Palm Beach - Classical Palm Beach

In 1996 the owner bought a rectangular 8/10-acre parcel from a larger estate comprised of sand and two mature banyan trees. The plan was to create a Tuscan-style retreat with a large, central water feature. Instead there are two pools: one a lap pool/reflecting pool with a wall fountain and decorative coping and the other contains a fountain with caryatids as the base. The caryatids were copied from an original piece in the owner's collection of sculptures, antiques and seating that are placed in formal garden rooms that surround the pools. Trimmed potocarpus and ficus form hedges around the rooms; in one spot potocarpus is arched over an entry. An impressively-sized arch was cut out of two pleached buttonwood. Trees include strangler fig, shaving brush, holly and Norfolk pine with date, coconut, Cuban royal and areca palms. Jasmine and bougainvillea vines accent house and garage doorways. Understory plants include hibiscus, petunia, blueberry, gardenia and begonia with zoysia grass. Plans for a main house were scraped in favor of several smaller buildings since the property is used as a retreat. Outside the main residence there is a pergola with painted bamboo, bougainvillea, hibiscus, viburnum, queen's wreath vine, and tea and date palm trees. Persons associated with the garden's design: Mario Nievera, landscape architect (1996); Jobe Lopez, garden manager (1996- ).