“Conceived” in the 1930s, Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden was initially part of a larger property owned by Charles and Ellamae Storrier Stearns. The garden was inspired by their travels in Japan and was designed by Kinzuchi Fujii. The entire construction took seven years to complete.

In 1949, the estate was sold to Gamelia Haddad Poulsen who had come to the Storrier Stearns estate auction in the hope of purchasing two Louis XV chairs. Over the years she sold various parcels of property and by the time Poulsen died in 1985, the teahouse had burned down (under mysterious circumstances) and the garden had been neglected. In 1990, Poulsen’s grandson and his wife, Jim and Connie Haddad began to restore the garden in honor of Gamelia.

Gamelia Hadda Poulsen

Jim and Connie Haddad

Now the garden has been restored, is a registered historic landmark, and is available for special events, and on Sunday, January 26th, the public is welcome to their Open Day.

Kendall Brown, Professor of Asian Art History at Cal State Long Beach and Curator at Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, described the garden in his 2003 letter of Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places: 
“In its design and construction, the Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden represents one of the best pre-war examples of a Japanese hill and pond style stroll garden outside of Japan. In its grand size, at almost two acres and with a 25-foot-high hill with waterfall, the garden was constructed on an unmatched scale. The design, with two large ponds, one spanned by a granite devil’s bridge more than 15 feet long, was unparalleled at the time.”

According to the Garden’s website, Charles Storrier Stearns had an interesting, well-traveled life:

Charles was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1868. His father was a distinguished physician of some renown, with a number of published works on the treatment of the insane. His portrait hangs at Yale University. In 1917 Charles took up residence in France, with homes in both Nice and Paris. When he renewed his passport in 1922 he described himself as a retired capitalist. In 1928 he was knighted by the French government in recognition of his humanitarian work helping refugees of the Russian Revolution. A few years later, in June 1931, articles in major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times reported that he was decorated with the Order of Legion of Honor at a ceremony conducted at the Louvre in recognition of gifts of art works to French museums.

Lesser is known about about Ellamae Goodale except that she was born in 1872 in San Francisco, was described by her nephew as “ravishingly beautiful,” lived in Hawaii during her first marriage, was married for the second time in London, had  dual passports (U.S. and France, as did Charles), and traveled extensively.

Designer Kinzuchi Fujii was born in Japan in 1875, emigrated to America in 1903, and “although an enterprising and capable person with a background in carpentry and landscaping, he faced the barriers and discrimination that were the lot of immigrants from the Orient at that time.”

Entwined with the history of Japanese-style gardens is the social and labor history of these immigrants. A paradox of Japanese-style garden making is that it flourished in the early twentieth century at a time when Japanese immigrants were faced with racial prejudice and legal discrimination, barred from becoming citizens and, in California, owning land. Garden making became one of the few occupations open to them.

Though Fujii designed and built several small gardens in Ojai and Santa Barbara, the Storrier Stearns garden was considered his masterpiece. He wrote:  ”I am possessed of an ambition to leave a real, uncompromising Japanese garden in the United States.”

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II, Fujii was one of approximately 110, 000 Japanese and Japanese Americans who were interned until “Ex parte Endo unanimously declared that loyal citizens of the United States, regardless of cultural descent, could not be detained without cause.”¹

Kinzuchi considered the Storrier Stearns garden his masterpiece and carried the photographs and plans documenting the creation of the garden with him, in the single suitcase allowed by the government, into internment. Kinzuchi never saw his beloved creation again.²

