Without question, May is the unofficial month of garden tours. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the busiest times for designers, not to mention a prime month to schedule speaking engagements and book signings. Sadly, I’ll be missing most of the tours this year. Fortunately for me, I recently enjoyed a charming afternoon filled with champagne, food and plenty of garden chat with my friends Maureen and Jean Michel Decombe in their sunny, urban garden. My contribution to the opening of tour season is a mini-tour of what Maureen calls her working garden.
Located in hilly Point Richmond, slightly northeast of San Francisco and Berkeley, their neighborhood has the same quaint craftsman charm found throughout this part of the Bay Area. When I design a garden for a client, we generally tackle the whole thing at once, but I’ve noticed most designers (including myself) take a much longer view when playing in their own gardens, preferring to tinker around indefinitely. Maureen is no exception.
The previous owner of a fine gardening maintenance company, Maureen has maintained several large scale edible gardens around the Bay Area, including estate gardens designed by Rosalind Creasy. Her passion for edibles is evident in her own garden, though she takes a much more casual approach.
The majority of Maureen’s small front yard is ornamentals, and year round color from the mix of flowering shrubs, like creeping croposma, phormium and carex. Perennials, mostly purchased from nearby Annie’s Annuals, are mixed in. Something new is blooming every time I visit here.
A believer in mixing edibles and ornamentals before it was fashionable, not only have dwarf fruit trees been added to the front, but the unused driveway has been transformed into a vegetable garden, complete with bags of lettuce, trellises with peas and espaliered fruit trees.
In the back is a tiny strawberry patch. I was told firmly that the fruit was not yet ripe, but as you can see from the photo, that was a big, fat lie. I suspect my host and hostess simply weren't in the mood to share.
Fortunately, Maureen was more generous over dinner. We started our meal with lettuce from the garden, dressed simply with vinaigrette and shaved parmesan, a modest preparation inspired byThe Edible Front Yard author Ivette Soler, who recommends ceding the starring role to sweet and juicy spring lettuce this time of year.
After dinner, Maureen walked out into the garden to gather handfuls of lemon verbena and mint, then steeped them in hot water at the table to create a delicious tisane.
A chicken coup was recently added, although Maureen and Jean Michel have yet to decide on a breed, so chicken lovers, feel free to chime in with your suggestions.
But not everything in the garden is there to accomplish a task. I love this simple tableau
Not to mention the lovely containers that dot the deck, including one hiding one of the cheekiest little gnomes I’ve seen in a while.
Thank you, Maureen and Jean Michel, for hosting such a lovely get together and thank YOU everyone for joining me on my little tour.
Awesome! I love all the color in her front border- and that chicken coop is super cute!!!!
You and Maureen share the same "plants instead of lawn" aesthetic, Carri.
Posted by: Carri | May 03, 2011 at 08:38 AM
I can't tell you how much I love your garden! Absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you Nicky! I was worried my camera wouldn't capture how colorful the front yard is, so I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Posted by: Nicky @dirtandmartinis | May 03, 2011 at 08:45 AM
I loved the tour of their garden! I'm hoping we'll soon be able to walk around our yard picking things to use in our cooking. I love the chicken coop, that's the one thing I wish we had space for here.
Last I checked your front yard veggie beds were establishing nicely. You should be wandering around and picking any day now.
Posted by: Catherine | May 03, 2011 at 09:00 AM
My envious spirit was hovering over you all, wishing I could be in Maureen's lovely garden and laughing over wine with you guys! She and I are such like minds (but her Creasy credibility gives her a big bump over me!) and I just adore her sensibility AND sense of humor! I can just imagine the fun of an afternoon in a garden with the two wittiest gardeners I know! LOVE this post - and I'm glad you enjoyed the simple spring salad - YUM!!!
XOXOXO!!!
We are and drank extra just for you Ivette. :-)
Posted by: Ivette Soler | May 03, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Yay, Susan, thank you so much for sharing our wonderful afternoon. I also appreciate your letting people know that this is a working garden, no styling or garden porn allowed, at least on most days. As I have come to accept an extra chin or two, and still revel in the fun the photo of the two of us portrays, rather than focusing on the "cute factor", I also have come to love the quirks of my real garden in real time.
Glad you gave a shout out to Annie's Annuals. So many of my plants have now reseeded themselves, and there is the bonus of the mystery nicotianas which just seem to show up in all different colors. I swear I have only intentionally purchased and planted two nicotianas in my garden, and those have long passed, only to be replaced by stunning and fragrant plants that have placed themselves just where they should be, with no help from me, thankyouverymuch.
And kudos to you and Nick for finding a way to take decent photos in full sun! Thank you so much for sharing my garden, since I can never seem to get into the bloggy mode. MWAH!
It's easier to take pictures of someone else's garden. Everyone becomes way too picky about their own.
Posted by: Plantanista (Maureen D) | May 03, 2011 at 12:13 PM
You are invited any time! I'm slightly frightened about laughing too hard, though! And the salad was such a delight! I usually over do it with too many ingredients, and your simple approach to the early spring lettuces has put me back in touch with what truly tender, fresh romaine really tastes like.
When you're ready for a field trip, let me know!
Posted by: Plantanista | May 03, 2011 at 12:29 PM
What a beautiful garden, Maureen! And you KNOW I'll chime in about the chickens.....probably my favorite breed of all is the Buff Orpington. They're really gentle creatures with gigantic rear-ends, making them super soft and cuddly to tuck in under your arm as you cruise the garden with them! Another favorite are black silkies (small little chickens). I had the sweetest one and I know Angela w/My Rubber Boots absolutely adores hers. Best of luck!!
Doesn't Angela let hers sleep on the couch? Maureen, your garden is pretty small - it's something to think about...
Posted by: Rebecca Sweet | May 04, 2011 at 08:18 AM
I'm definitely down with the gigantic rear-end chickens! I need "sister" solidarity on that front!
And gentle is definitely called for. I want to hand raise them like Ros does, another reason for our delay... I'm too swamped to give affection to my husband and dog, and definitely not chickens right now!
Love, love, love the black silkies! Do they get along with the Orpingtons?
Posted by: Maureen Decombe | May 04, 2011 at 11:27 AM
Enjoyed the tour. Lovely little vignettes throughout that added zest and spice.
I just discovered the beauty of Pt. Richmond when visiting the Wave garden a few weeks ago.
Neat little garden in a cool little town.
If you're in the Marin hood on May 14 , saturday, come on by the Pina Colada garden in Novato. Its on the Marin Eco Garden Tour from 10 to 4.
Garden Tour season begins !
Posted by: Michelle Derviss | May 04, 2011 at 04:15 PM
What fun! I love visiting gardens if the owners really care. Hey, I even enjoy it without dinner thrown in... thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Town Mouse | May 05, 2011 at 07:53 PM