Patricia Carpenter's garden sanctuary in the country

Patricia Carpenter has been a gardener for almost 50 years. She created her first garden as a student in the UC Davis Community Garden. Since then, she has accumulated a lifetime of experience, knowledge and, yes, wisdom. And yet, after having seen and done it all, she’s as excited about plants as somebody just starting out. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and she and I have become fast friends after running into each at various UC Davis Arboretum functions and events.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Patricia’s garden out in the country west of town. It’s a peaceful spot, bordered in the front by fields and in the back by a slough and more agricultural land beyond. And the neighbors on either side are far enough away that she enjoys a level of privacy we city dwellers can only dream of.

Patricia’s own garden (the focus of this post) is 1 acre, divided into multiple areas with plants ranging from natives to exotics and vegetables. It’s a lush and exuberant testament to Patricia’s love of plants no matter where they’re from. “This is the time of year my garden is crazy wild, but I love it, and I love the fall,” she says.

She also manages two other gardens, both another acre in size: One is the verge in front of her property—a drainage ditch between the road and a bike path as well as another strip separating the bike path from the fields beyond. The other is a portion of a neighbor’s property which Patricia and volunteers working with her have transformed into a California native garden. I’ll show you photos of these additional spaces in a second post.

If you get the distinct impression that Patricia is no ordinary gardener, you would be right. In addition to sharing her knowledge with the local community as a docent at the UC Davis Arboretum, Patricia has put in 1,000+ hours as a UC Master Gardener, volunteered as a coordinator for school gardens, worked as a garden coach, and led countless workshops. She is also a Garden Ambassador with the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) and has written extensively about the native plant gardens under her stewardship, including this 5-part series in Pacific Horticulture.

Patricia Carpenter next to a Helianthus maximilianii from the central and southwestern US

The photos below were taken in mid- to late-afternoon on October 15. The light was wonderfully rich, bathing Patricia’s garden in a warm light.

As I mentioned earlier, Patricia’s lot is about 1 acre in size. The house is set back a bit from the road, separated by the front garden. There’s no shortage of flowers, but the main focus here is on foliage.

Below the pistache tree, which is beautiful in the fall, there’s a pomegranate, lots of cannas (in too much shade to bloom, but pretty nonetheless), succulents, and roses

This 4 ft. canna is a favorite of Patricia’s. It has wonderful green seed pods.

I love how the plants in the wild area form drifts of complementary colors and textures:

The big shrub in the back is Salvia ‘Waverly’, on the bottom right is some kale

Now we’re walking past the house into the back garden:

Salvia ‘Amistad’

The back garden is a treasure trove of plants from all corners of the earth, more often than not arranged in striking combinations:

Euphorbia rigida, ladybells (Adenophora liliifolia), and purple oxalis

The plants are given plenty of room to stretch out, even allowed to encroach on spaces normally reserved for humans (like furniture). Letting go of the need to control everything is a sign of a mature (and wise!) gardener.

Helianthus ‘Sunstone’, a cultivar of H. salicifolius, the willow leaf sunflower

Fruits on flowering quince

Salvia guaranitica

Greenhouse on the left

Pink Japanese anemone (Eriocapitella × hybrida ‘September Charm’)

With so much space at her disposal, Patricia has been able to create a garden that feels mellow and relaxed—unlike my tiny garden which is so densely planted that it seems frenetic.

Tall plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) with pink nicotiana behind. Perennial Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximilianii) at the top; 'Pink Lavender' society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) behind the bench.

Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum). In the old days, it was used to stuff mattresses. Patricia says it smells nice when dried.

One of four bird’s nest compost piles, each with its own whimsical decorations. Patricia also has 13 GEOBIN composters. None of the green waste leaves the garden.

This was one my favorite vignettes

Thoughtfully combined plants forming a lush tapestry: Salvia ‘May Night’ , white candytuft (Iberis sempervirens), bearded iris (Iris × germanica), and succulents.

View toward the house. The tree is a honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos).

It’s a large house, but it takes a back seat to the plants

This gives new meaning to the term “succulent bed.” The bed frame came with Patricia to Davis when she was a student. Now it’s slowly rusting away.

Mostly aeoniums and sedums

As befits a garden of this size, there are plenty of areas for sitting...

...and lounging...

Gazebo in the tropical garden. Next to the elephant ears (Alocasia sp.), the small tree at the top right is Manihot grahamii (its roots are the source for tapioca); the plant at the lower right is palm grass (Setaria palmifolia).

In the green pot to the right of the gazebo is hoja santa (Piper sanctum), an aromatic herb with a smell similar to root beer that is used in Mexican and Central American cooking

The pink flowers belong to Cashmere bouquet (Clerodendrum bungei)

Another view of the hoja santa (Piper sanctum)

...and stretching out:

Patricia says that by the end of the summer, the tropical garden is a jungle

More views of the house:

Small greenhouse attached to the main house

Front porch. The lawn (right) will be replaced with a special turf blend that needs less water. Patricia wants a bit of negative space between the house and the front garden—something for eyes to rest on and feet to walk on.

More Japanese anemones. I remember seeing them a lot in Portland, but they’re not commonly used here in the Sacramento Valley. The box at the front door, by the way, was a shipment of bulbs, Patricia told me afterwards.

Japanese anemone (Eriocapitella × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’). Patricia has been growing it for 30+ years.

Edible squashes and pumpkins, too, grown by Patricia or bought locally

This post is merely an introduction to Patricia’s garden and only scratches the surface. I’m sure I’ll be back before long for more photos!

A big “thank you” to Patricia for providing plant IDs.

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