The Erskine Garden

Fifty-seven years ago, in 1961, owner Georgiana and husband Paul Erskine bought their Colonial-style home built in 1937 by Morris Miller, a noted Pasadena plantsman. Here they raised three children, and over the years the garden evolved into a series with great structure and style. Georgiana, a Smith College history and art history major, resolved early on to travel and study historical gardens. She felt strongly that the original garden was visible at once, giving the garden "no sense of mystery." Her continuing studies took her to the Sorbonne and the École du Louvre for graduate study, and gave her the opportunity to do further research with visits to noted European gardens. The genesis of her eventual garden design plan was a visit to the classic Moorish gardens at the Alhambra, and a visit to Italy where the emphasis on axial design became the design focus.

As the property is a peculiar triangle, adjustments were made to the axis to accommodate the shape, giving the impression now that the garden is a rectangle. In 1982, after more than twenty years in the house, landscape designer James Yoch, cousin of noted landscape architect Florence Yoch, was brought in for inspiration, which ultimately resulted in the plan for a series of garden rooms. Landscape designer Thomas Batcheller Cox designed and executed the hardscape, including the raised brick terrace, the "Casita" guest house and spa area. Mr. Cox set the axis in line from the dining room doors straight back to the citrus allée at the rear of the garden and, in 2002 also designed the charming redwood "teahouse," and the terrace pond off the dining room. All construction was done by a pair of twin Basque brothers who originally came to California as sheepherders for the sheep owners in the high country of the Sierra Nevada.

The over one-acre property is now divided loosely into thirds, with the curved entry driveway and house occupying the first third. A tall Canary Island pine (Pinus canariensis) flanks the entrance walkway and original fifty-year old white azaleas of an unknown species continue to flourish in the flower beds. A pink Chorisia (silk floss tree) and five-foot-high gardenia bushes flank the path to the rear garden. Past the garage area gate, a sloped flowerbed contains a rare white Chorisia insignus, another Brazilian native. A free-form swimming pool dominates the center third of the garden. The brick pool coping segues nicely to the herringbone pattern in the brick of the adjacent entertaining terrace, where two oversize pots of white Plumeria (frangipani) scent summer evenings. At the rear of the property, a weathered gate through a Boston ivy-covered wall leads to the last third of the garden: a formal rose parterre centered around a bronze fountain with a cherub and a recently added brick patio. The roses are continually edited as needed, and share the space with a bountiful citrus allée of grapefruit, orange, lemon trees and a 'bears limes' tree for summer margaritas. The path continues back down the gentle slope to a much needed compost bins and a covered work area.

Directions: At the request of the Garden Host, directions to this garden are provided at additional gardens open on this date, or by calling the Garden Conservancy office toll-free weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, 1-888-842-2442.

Open Days 2018: April 22
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission to this garden is $7 for members and nonmembers without tickets purchased in advance.

Buy discounted admission tickets in advance! They can be used at most Open Days to make garden visiting easier.
Nonmembers get 6 visits for the price of 5 with advanced ticket book purchase.
Members get 50% off ONLY by purchasing ticket books in advance.