A Garden that mirrors her personality

I was happily taking part in a fun felting art class at High Note Winery the other day, when someone said that our teacher, Beverly Kukuk, had an amazing garden.

So I didn’t let the grass grow under my feet before I managed to invite myself to her place. As one does.

Beverly has lived in her home at the north end of Crescent City since 2008. It is close to the ocean, and it was overcast when I arrived.

At first glance there really wasn’t anything to suggest that there is a big garden, other than a graveled edge with a dry creek and a few plants, including a large New Zealand flax.

However, once you pass through the wooden gate, it was kind of like Dorothy in Oz when the scene changes from black and white to color. And, wow, there was a lot of color.

Since Beverly is an artist, I was not surprised by the organic, individualistic look of the space, but there were some unusual surprises.

One is a big shipping container hidden behind a nice wooden pergola. She put in a pond with a pretty fountain, which is a favorite spot. And everywhere you look there are fun vignettes; pieces of art or pottery amongst the blooms. Beverly says you should let your plants tell you where they want to be placed in the garden. That is good advice!

Some garden treasures include a number of rhododendrons, a tall and fragrant eucalyptus tree, and a few roses, including a scented old yellow rose called Bess Truman (Apparently, President Truman’s wife was especially fond of yellow roses).

I was honored to leave with one of the lovely blooms.

There is also an area with a clear Asian influence, an abutilon gracefully hanging over the raked gravel. Lovely.

And a hummingbird decided to get in on the tour as well, as seen in the photo. Such a delight.

Gardens tend to mirror the personalities of their creators, and this proved to be true in Beverly’s garden!