Hillsborough -- Susan Locklin Grau Garden

The nearly one-acre property had walls and paths built of cobblestones and bricks salvaged from San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire, a main house and guest cottage built in the 1950's, and mature shrubs and trees. This property originally was part of a larger family estate and is on a hillside overlooking San Mateo creek. After sitting empty for about six years the property was purchased in 2012, and the trees and shrubs were pruned. Those included California live oak, deciduous magnolia, ash, plum, persimmon, camellias, rhododendron and azaleas. Next beds along the concentric gravel paths were planted with different trees, shrubs and perennials. There are banks of roses and climbing roses on a series of arches that form a tunnel. The paths wind down the hillside to a lower garden room known as Wonderland where hydrangeas surround a bench and birdbath. Bergenia is used as an edging along the deck and as understory in other garden rooms. Tree and vining wisteria, Japanese maples, spring bulbs, foxgloves, boxwood, ferns, ligularia, weeping birches, and pittosporum are some of the plant selections that have been woven together to form a shimmering garden. Persons associated with the garden include: the Howe family (former owners, early 1900's-1951); Virginia Howe (former owner, 1951-2007); William C. McGowan, Jr. (garden designer and horticulturist, 2013- ); Robert Weatherill (arborist, 2013- ); Mike Warren (construction and lighting, 2013- ); Ruben Cardenas and Ruben Cardenas, Jr. (gardeners, 2013- ); Carmen Gonzalez (gardener, 2013- ).