I’ve visited this garden in Bonny Doon many times including when my friend Kate was part of Valley Churches Garden Tour back in 2018 and it’s still as spectacular as ever. So on a perfect June day recently several to my landscape designer friends and I spent the afternoon enjoying delicious nibbles and being inspired by this awesome garden.

Because I’ve always enjoyed the stunning view of the bay from Kate’s house and garden, it always amazes me that when Kate and her husband bought the 5 acre property in 1981 they had no idea it had such an incredible view. You should see it now. The view was a surprise to them after they cleared some of the Douglas fir that grew close to the house. Now the area between the cultivated areas of the garden and those outside the deer fence are filled with lavender. After the CZU fire when a neighbor’s house nearby burned to the ground, they have removed more Doug fir on another slope for fire safety.

When you first enter this garden and are greeted by Kate’s English springer spaniel puppy “Buddy”, as you walk past the storage shed. Now this isn’t just any ol’ shed. Kate is a yard sale shopper extraordinaire and it is decorated with repainted watering cans, vintage gardening tools and wall art, bird houses and pots of all sizes, shapes and colors.

There are so many “garden rooms” in this garden– from the Japanese maple garden filled with perennials of all types to the sunken vegetable garden that occupies the old above ground pool area that was sunk in the ground and surrounded by decking. When the pool developed leaks that persisted no matter how many times it was repaired, Kate had it removed and created an incredible sunken vegetable garden using galvanized raised garden planters of all sizes and shapes. From fruit trees to artichokes to tomatoes and perennials to attract pollinators, this garden has it all.

The generous decking surrounding the sunken garden has a gazebo covered with fragrant climbing roses. Colorful perennials, dwarf fruit trees and more roses grow happily in containers here alongside a seating area with a view of the bay.

Strolling past dozens of perennial and succulent beds, you encounter the fruit trees. Kate swears by the Frost peach which is resistant to peach leaf curl. She has others such as Donut peaches but despite her diligent winter spraying it was recovering from peach leaf curl. The Mission Fig tree looked quite happy as did the pear trees.

Then you enter another area with Japanese maples and a gazebo. Kate has moved several Autumn Moon Japanese maples from this area as it gets too much heat and sun and many were not thriving. Don’t be afraid to move a plant or tree that is struggling to a better spot in your garden. The one Autumn Moon that remains near the gazebo was a vision of burnt orange and bronze on my visit in early June. In the fall its leaves will turn vivid orange and red.

Next came the garden room in a shady spot with blooming rhododendron, Chinese ground osrchid, hydrangea, coral bell, Exbury azalea, hosta, hellebore and a recirculating 3-tiered water fountain. With small pebbles underfoot, it’s a lovely spot on a hot day.

Surrounding this home are wrap around porches that Kate has filled with potted ferns and rattan garden furniture. She spends a lot of time reading out here with her puppy Buddy nearby. Her extensive collection of hydrangeas grow happily to border the deck. What’s not to love about this garden?

Get ideas and inspiration from other gardens, both large and small. They all have something to offer.