We visited Monet’s garden in Giverny, France. Anyone who loves gardens can understand how Monet felt.
We’ve visited many acclaimed gardens on our travels – Longwood in Pennsylvania, Filoli in California, Busch in Vancouver. What we loved about these gardens is also their drawback: everything is accomplished on a huge scale featuring flowering banks filled with hundreds of the same plant, water features, massive old trees.
Fast forward to April when we visited a different kind of garden in Sacramento, CA. The garden’s scale was far from grand. We found intimate spaces with plantings that reflected a thoughtful plan and artful personal touches.
Jeannie’s home garden is one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen.
Over many years, Jeannie created curved planting beds for shade and sun; planned open spaces and patios; worked with existing trees and over the years planted new trees.
A few calla lilies graced a quiet and shady curved bed. More blooms peaked out as we strolled the curved path.
Arts and crafts enhanced the garden.
We liked the variety of plants and the effect of how they looked together.
Jeannie hung a bell in the midst of greenery draped over the arbor.
We almost missed this whimsical piece hanging by potted plants at the garden’s edge.
As we sat in the garden – enjoying the view – we agreed that Jeannie (with help and support from husband Dale) created her most beautiful masterpiece.
April 2015
simpletravelourway 
I love Jeannie’s garden!
Thanks. You should know that our photos of her garden do not do it justice.
Your comment about the work it takes over the years to produce such gardens is really a tribute itself. Looks lovely – must be very relaxing. But I hope you are getting out of the valley before the heat! 8)
Yep, we’re headed north!
Very nice. Ruth would agree with Monet, her little garden is her masterpiece which, like an unfinished work, she spends hours looking at how to perfect it. Taking her away from the garden for an extended period is like running a knife across the canvas.
So true and so descriptive of the gardeners we know.