Hidden Paradise in a backyard

By Dawn Burleigh • Photos by Dawn Burleigh

AA hidden garden offers peace and tranquility in the backyard of Pete Gresham and his wife’s home in Orange are a foliage paradise. Pete and Janice Gresham have turned a back yard into a beautiful getaway with a relaxing atmosphere enhanced with an outdoor fireplace and even a waterfall.

The couple moved into the subdivision 22 years ago after Pere built it.

“My favorite part of the garden is the fireplace,”

Pete said. “We really enjoy it.”

Pete suggests before starting your own backyard paradise to decide how much work you want to put into it.

“I have 200 pots here,” Pete said. “You have to have an idea of what you want before you start and take into consideration how much sun and shade you will have.”

From there, you can decide which plants you will want. Caladiums are Pete’s favorites. “I order them every year from Caladium World in Florida,” Pete said. “I put out bulbs every year.” Caladiums are a tropical South American plant of the arum family, which is cultivated for its brilliantly colored ornamental foliage. Even with all the planning before you start, be prepared to learn what does and does not work along the way. “One mistake was trying periwinkle,” Pete said. “They are too susceptible to disease. I can’t grow them.” Periwinkle is an Old World plant with flat five-petaled, typically bluish flowers and glossy leaves. Some kinds are grown as ornamentals and some contain alkaloids used in medicine. Pete added rain can kill the plant or lead to a fungus which will also kill it.

Another aspect of the garden is the couple’s very own waterfall. “It is tranquil with the water running,” Pete said. “We eat out here a lot and enjoy hearing the waterfall.”

It is in the garden the couple is usually found as they enjoy the fruits of their labor. “I am really proud of how it looks this year,” Pete said. 

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