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Reflections Quarterly Newsletter


2004 Volume 35, Issue 4


Mrs. Whaley's Garden News
By Jessica McGee
Whaley House Garden Chairperson

There are many lovely new plantings in the Whaley House gardens for our visitors to enjoy. The Whaley House Garden Restoration Committee planned these additions to appeal not only visually but to the other senses as well, including touch, smell and, when the wind blows through the trees and grasses, hearing too.

The Verna House, also known as the SOHO Museum Shop, was recently restored and the garden surrounding it planted with a variety of popular Victorian flowering plants to complement the original house colors. There are yellow, bronze and burgundy daisies in the front and a deep orange-gold angel's trumpet, moneywort as ground cover with red trumpet vines growing against the wall. The public side yard area now has many old-fashioned coleuses in numerous shades of lime and burgundy, heirloom C.M. Hovey camellias, leather ferns and calla lilies. There are California fuchsias in red, with more ferns in the back. The private side yard has native matilija poppies and San Diego red bougainvillea.

The gazebo area has more sunshine, thanks to recent County pruning of the old black walnut tree. It also has more privacy since the grape stake wall was completed. In addition to the existing wisteria vine and nasturtiums we planted three heirloom climbing roses and stephanotis. We are all looking forward to implementing a service area for events and of course more beautiful plants in the near future.

The Derby-Pendleton house garden now has 16 heirloom rose bushes and a trellis is to be installed soon for a climbing rose. The old well is also being restored. More hydrangeas of various varieties were added to complement the large plantings of hydrangea that are already there, this will be underplanted with violets.

Last, but definitely not least, the front of the Whaley House now has a variety of ornamental grasses to invoke the early San Diego atmosphere.

We hope our visitors agree the gardens add much to the quality of their experience and look forward to future enhancements.


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