Open Day at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden
Sunday, Jan. 26th 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
270 Arlington Dr., Pasadena 91105
Cost:  $7.50, general; free, 12 years and under (click here to reserve)
For complete info, call 626.399.1721
Or visit JapaneseGardenPasadena.com

~~~

¹ Wikipedia.org
² JapaneseGardenPasadena.org

(ANDREW CROWLEY)

At Endsleigh, where the garden relates so strongly to the house, Olga is in
her element: she has designed the interior and implemented various tweaks to
the exterior. The inside and out work in harmony and reinforce the
picturesque style of the architecture as designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville.

The absence of change to the gardens from the original design is emphasised by
leafing through Repton’s Red Book for Endsleigh. You can see his
watercolours of the original landscape with the overlays of his proposals
which look remarkably true to today’s views.

Repton did much work for the Duke of Bedford, especially at Woburn, and
Endsleigh (a glorified holiday cottage) was maintained, but the design was
left pretty much untouched. It stayed with the family until 1955 when it was
taken over by relatives of the late duke’s, including sons and grandsons.
They together formed the Fishing Friends and shared the property.

The garden became rather neglected, but the hurricane of 1987 brought massive
tree loss. This event, coupled with a realisation of the importance of the
landscape, galvanised the fishing club into action. Members’ wives joined
their husbands and instead of fishing, they were out weeding and restoring.

Olga Polizzi and her daughters bought Endsleigh eight years ago. The head
gardener, Simon Wood, had been working there for 14 years and is now in
day-to-day charge of the restoration. About half of the 60-acres of woodland
has become walkable and are full of stunning specimens – acers, cherries,
cedars and more – including fine champion trees. His programme includes
restoring paths and removing much of the self-sown ash and sycamore that has
taken over.

Simon’s favourite part is the Dairy Dell, a steep-sided valley of more than 40
acres, exposed bedrock and many fine trees. There is a stream running
through it. The tiny model dairy was built for Georgiana – a down-to-earth
duchess who married the sixth duke in 1803 – who liked to milk the cows. In
1910, more exotic trees were planted here, especially maples and cherries,
as a result of the Duke of Bedford funding plant expeditions to Japan.

The garden has other striking areas, such as the hexagonal Shell House and
Grotto , which was designed as a summer house for the display of geological
specimens. The rockery and grotto have a central pool and a fountain, many
beautiful pebbled paths and are connected to the dell by a serpentine flight
of stone steps. Another extraordinary feature is a small terrace constructed
from sheep’s knuckles. These are intricately laid to form hard
paving.Presumably, the duke had a thrifty side and lots of sheep. Now, using
like-for-like replacements is illegal, so Olga has to substitute special
plastic alternatives.

Elsewhere, a few minor alterations have been made to enhance the gardens for
guests. Another adjacent terrace was all grass, but to cope with garden
furniture it has been surfaced with crushed slate – Olga’s daughter Alex’s
idea, which fits in well.

Lawns have been reseeded and the 100m-long herbaceous border (perhaps the
longest uninterrupted herbaceous border in the country ) that Repton
designed has been renovated. When it was a holiday cottage for the Bedfords,
a border full of summer flowering show-offs, such as delphiniums, aconitums
and poppies, was perfect, but now other plants, such as hellebores and
euphorbias, have been added to increase the year-round appeal. Historic
watercolours of their former incarnation have been studied to retain the
original feel, though.

The children’s garden, with its rills, central fountain and geometrically
arranged beds, has been restored, and all the water features and cascades
are entirely gravity-fed. Repton loved the sight and sound of water and it
plays a large part in the landscape, embellished by fine bridges, gunnera
and riverside walks.

The creation of this landscape, two centuries ago, involved a vast team of
workmen shifting tons of earth, building the structures, digging borders and
planting trees under the watchful direction of an experienced master. If
Repton dropped in today I think he would be immensely pleased with himself
and relieved that Endsleigh was in the custodianship of a team that shared
his passion.

Four special weekends are being held at Endsleigh to celebrate Repton’s
work: March 21-23; March 28-30; April 4-6, and April 11-13. (hotelendsleigh.com).

Read more: Hotel Endsleigh provides inspiration to
create a large garden in a small space

Read more: What to do in the garden this week:
protect your bulbs

You’ve heard the drought warnings and emergency declarations. You see your utility bill. You know you’ve got to do something to save water.

With looming cutbacks, it’s time to rethink the lawn. But what will replace it in the New Front Yard?

Imagine a fertile greenbelt of colorful California native flowers alive with hummingbirds and buzzing with bees. Picture a garden space ripe with home-grown fruit and blueberries. See substantial water savings – and no more mowing.

Yet many homeowners are reluctant to take out the turf; they know what the grass looks like and aren’t quite sold on alternatives. Now that Sacramento city officials have voted to ask residents and businesses to slash water use by 20 percent, however, many consumers will be pushed into action.

“This situation offers an opportunity here,” said water-efficient landscape expert Cheryl Buckwalter, executive director of EcoLandscape California. “It’s time to actually take action and do what we’ve been talking about. If people really started these things some time ago, we’d be in a much better position today. But if you start now, we’ll be in a better position in the future.”

Landscape irrigation accounts for about 65 percent of household water use in the Sacramento area, according to local water agencies. Turf grass ranks among the thirstiest landscaping, needing 2 inches of water a week (or more) during hot summer months.

Even with cutbacks, that water use adds up quickly: A half-inch of irrigation for a typical front lawn uses as much water as about 104 showers, 52 baths or 52 loads of laundry, according to efficiency experts. Faced with rationing, do you want clean kids and clothes or green grass?

“Unless you have horses grazing in front of your house, there’s no reason to grow grass there,” said Sacramento radio host “Farmer Fred” Hoffman.

