pass through a stone portico covering part of the path leading to the entry and a deck that overlooks a grand aqueduct that extends to the back yard where water spills through a serpent’s head into a pool eighteen feet below. In the center of the yard on the left is a tall old-fashioned clock created by the owner from stone and mortar. While on the right a lovely rose garden is in front of a crumbling wall reminiscent of the old walls often seen in Italy.

The garden exhibits many plant varieties including hydrangea, camellias, rhododendron, and azalea. It is evident that the homeowners have indeed created the Italian garden they desired here in Folsom.

Garden #5

A beautiful rose garden with an old brick pathway snaking up the side of the house, in Folsom Garden Club Spring Garden Tour.

Also in Historic Folsom, this early 1900’s home has been remodeled and landscaped with charm.

A quaint used brick path meanders throughout the front garden and around through the back yard. Surrounding the garden is a wrought iron fence featuring four special gates that enclose this small but lovely garden. The homeowners specialize in roses and they can be seen as tall standards, shrubs and in large pots and in hanging pots. Notice especially the carefully selected trees and shrubs placed between the house and the property line on the left side of the home as space there is limited.

The front yard has recently been renovated and features mound plantings appropriate for the season, beautiful Japanese maple tree and a stand of birch trees. This garden offers many limited space ideas

Look for a follow-up on the names of all the roses in this garden, on Wednesday, May 2nd.

Garden #6

Rumsey House garden, 1856 Federal style home with roses, herbs, strawberries, vegetables, and perennials.

In Historic Folsom this garden surrounds a restored home that was once known as the Rumsey House, Federal style home built in 1856.

As you enter notice the homeowners’ lovely pink French rose collection fronting a restored white picket fence. To the left pass through a country garden of roses, vines, and hollyhocks. The spacious rear garden retains a sense of the past with the original stone retaining walls. Some of the nineteenth century buildings remain, as well as an old cherry tree, a loquat, and a large old orange tree. The lawn is terraced and in suitable sunny spaces, herbs, strawberries, vegetables, and perennials thrive. Notice under a spreading shade tree a charming old bench sits next to a lovely piece of statuary.

Stairs up to a newer deck lead to a charming little guest house and also a potting area. A large redwood and some pine trees provide areas for shade gardens on the south side of the home.

Rumsey house front, with white picket fence and beautiful rose collection.

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