With a number of summer parties planned, from a graduation to a school fundraiser, Kristin Savini wanted her backyard to look beautiful. But when she gazed outside, “everything was beige and brown.” She loved her pool. patio and brick fireplace, but her flowerbeds and the cushions on her outdoor furniture seemed overwhelmingly “blah.”
So she called in the pros. First, Steve Gilbert from Willow Glen Home and Garden suggested using the color of the pool as inspiration. He brought in bright turqoise cushions for the furniture and no fewer than 11 ceramic urns. To Kristin, it all looked “elegant and fun.” But that was a lot of urns to plant. So she called in her friend and container gardener Dhelia Fahrner of La Jardiniere.
With the bright cushions and pots, she knew the plants needed to be one thing: saturated with color. “It couldn’t be pale,” she said. At Summerwinds Nursery in Campbell, she and Kristin pulled out bright orange-gold “Easy Does It” standard roses and a big chartreuse ginger plant for height in the middle of some of the taller pots. They also added purples, fuschias 
and oranges with geraniums, lantana, verbena, petunias and alyssum of various heights and textures.
The results were spectacular. Here are some tips for vivid container gardening from La Jardiniere:
1. Before going to the nursery, take measurements of your pots, both width and height, to figure out how many plants are needed to fill each pot and how tall the plants should be to balance the size of the pot. At the nursery, find an empty corner to arrange your chosen plants to see how they would appear together in the pot.
2. Know the sun exposure so you know whether to get sun-loving or shade-loving plants.
3. Choose a style — tight, loose, abundant, minimal — to fit your style or the architecture of your home.
4. If you’re planting several pots, purchase some “foundation plants” that are perennial and can last from season to season. Buy colorful annuals in six-packs that are less expensive to replace.
5. Use quality potting soil and fertilizer and water, water, water.
To see what Dhelia did to her own backyard and another project open these:
Before and After:Spanish Courtyard Gets Makeover
Here’s the complete slideshow:
Here’s a little bit of personal history. I have lived in the Rose Garden Neighborhood since 1989. Our home was a very quaint 3 bedroom 1 bath bungalow style home–and with one toddler it fit perfect. But then another baby and then a set of twins–we needed a little bit of elbow room. We looked at moving but I kept coming back to how I loved this little house, how I loved my neighborhood and how I loved that park just down the street. So, we stayed and remodeled (… that’s a whole other story).
Top on the list was replacing the brick on the curving path that was caked with old mortar, probably from a demolished fireplace. They handed the list to Suzanne’s longtime gardner, Carlos Arrioja, who owns the Los Gatos landscape business, “A Touch of Quality.”
The hand is a sculpture Carlos came across. He had to re-attach the broken thumb. And it has become the signature piece in the garden, adding a bit of whimsy.
Coffee in hand, Desiree and I headed out early last weekend to check out the Hanchett Park historic home tour. I seriously love the 
1.) Deborah Arant and Richard Nieset’s Spanish Colonial Revival on Sequoia Avenue seemed like a dream. I could imagine lounging by the pool, margaritas in hand as I cooked a grand BBQ in their outdoor kitchen. The home shaped like the pii symbol had three separate gardens, giving everyone in the household an area to relax and call their own. The home featured an extensive collection of Turkish rugs and art from the couple’s travels around the world, including pieces by Thomas McKnight. Desiree and I were on vacation!
The homeowners also remodeled the original kitchen, transforming it in a green certified masterpiece. They reused 100% of the materials, meaning nothing went to the dump! The result? A modern kitchen with a nod to the 1920′s feel throughout the home, complete with built-in espresso maker! In addition, when building their outdoor kitchen and gates, the couple used reclaimed wood from Napa.
2.) The Washington’s Tudor Revival home on Sierra Avenue was picture perfect. Central to the quaint home, the fireplace features Malibu pottery tiles in the Mayan and Aztec motif, very typical of California homes. On the other hand, consistent with classic Tudor styling, the home had perfectly preserved Tudor arch door with glass stained windows and American walnut beamed ceilings. I loved their collection of antique silhouettes from the 1890′s through the 1930′s.
3.) Collections and Obsessions make a house a home. The gorgeous example of a modernized American Foursquare on Yosemite Avenue belongs to Michael Abler and Michael Smith. While the home boasts many features that make this a stand out ( alabaster light fixtures to die for, a grand kitchen, box-beam ceilings and impeccable landscaping), what stuck with me were its owners collections – vintage martini shakers, globes, marbles, pez dispenser and sea shells. All thoughtfully displayed in cases, shelves or oversized jars; they begged me to ask the owners to tell me more. Alas they were not there to chat with, but it made me think about what collections I would put out for display. A wonderful and quick idea I could replicate immediately!
4.) Architect Steve Hinderberger and Michael Segovia own the modern prairie style bungalow on Yosemite. The home is furnished in Bauhaus style with a mix of modern furniture, sculpture created by the homeowner and nods to the homes 1920s roots. I was in immediately in love with lines of the Eames Lounge chair and the glass Noguchi table. Hinderberger also created an easel to hold a beautiful Calder by repurposing a vintage handcart. The bathroom featured chocolate walls with chocolate towels – how is that for a quick way to keep dirty finger print hidden with a touch of panache! The kitchen itself was another example of smart design, where custom built oak cabinets created ample room for a access to a basement office. The result is modern and functional.
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