I originally grabbed this photo because it showed a lovely formal garden, but as I examined it more closely, I could see a lot that was wild about this picture, too. Yes, it has large lawns, stonework and a fountain, but looking at the edges it is also exuberant, with the beds threatening to spill out into the lawn at any moment. Maybe that is the goal of any garden — to maintain a bit of control but also expose the wilderness that could be.

The truth is, we only carve our gardens out of the wilderness for a small amount of time. I only have to look at properties in my neighborhood that remain empty for a short time. The lawn and garden beds quickly revert to weeds and saplings. Given a few months, I could see the entire property yielding to the overwhelming pressure of nature. Even more, this is here in the relatively dry and inhospitable San Fernando Valley. if you live in a more temperate climate, your lot could go from a cultivated garden to meadow to woodlot in just a year or so.

Tatham Garden [slide]

Previously in Garden History:

• Santa Barbara Mission, 2201 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, California. (LOC)
• Your victory garden counts more than ever!
• “Villa Sciarra,” George Wurts house, via Calandrelli, Rome, Italy. (LOC)
• Whitworth Gardens, Darley Dale, Derbyshire, England
• John & Lizzie Wilson from Boston in Bradenton, Florida, 1951
• Paris Exposition: gardens, Paris, France, 1900
• Wisteria blooms in Davis Garden (Locust Valley, New York), 1930
• “Killenworth,” George Dupont Pratt house, Glen Cove, New York, ca. 1918
• A Garden Under Glass, Nice, France, c1865-1895