Harmony in horticulture

Memories of the scents, colors, shapes and textures of the five gardens featured on this year's Gamble Garden Spring Tour linger long after the Forget-me-nots have passed their prime.

On April 24 and 25, hundreds are expected to step into Marci McCue's front yard to be assailed with the sweet scent of the rhododendrons lining the driveway -- or maybe one of the many crab apple trees, or the lilac wafting through the backyard.

McCue's historic Crescent Park home sits on about three-quarters of an acre, with multiple garden rooms. After purchasing the home in 2007, the family wanted to bring the landscaping back to the intentions of the original landscape designer, Scott Colombo of Marin County -- minus shaping the redwood trees like Christmas trees.

"We didn't change the footprint of the yard," McCue said, pointing to the bricks that had been quarried in New Hampshire, carried to California as ballast in ships, then used as cobblestones in San Francisco streets before landing in their driveway and walkway.

Many of the plantings are quite old, including the boxwoods (re-trimmed to a pyramid shape), antique English roses, double Angel's Trumpets and apple trees.

But nearly all the floral touches are new. 
McCue was always taken with the lush plantings in the flower boxes at Stanford Shopping Center so she called to find out who was responsible. They pointed her to Jackie Gray of Merrivale Design, Palo Alto.

"I loved her philosophy. It's not about variety, but 100 of the same thing. I didn't have the impact without the density," McCue said, adding "I'm like an average gardener. I buy what's in bloom, one flat when I need hundreds."

Just weeks before the tour, McCue was sorry the tulips were already peaking, as were the crab-apple trees gently "snowing" in an elegant all閑 (a promenade of trees) approached through wooden doors leading to the back -- McCue's very favorite part of the garden.

But the garden was designed to have waves of color: When the tulips are gone, the hydrangeas will take over. Gray designed beds of annuals and bulbs, with softer pastels in the sunnier front, more intense purples and oranges in the shadier back.

On the tour, visitors will walk through the all閑, next to the fenced pool, by a sunken garden, past an ancient oak, over a pond with a waterfall, all surrounding a wedding-reception-sized grassy area. Along the edges are layered flowers -- Forget-me-nots, ranunculus, Iceland poppies, pansies, delphiniums and more. Two redwoods were introduced last year, joining two white birches, dogwoods by the pool, a white tulip "fringe" tree, a maple and hemlock with a rope swing.

And along the side, in a sunny spot near the driveway, is McCue's personal vegetable garden.

Managing the huge garden is no small feat. Major floral plantings are achieved twice a year, in spring and fall, layered in over several weeks' time. And then there's staking the delphinium and foxglove, and dead-heading the roses. The rest of the year, a maintenance crew, overseen by Laura Cowen, from Jim Lord Landscaping, comes once a week. McCue puts in a couple of hours on weekends as well.

Taking a deep breath, McCue says, "I just love coming home at night. ... I love the smell. We really have a lot of fragrance in the yard."

In addition to the McCue "Estate Preserved" home, other gardens on tour include:

* Casa California -- a renovated mature garden that kept the three water features, many of the mature trees (including a 100-year-old olive), moved literally tons of rocks, and added low-water-use native plantings (Brian Barth, designer); 

* Zen Den -- Designed around a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque house, the update includes 360-degree focal points from the wraparound drive, deep shades of red and chocolate foliage, places to contemplate travel finds, relax and meditate (Sue Feeley, designer); 

* Whimsical Woodland -- From the berries and apples to the non-slip granite stepping stones, this traditional garden in an oak forest is family friendly (Maureen Decombe, designer); 

* Sun-drenched Garden -- Lawn was removed, but mature trees and camellias retained, in this renovation of a Birge Clark-designed home. Expect to see areas of native plants with seasonal color, as well as a central fountain filled with lotus and water lilies (Susan Edwards Ogle and Sara Macy, designers).

Musical entertainment will be provided in three of the private gardens from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. and at Gamble Garden from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Other activities at the Gamble Garden include a large plant sale, a sale of gently used garden and home accessories, boutique and vendors, silent auction and possibly a tool and knife sharpener. All proceeds benefit the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden.