‘The garden sold us’ on new SLO County home, owner says. She did the rest

New Jersey native Marilyn Hotz began falling in love with the blue-and-white cottage as soon as she and her boyfriend, Dave Booker, walked in the front door. But, she said, “The garden sold us.”

The Arroyo Grande home they purchased in April is surrounded by lush and colorful plantings that enhance the site and create a pleasant ambiance for enjoying the home’s outdoor patios.

Blooming roses, hibiscus and hydrangeas mingle with a profusion of rainbow-colored perennials and annuals spread throughout multiple flower beds. Several trees add structure while a couple of jasmine vines tumble down wooden fences.

Hotz likes to tell visitors that she inherited her home’s landscape from “an extraordinary gardener.” Although an avid gardener herself, Hotz admits to initially being intimidated about taking over such an awesome garden. “I didn’t want to make the mistake of pulling out what I thought was a weed, and finding out it was a rare flower,” she said.

That distinction wasn’t so obvious to someone whose primary gardening experience was growing shade-loving perennials on the East Coast.

Slowly, Hotz gained confidence as her local knowledge and gardening experience grew. She now hires mowers to maintain the lawns, but does all the planting and flower bed maintenance herself.

Hotz also has made a few small changes to the property, while striving to keep the landscape pretty much as she inherited it. “I try to remember how spectacular and special it already is,” she said.

The Cuesta College culinary instructor recently planted a trio of fruit trees alongside the front driveway that she hopes will someday provide fruit and preserves she can share with neighbors.

Also, after finding nothing would grow in a side yard with poor soil, Hotz built raised wooden beds where artichokes, tomatoes and zucchini now flourish.

Although working in the garden can sometimes leave her “staggering from exhaustion,” Hotz said it’s a great way to stay fit. She finds the activity peaceful and relaxing; it also provides inspiration for her photography and painting.

In fact, that’s how she envisions her eventual retirement.

“I’d like to paint and work in the garden,” Hotz said. “Not only grow flowers, but paint them as well.”

Meanwhile, this flower lover’s garden remains in good hands — its care entrusted from one amazing gardener to another.

Tips

Amend poor soils with compost. Clay soils also can be improved by adding gypsum. If that isn’t sufficient, plant in raised beds.

Wait before making changes. When inheriting unfamiliar plants, experience their growth patterns throughout the seasons to determine whether they should go or stay.

Let go of established gardening rules. Hotz found that restricting plantings to standard groupings of three or five plants didn’t work in a garden with so many different plants mixed together.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. One of the joys of gardening is trying new things, and many one-gallon plants cost less than $10.