Location Bolinas, California
Setting Historic schooner captain’s cottage
Established 2009
Wharf Road Garden
Surrounding a lovingly restored 1851 schooner captain’s cottage—later home to a bartender from California’s oldest operating bar next door—this garden was conceived as a colorful, water-wise landscape that feels completely at home in its West Marin setting. Resilient and expressive, the planting celebrates the coastal landscape while remaining grounded in its sense of place.
Alongside a trio of stately redwoods, white birches frame the approach, their light foliage bringing movement and softness to the entry. Beneath them, layered groupings of ferns, sages, wildflowers, Mexican daisies, and sculptural Leucospermums create an expressive tapestry of greens, warm reds, pinks, and golds.
The garden continues beyond the house and into the walkable hillside, transforming throughout the seasons and creating habitat for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and dozens of other bird species, including blue herons, egrets, and owls. Repeated forms and generous planting give the landscape a sense of rhythm while preserving its relaxed, informal character.
