Gardens of the Wine Country [antikvár]

INTRODUCTIONIf you were to float silently over the length of California's famed Napa Valley in a hot air balloon, you would be enthralled with the sight of lush vineyards, wineries, and magnificent gardens that, on the ground, would be tucked out of sight. I have been fortunate to see these gardens from the air and from the ground, because this valley is my home. I feel very privileged to be allowed to share with you these magnificent private gardens of my friends in the Napa Valley.During the past thirty years, I have been in most of these gardens many times. Often I've come just to enjoy the garden with a friend. Other times I have seen them as backdrops to parties; sometimes I have helped make them part of a special occasiona wedding, a debutante party, or an anniversary. I've come to know the gardens well. I've even dug in them, pruned or fed plants to encourage perfect timing of blooms, added or moved plants. Although the owners live very involved and different lives, they all have one thing in common: they love, love, love their gardens, whether they work in them, supervise those who do, or simply enjoy them on weekends.It is amazing how, even though there may be a designer involved in the organization of the garden, the owner's personality usually speaks out"Show me the garden, I'll show you the person." You will have the opportunity to know these extraordinary people through their extraordinary gardens.Something unexpected happened to me while researching this book. I fell in love with each garden over and over again. I found that looking at these gardens through the lens of a camera gave me a fresh appreciation of the design, as well as the plant combinations and forms, in each one. When I was alone and took a little time in these places, they began to speak to me in their own languages. No matter how similar the plant material and design might appear, each garden had its ovm rhythm and personalityits own music. Some echoed the free flow of jazz, others brought operatic arias to mind.While each of these gardens plays a distinctly different theme, continuity is derived not only from the climate but from the scenic backdrop of the vineyards. Napa Valley's giant vineyard garden is well maintainedgi-een all summer, golden and amber in the fall, sculptural and haunting in the winter, and brought back to life against soft billows of mustard in the springtime.The climate here allows us to grow almost anything. Temperature variations give us the beautiful change of seasons without the disadvantage of long, burdensome vvinters. How thrilled I was when we moved from Southern California to find I could have peonies, tulips, and lilacs galore, which all love the cold days and nights of our winters. In addition to the things that love the cold, we can grow palm trees, citrus, and bougainvillea, if we are willing to protect them.Now before all you garden-lovers start packing your bags, I should tell you that we gardeners here in the Napa Valley have our own set of challenges. We struggle all summer long to maintain our gardens. With precious little rainPAGE 3: Peter Newton's rose arbor. Be theji small or lar^, formal or wild, these garder\s of the Napa Vall^ all adjoin vinpards. Vistas of the immaculate raws of vines either hide between the plantings or are featured in a Versailles-like panorama. above ii a hillside of Chappellet Vin^ard;opposite, from top to bottom, Ore PeterNewton's Weepingcher^frees in circular box hedges, Luhie Chappellet peering out from the vegetable garden, and Annie Fisher's twin garden houses and her rose arbor.