| Salvaged junk becomes this garden owner’s ‘pots of gold’ by Sharael Feist / photos by Kainaz Amaria Walking through Kathleen McComb’s garden is like going on a treasure hunt. If you look carefully, around each corner you’ll discover various “pots of gold” — found objects that McComb has transformed into artistic garden decorations.Visitors enter the ‘salvage garden’ through a gate made of old window frames and decorated with a peace sign made of honeysuckle vines.Upon entering the “salvage garden,” which was a featured stop on the 2003 Gamble Spring Garden Tour, is a gate made from two old window frames and decorated with a peace sign woven out of honeysuckle vines (a subtle showing of her stance on the war). A gate leading to the back yard was manufactured from an old bed frame, and an iron balcony railing and bathtub have been converted into plant boxes. “I like to reuse and recycle,” McComb says, “not going out and buying something new.” There are untold uses to be made of an old bathtub, including planter boxes.McComb’s garden is an inspiration to those wanting to add a sense of intrigue to their own garden. At one point, McComb started collecting wooden columns, which evolved into an entire column garden. “I encourage people to go to a salvage yard and try reusing something,” she says. The salvaged objects are not the only awe-inspiring aspects of this garden. There are also the fragrant roses — belle of Portugal, Queen Elizabeth, Mrs. Herbert Stevens, Cecil Brunner, climbing iceberg and paradise — and the wide array of plants and flowers.When McComb purchased this 1920s home in Barron Park in 2001, the roses, which were growing rampant, were in need of some TLC. A year later, she decided to do some relandscaping, but wanted to keep much of the old foliage in place. “I’m not one for tearing anything out,” she admits. With a little creativity and lots of dedication, the garden has blossomed into a trove of plants, flowers, trees and treasures.Design challenges: Because she has dogs who wander through the garden, the owner was limited in what she could use to control snails and slugs. She usually picks them out by hand, early in the morning. Unexpected problem: Fence installation caused root damage to the pineapple guava tree. Year home built: 1920s Size of lot: 8,000 square feetAs visitors enter the front yard, they are greeted by gold of ophir, belle of Portugal roses, helichrysum and a garden mirror lined by arched grapevine branches and subtly placed at the end of a wood-chips pathway. On the side of the house, McComb has used two large plant boxes to transform a driveway into flowerbeds full of bells of Ireland, delphiniums and nasturtiums. Passing through a gate to the back yard, there is a patio with chairs and a wooden table where McComb and her husband enjoy entertaining, having their morning coffee and watching their two dogs (as well as the occasional skunk) romp through the garden on the dog-friendly paths that have been created around the perimeter. “We love to be outside,” McComb says. “It is important to us to have spaces to enjoy the property.” In the back part of the garden is a sitting area with wooden chairs and a table shaded by a large walnut tree and fringed by azaleas, camellias and fuchsias. The area has an illusion of being larger than it is due to a strategically placed garden mirror tucked into the foliage. Draping overhead is an eye-catching rose “tree” — a first-prize rose bush that has scaled the side of the walnut tree and grown to about 20 feet tall. McComb’s favorite spot in the garden is her blue-doored art studio where she creates watercolor paintings while admiring her plants and flowers. “I enjoy being in my studio and looking out,” McComb says. “It inspires me and keeps me in my garden.” Tucked in a corner, is an herb garden filled with thyme, basil, chives, sage and also a few tomato plants. McComb enjoys sharing her garden with others, which is why she agreed to be part of the garden tour, where up to 3,000 people meandered through her yard in one weekend. “I like to try to give back to the community,” she says. If you don’t open yourself up — if you don’t give back — I don’t think you’re a part of it.” Resources: Nurseries: Filoli, 86 Canada Road, Woodside, (650) 364-8300; Magic Garden, 729 Heinz Ave., Berkeley, (510) 644-1992; Sierra Azul, 2660 East Lake Ave., Watsonville, (831) 763-0939 |
Not So Hidden Treasures
