Any Pacific Island getaway would be my idea of a great vacation, but with my two daughters spending week after week, year in and year out at Waller’s Gym Jam Academy, going on vacation has been difficult to get away as much as we would like, so I decided to recreate a tropical environment in our home.
We bought this house new in 2000 and have been adding to it ever since. Other than hiring sub-contractors to do what I couldn’t, I pretty much did everything myself. As the picture shows, my favorite plant is anything with the word “Palm” in its description, and they do thrive in our climate in Santa Clarita. They’re relatively maintenance free, they’re “clean,” and if healthy, they can survive freezing temperatures for a time. The house was built on compacted soil, and if you’ve ever dug a hole in this type of ground, (and I wish you happy digging), it will hold water until it evaporates, because the water will not penetrate the soil, so breaking it up with a jack hammer has given all the plants a fighting chance. With the maturity of the trees and those of our surrounding neighbors, there is quite a bit of shade and privacy too. One of our favorite pastimes is to simply have a cup of coffee sitting by the pond in the morning, listening to the waterfall, and watching the birds gather to eat and drink, or curl up with a good book on the hammock or glider. The backyard is great for entertaining with a pool party and barbeque, or just enjoying quiet serenity. I’m one of “those” kind of people that has to be different, so everything back here is “unconventional” as I’ve been called, whether it’s the patio cover, the raised pool, the deep well spa, the metal sculptures, or the lighting, and these one can’t buy “off the shelf.” As a Printed Circuit Designer of medical implants at Advanced Bionics, I live to design, create and build, and the backyard is littered with metal sculptures I’ve done. I will be opening my home for the annual Santa Clarita Memorial Garden Tour this June 6, (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), as a benefit for families of fallen soldiers, so please come by for a visit. The next project…re-invent the front yard!