Carol's garden

Rose garden, west of Redding, Keswick area, created in chaparral habitat.

SLIDE SHOW WITH GENERAL PHOTOS OF THE GARDEN AND SPECIAL SLIDE SHOW WITH ONLY ROSES

Background story told by a friend

  On a hill overlooking west Redding, Carol C. treated my mother, my sister and me, in May (?), to a guided tour of her enchanting garden.  The winding path curved around fragrant climbing roses that had completely overtaken her oak trees.  Roses bloomed everywhere; they climbed up archways and then cascaded back down them.  Nestled among a variety of plants stood birdbaths and romantic statuary.  While we visited, with wind chimes tinkling in the background, a hummingbird swooped down and nearly collided with Carol’s head as it flew to its feeder.  A bumblebee busied himself with his duties.  The peace and tranquility of her garden completely overwhelmed us; flowers bloomed in profusion.  Even her cat loves to enjoy this exquisite garden.  She had stretched out in the sun for a good nap while we visited.  A mockingbird serenaded us as we enjoyed watching the quail darting around the plants like children playing follow the leader.
  I simply couldn’t choose a favorite spot.  The Monet bed hugged the hill as we descended the steps.  Carol says she has a hard time watering it, but she can’t resist adding more flowers; she just,”finds a spot and stuffs something into it: She calls her garden a friendship garden, as friends are the source of many of her plants.
  Carol labels her roses.  She says in the Rose Society that everyone wants to know the names.  She also uses many self-sowing plants.  She says she let lots of things go to seed to let the birds and bees and butterflies come.  She covers the dirt with bark pieces, obtained free from the commercial tree pruners, to keep the weeds out since she uses no chemicals in her garden.  When asked how she manages her iris bulbs that a friend gave her, she responds,”once in the ground, they are on their own!”  Many of the tulips though, are planted in containers; she brings them out when they bloom and takes them away when they finish.  The Redbud was spectacular.  She says, “it has babies so I pick them up and move them around and water them several summers so that they get a good start.”  She brought Lavender seeds back from England “…it was very hard to get it started”.  Then she says, “I’m so pleased that I finally got mint growing…”
“I had a design for tulips and daffodils, but I ended up stuffing them in, after all- with 225 bulbs, how would you do it?” Margaret Dodson brought me bags of Dahlias, and another friend brought tulips from Holland”…we also make Rose Petal jam”.
   As we finish this unforgettable tour, Carol says, “I have no soil in nine acres, which is basically one big hill, so I must haul in everything”.  I dig a hole with a rock bar, throw away the rocks and mix some soil from purchased broken bags (half price) of anything organic, put a plant on top and mound up the soil; I don’t want to dig a hole bigger than one gallon so that’s the size I usually buy.  My garden evolved slowly and I just go with the flow.  I find a need or a problem or fall in love with a new plant and that’s how my garden changes and grows.”
  Carol, we thank you for an unforgettable afternoon.