He saw the water savings firsthand at his own 10-acre property in Herald. Hoffman removed about 2,600 square feet of Bermuda grass and replaced it with fruit trees, blueberries and California natives. He slashed his water use for that former turf area by 88 percent.

“The sprinklers used 2 gallons a minute,” Hoffman observed shortly after the makeover. “The drip system uses 1 gallon an hour (once a week). It’s a fraction of the water and very low maintenance.”

The blueberries don’t need to be mowed, he noted, and they’re a lot tastier than turf.

Some homeowners assume that the best drought-minded alternative to turf is concrete or other hardscape; it needs no water at all. That worries Buckwalter.

“(Low-water landscapes) are not all cactus and rocks,” she said. “There are beautiful landscapes that are low-water use. People take out softscape and put in impermeable surfaces such as concrete and it can create a heat island effect (making the surrounding area warmer); you no longer have the cooling effect of plants. You need the softscape – the plants and mulch.”

What if you could replace that grass with plants that need no summer irrigation or just a trickle? That was the goal of UC Davis Arboretum horticulture director Ellen Zagory and the arboretum’s staff in compiling a collection of easy-care – and beautiful – low-water candidates for use in residential landscaping.

“We call it ‘The New Front Yard,’ ” Zagory said of the 41 recommended plants. “These are lawn alternatives, making it look nice but without a lot of resources. We’re creating a new regional model for plants for low-water landscapes.”

Several of these plants also have a major side benefit – they help wildlife. This is the time of year when birds really need our help, Zagory noted.

“Personally, I’m obsessed with our relationship to animals,” she said. “They’re suffering from drought, too.”

Instead of just pulling out the lawn, replace it with California natives or other low-water plants that can support the local ecosystem, she suggested.

“There is a new paradigm in the garden world, and the model is spreading,” Zagory said.

She cited a statistic from the U.S. Forest Service: “With more than 80 percent of the U.S. population living in urban and urbanizing areas, protecting and restoring wildlife habitat in our cities and suburbs has become a vital component of wildlife conservation.

“For those planning to convert a water-guzzling lawn to a low-water landscape, now is also a great time to take stock and plan changes to also support wildlife.”

Buckwalter agrees. “That’s one thing I’m so excited about with new landscape plans: You’re creating a wholesome habitat, a food source for wildlife.”

The New Front Yard collection relies on California natives that are favorites of birds, bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.

“Adding or converting to California native plants wherever possible strengthens your garden’s draw to native animals,” Zagory said. “Planting design, plant selection and maintenance practices all add up to the difference between a yard rich with living things and one without.

“Many people don’t realize that the winter garden is home to a variety of both resident and migrating bird species,” she added. “Winter blooming plants provide sparkle during dreary winter days but also provide nectar and pollen for resident creatures, like hummingbirds and native bees.”

The old lawn may have been flat, but its replacement can have height, she noted. Consider such native shrubs as currants ( Ribes malvaceum, Ribes viburnifolium), manzanitas ( Arctostaphylos) and silktassel ( Garrya elliptica). In the shade of oaks or other trees, the currants can live with almost no summer irrigation once established.

“Incorporating evergreen shrubs, including conifers, and growing thick hedges provides birds with shelter from inclement weather, places to hide from predators and a place to nest,” Zagory said.

For example, migrating cedar waxwings – which make their winter home in our area – love toyon ( Heteromeles arbutifolia).

“I’ve seen flocks of cedar waxwings devouring the berries,” Zagory said. “I led a tour recently (of an arboretum garden) and saw several toyon bushes wiggling around. I shook a bush and out flew all these waxwings. It was really fun.”

Think like a hungry bird when picking out low-water plants, she suggested. “Incorporating plants for berries and seed production will set the table where birds will dine.”

Among Zagory’s other recommendations: coffeeberry ( Rhamnus californica), Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium), California lilac ( Ceanothus), buckwheats ( Eriogonum), mountain mahogany ( Cercocarpus betuloides) and redbud ( Cercis occidentalis).

Don’t forget oaks, she said. “Native oaks provide acorns for jays, but also host a wide variety of insects eaten by birds.”

If weather returns to normal, the New Front Yard will still thrive, but those water savings will continue to add up.

“There are always going to be more people and that puts more pressure on our water supply,” Zagory said. “No matter what happens with the weather, we’ll always be under pressure to save water.”

Call The Bee’s Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075. Follow her on Twitter @debarrington.

New England Landscape Design and History Association and Massachusetts Horticultural Society will sponsor a lecture by award-winning landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy at Elm Bank in Wellesley on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m.

Messervy will talk about her new book “Landscaping Ideas That Work,” which has just been released. A wine and cheese reception precedes the lecture at 5:30 p.m. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Messervy is the designer of the award-winning Toronto Music Garden, Weezie’s Garden at Mass Hort, Hidden Hollow at Heritage Museums Gardens, as well as many other residential and institutional landscapes. She is the author of seven books on landscape design, including “Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love” and “Outside the Not So Big House with Sarah Susanka.”

Tickets will be $25 or $20 for NELDHA/Mass Hort members. Tickets can be purchased online at www.masshort.org or by mail. If purchasing by mail, send your check payable to “Massachusetts Horticultural Society” with your email address and your membership affiliation (if applicable) and mail to Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Attn: Maureen Horn, 900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA 02482.

For more information, email MHorn@Masshort.org or Info@NELDHA.org; call 617-933-4912 or 781-407-0065; or visit www.MassHort.org or www.Neldha.org.