Gramma Gini and I had a great time in Reno, Nevada, however, it is always nice to come home! After driving over 2000 miles during the course of a week, taking a 3 – 4 hour nap yesterday afternoon was bliss! I felt somewhat recovered by today, and taking a walk around the mobile home park where my MIL Gini now lives was in order. On that walk, I found soooo many lovely gardens! I just had to share a few with you…
Many of you may remember that my mother-in-love Gini moved to Texas a few years back after her husband passed. She loved being near us, and I have shared her garden a couple of times, like when we put in our old shed which she needed. Or this Mother’s Day post from 2018 sharing my parents and Mr. Ethereal’s whole family.
Happy belated Mother’s Day, btw! I hope you had a great one. 🙂
North Texas’ colder winters were just a bit too much for her. So, she moved back to California and into the mobile home park near her former home and where my sister-in-law and nephew live.
This is a really great place, close to shopping, restaurants and easy access to California freeways. For me, the best part is that I love that many people here have downsized but have brought their gardening style with them.
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Personal Style
Here in this yard, the owners put in a double fountain with the maiden on one side and this sweet elephant ingeniously spouting water into the main fountain’s bowl. Adorable!!!
It gets the Cutest Garden Ornament award! 😉
Gini’s own front garden, which is a big work in progress, has stunning roses blooming. Here is this lovely dark pink rose…
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Master Gardeners’ Garden
Then I came across this garden… It is actually on the same site where my husband’s grandparents had their mobile home!
Raymond and Kate’s garden was quite different with roses and other plantings; however, the tall green tree which Great-Grampa Raymond planted still survives and can be seen here in the upper right corner of this photograph.
Amazingly what began as two seedlings he grew from seed, grew into two trees planted side-by-side eventually growing together. Over 50 years later, this massive tree is still providing shade since its planting in 1972!
During part of my walk, I stopped by my sister-in-love’s trailer. I was putting out the trash cans and grabbing some things out of my truck. A man came walking by with his dog, a friendly black & white Pekingese, “Panda,” whom I just had to pet!
Panda’s favorite thing to do is chase a small tennis ball.
Turns out this is he and his wife’s garden! Ben and Ginny are both retired and love to garden. They also have a white-blonde Pekingese, “Angel” ~ who is an absolute sweetheart ~ and I met her later on in my walk. (This sweet pup gave me kisses! <3)
Of course I shared pics of our Yoda, who has been gone three years this June. 🙁 (Miss that ole guy!)
Ben drove by my MIL’s mobile later in the evening as the sun was going down and we took a trip back to their house. I snapped a few more pics, paid for a jade plant which I had promised to buy in the morning from Ginny, and she gave me a couple more succulents just because.
Hugging Angel on the way over was a treat!
Ginny gardens solely in pots, as many of the residents do, and before moving here she had never had gardened at all.
Trying to grow a few succulents for herself, Ginny has raised her gardening skills to next-level and has created garden eye-candy with plants raised up on shelving, cinder blocks and other pots creating little “rooms,” to me is next level!
Square pavers wend their way as a pathway beside each garden room taking one on a journey…
The Garden slowly reveals itself…
This is one of two sitting areas around the front curve of their property. I introduced myself to Ginny and we were talking about how she shades plants during the heat of summer with carefully placed umbrellas.
I love that over time Ginny and her husband have created color blocked rooms and one area gently transitions to the next. Here we are in the chinoiserie garden… Lovely!
This second seating area is in the blue potted garden. Both seating areas blend into their garden settings and show easy ideas for displaying plants in small gardening spaces. Love the round and hexagonal pavers here mixed with pea gravel!
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s garden tour. Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite garden was!
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Happy gardening,
