A hunting estate in the South Carolina backwoods

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a chapter on this home in the book Lowcountry Plantations Today, given to me by my prescient friend Lisa some years before. Last September my sister Mary Lynn and I were on our way to go kayaking at the ACE Basin near Beaufort, South Carolina when we passed this home out in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by 100+ year old oaks, the estate includes gorgeous barns as well. According to my Lowcountry book it is called Bonny Hall Plantation and was built circa 1897 on the Combahee River. Once owned by the Doubleday publishing family, it is now reputed to be the domain of a Hollywood producer. Somerset Maugham wrote The Razors Edge in the guest house there in the 1940’s.

Our kayaking guide, Kim, owns Beaufort Kayak Tours (www.Beaufortkayaktours.com) with her husband David. She is a local as well as a naturalist and very well informed about the area. We kayaked in the  swamps where the land was used for rice production before the Civil War. Now a lot of the land is owned by wealthy families who use it for hunting part time. This is a good thing because it preserves the land and saves it from development.

That’s us, kayaking away!

On the web:

Australian Native Plant Nursery (click on website at right) features Eucalyptus “Moon Lagoon”, a collectable drought tolerant shrub.

11/18:  Huntington Gardens (San Marino) offers an all day Ranch symposium on urban agriculture. (www.huntington.org)

11/19:

• Huntington Gardens (above):  Thanksgiving Flower Arrangement class.
• Theodore Payne Native Plant Foundation (Sun Valley):  3 part Native Plant Design Symposium (www.theodorepayne.org)
• Descanso Gardens (La Canada): Heritage Oak Walk (www.descanso.org)

Tuesday, 10/25:

• Huntington Gardens, San Marino: Lecture on propagating, growing and caring for figs (www.huntington.org)
• San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas: Succulent wreath class (sdbgarden.org)

Thursday, 10/27: The Arboretum, Arcadia: Propagation workshop with Dave Larrom (arboretum.org)

Saturday, 10/29:

• ***** Australian Native Plant Nursery in Ojai (australianplants.com) is extending their sale to Saturday, 10/29 — Click on box to the right!*****
• Theodore Payne Foundation for Native Plants, Sun Valley: Native plant horticulture with Lili Singer and Low Impact design class on managing rain and irrigation water (www.theodorepayne.org)
• Nopalito Native Plant Nursery, Ventura (nopalitonursery.com) : Planting, pruning and watering native plants in the fall / free with preregistration.

A magnificent grove of Dracaena Cinnabari

I have a soft heart for pointy plants. Especially succulents in all their fleshy sometimes spiny glory. As I flipped thru a Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently, an article came to my attention on the island of Socotra and Dracaena Cinnabari, or the Dragon’s Blood Tree. To my way of thinking this is a gorgeous tree, with its twisty sculptural trunks and spikey canopy. Unfortunately it is endangered in its habitat by the gradual warming and drying of Socatra, a United Nations World Heritage Site located near the Horn of Africa and Yemen. In ancient times the deep red resin derived from the tree was used as a dye, toothpaste, astringent and rheumatism medicine — this is a plant that could earn its keep. It still provides varnish for violins, among other uses. It would be perfectly suited to our SoCal climate but seems to be very hard to find. Wish I had known about this trees 3 months ago when I was in Egypt — that is probably as close as I’ll ever get to Socotra and its Dracaene Cinnabari.

For the article on Socotra: www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503111

On the web:

Saturday, February 26:

• Bonsai-a-thon @ Huntington Gardens, 2/26 — 2/27, 10:30 — 4:30, Bonsai masters share their passion, live auction at 3 pm, included in admission; www.Huntington.org, (626) 405‑2100
• Theodore Payne Foundation:   Relief Printing Workshop, 10am — noon, $25/ 35 nonmembers, $15 for materials, and Let It Drip (drip irrigation seminar) 1:30–3:30, $20/30 nonmembers,  theodorepayne.org/818–768-1802
• Edible Natives for the Local Eater with Hank Kraus of Moosa Creek Nursery, 1:30, free @ City Farmers Nursery, San Diego, cityfarmersnursery.com
• Composting 101/11 am and Heritage Oak Walk/11 am — Descanso Gardens, both free with admission, Descanso Gardens, (818) 949‑7980
• From Seed to Skillet: A Garden Conservancy Talk with Jimmy Williams and Susan Heeger, Los Angeles Arboretum, 11:30–1:30 The Garden Conservancy and the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden are pleased to present Jimmy Williams and Susan Heeger, authors of the new book From Seed to Skillet: A Guide to Growing, Tending, Harvesting, and Cooking Up Fresh Healthy Food to Share with People You Love. Jimmy learned all about vegetable gardening at the knee of his grandmother, a South Carolina native from a traditional Gullah community. Susan, a garden writer and editor, has been growing vegetables at home for more than ten years. The two have created a personal, beautifully illustrated garden manual aimed at helping all gardeners, from beginners to experts, grow edibles more successfully. They will share some of the secrets to garden planning, creating healthy soil, raising strong, productive plants, saving seeds, and enjoying the harvest with family and friends. $20/25 non members incl. admission / optional lunch/jill.berry@arboretum.com /

Kate and Len in front of the cymbidium house Len built.

Kate and Len Scott have lived with design their entire married lives. Len, an Art Center graduate, managed some of the most prestigious interior design firms in the country, and Kate is an art consultant. So it was natural that they should combine two of their loves, design and gardening, in the long, narrow backyard of their 1900’s California bungalow. Perched above the Silverlake reservoir, this home has been a labor of love since they moved in 40 years ago, first as students renting the 2nd floor and then as owners. The backyard in particular shows the TLC lavished on it in the past 4 decades. “First Len built my orchid house when my cymbidium collection threatened to take over the house, and then collecting succulents seemed a natural fit. We are very involved with our family and would rather spend time on the soccer field  with our grandkids than planting perennials every season,” said Kate. ” And then of course there is the water issue.….”

A refuge from the city.

Their sound reasoning and hard work has translated into an extensive outdoor room that is well used all year around. “We love to have parties out here, especially since our home is somewhat small. Having moved here from Montana in the 60’s we have always appreciated the outdoor living aspect of Southern California. We can accomodate a lot of people, especially for our annual Easter party and egg hunt!” enthused Kate. Over the years their house and garden has been a constant inspiration and presence in their friends’ lives, including yours truly. Len now works on his own designing residences, interiors and furniture. It could be argued that he and Kate live in his finest creation.

scottassociatesdesign.com

The shade comes in handy on hot summer days.

On the web:

Thursday, January 20:

• Recycling in the Garden with Yvonne Savio, 9:30 am — noon / Los Angeles Arboretum / $20.00 per class / pay at door or call Jill Berry (626) 821‑4623 or jill.berry@arboretum.org.

Saturday, January 22:

• Discussion of native grasses with Barbara Eisenstein, 9:30 — 11:30 am / Nopalito Native Plant Nursery, 4107 E. Main St, Ventura, California (805) 844‑7449 / www.nopalitonursery.com / $10.00
• Winter Pruning by Lora Hall, 9:30 — 11:30pm / Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford St., San Marino / $35.00 — 45.00 / (626) 406‑2123 / www.huntington.org
• Gardening Basics, 10am / Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge / 2 part class / $10.00 — 20.00 for both classes / (818) 949‑4200 / www.descansogardens.org
• Site Analysis with landscape architects  Anna Armstrong and Richard Walker / bring location photos and, if possible, a plan / 1:30 — 3:30 / Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants, 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Valley / (818) 768‑1802/ www.theodorepayne.org