Evolving Westlake garden evokes passion
By Thea Steinmetz
Insights
Published Aug. 1, 2007

Some people are born to sing, while others are born to garden. Alison and Jeff Pappas definitely were born to garden. I have followed this young couple for a few years on their quest to improve and even excel with their chosen hobby.

Jeff runs his advertising business out of their home and so is available to do Alison’s bidding when it comes to doing the heavy work in the garden.

A few years ago they entered the Westlake in Bloom contest in the vegetable garden category and garnered first place. Then, when they realized they were giving away far more produce than they could use, and with a fungus having invaded their soil, they changed their focus.

They had always enjoyed perennials in their garden, but had little feeling for annuals. When time came to re-configure their entire back yard, they knew they had to give the colorful annuals a try. This is the second year since the change in direction, and it is now a lovely and colorful property. Last year, while still better than most backyards, it did not have the focus and organization they managed to implement this time around.

To mention that it took 32 yards of mulch gives a clue to the extensive beds. The front and side yard is planted with 500 serene white double Sonata petunias. This makes for a stunning twilight garden as the pure white pops up strongly as the daylight fades. There are several evergreens that form the background so the white flowers become a good foil and add depths to the whole picture.

Keeping this many plants alive has been a difficult project during the summer’s draught. Alison faithfully comes to their garden at 6 a.m. to water. There is no in-ground watering system, and so it is imperative to water by hand or with a sprinkler.

Driving up to the garage, a mammoth attention getter comes into view.  Next to the garage door there is a stunning planter that makes sure it is seen. It is perched on a tile-embellished column, complementing the picture even further. The gargantuan copper red coleus has grown taller than one would expect. The pink mandevilla is winding through the coleus, adding a new texture as well as color to the planter. The healthy stand of zebra grass close by has taken five years to be established and looks spectacular.

In the same corner is a healthy stand of white and purple anemones that bloomed earlier in the year. This bend links the garage and the brick ranch and here the most is made of a relatively small space.

The front of the home is attractive and well planted and maintained, but it is the backyard that sings. While most of our gardens are feeling the dry mid-summer doldrums, these are not the conditions here.  The multiple roses are looking very healthy and are happily blooming. Alison remarked that the Princess Diana rose is lovely but devoid of any fragrance.

One variety of the multiple Asiatic lilies stopped me cold. Pink flowers with several stems in full bloom are so huge that they could be artificial. They are real and their fragrance attests to this. The flowers are almost dinner plate size. The Pappases believed that these lilies would most likely all bloom at the same time, but this has not been so. They have come out for several weeks now, one variety after another, and thus add to a colorful summer.

A waterfall has been added this year, and Jeff built it by trial and error. It took a few days to get it running properly. Now, as the water jumps over the three shelves it adds pleasant sound to the garden. The plantings around it will change, but for now yellow daylilies add a sunny note.

“We are still working out the kinks,” says Jeff.

“I like the old fashioned flowers,” says Alison, “and so I took out the tall Shasta daisies and replaced them with a shorter version.”  She added that “the four feet tall ones obstructed the view, and it was not possible to see what grew in back of them.”

The black-stemmed elephant plants are in giant ceramic pots and hold true to their name. The leaves are the size of elephant ears. The black stems add a touch of mystery.

The miniature garden is the opposite in size. It is charming and tidy with tiny versions of full size plants. Even miniature hostas found a home here.

The penstemon, not easy to grow here, and the delphiniums are tall and erect. The conditions and the overall health of the extensive plantings beg the question of how it all can be maintained in a state of superior horticultural condition? The answer is aggressive fertilizing and faithful watering. Everything gets treated once a week with liquid Miracle Grow. Of course, the constant oversight is beneficial.

Not many people live to garden, but this couple thrives on it.