So have you gone yet?

Gone where, you ask...?To a Garden Conservancy Open Days tour.  Remember I told you all about the tours and tempted you with those gorgeous photos?I went last Sunday with my dear friend as is our annual tradition  We marveled at the gardens on the Los Angeles tour.  Our favorite garden was a spectacular old Mediterranean carved into a hillside with views of the skyline.The exterior and grounds, while grand in detail and chock full of amenities, felt warm, inviting and "eminently livable".  So livable, we had to hold ourselves back from grabbing a towel & setting out for the hot tub.  Although I adore my soulful home I could have been persuaded to make myself at home on that hillside.  Want to have a look see?

Looking toward the dining pavilion & outdoor kitchen (I want a dining pavilion!)

Now I am standing in the dining pavilion...wonder if they always have the towels rolled ~ nice touch!

Judicious use of colorful tile throughout.  What a lovely shade of green ~ retro & modern at the same time.

There is that green again!  Fantastic planter & the succulents need such little attention.

The upper terrace, where, if we had gone in the hot tub we would have retired for a steaming cup of herbal tea after toweling off & donning egyptian cotton robes, ahhh...

This area of the garden is most special to the owners...the 'pet memorial garden'.  Only the night before the garden was "opened" and friends were invited to come with a rose to commemorate their pets.  Is this place soulful or what?

Devoted animal lovers, the owners had  plaques made in remembrance of several beloved pets.

Fabulous finish on these wooden garage doors.  The color is layered tones of shale, slate & grey.  Yes, the first photo is of the front entry, which created a courtyard with these garages.  Wish you could have seen it & that we could have stayed for a week, but on to more soulful gardens....

Really liked those arched windows which had some type of reflective glass.  It isn't mirror as you can see into the house if you get close enough.  Of course we did NOT peek into the house.  No one does that on garden tours!  Okay, so we got close to check out the window glass & one thing led to another... (good thing they don't dust for nose prints or we'd  be in trouble! )

A lovely combination of plants color, texture & leaf shape.  So different yet so complimentary.  I probably can't have a dining pavilion, but I can have this combo in my yard or in a container.

A secret passage in a compact garden.  Very charming...

This garden was called " A Potted Garden" in the brochure & there was no wondering about that when you visited.  Pots of plants & flowers covered every inch of this small urban oasis.

Did you notice anything similar about the gardens?

Hardly any grass at any of the 6 homes we visited.  Now, I like grass, (please do not quote me out of context on that) but in an urban desert setting it is a bit frivolous & hard to maintain.  These varied gardens show that you can cut the grass (excuse the pun) and not miss it at all.

The Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours never disappoint. Check out their calendar & make a date with a garden loving friend to enjoy a tour. If you do, I bet you will make it an annual event as I do.

** Kelly **