Tales of Trips & Tours by Patty Gaffney … Sheila Peterson’s Terraced Haven
On yet another gray and chilly morning, Daytrippers enjoyed the unique experience of exploring the home and gardens of Sheila and Jimmy Peterson. A magnificent 14,000 sf home on a 13 acre lot, their home, garden and surrounding grounds speak of their devotion to family, and family activities, whether indoor or outdoor. Sheila talked not only of her gardens’ progression and her plant choices but also of the annual family gathering for the 4th of July, including 15 grandchildren and the following week of “grands camp.”
The long driveway up to the property was casually formal, lined with elegantly narrow Italian cypress trees, interspersed with the gray foliage of sage and verbena, and it lead to the double gated entrance and circular driveway of the home.
Sheila’s gardens have both structure with mass plantings in the landscape along with the sprawling charm of Santa Barbara daisies mingling with nasturtiums amongst re-blooming irises. Everywhere we turned, there was something new to discover! Sheila has even more plans for making the property special, including a vineyard and landscaping around the beautiful infinity pool.
With the infinity pool, basketball court, putting green, indoor racquet ball court, video arcade room, horseshoe court, plus all the seating vignettes on terraced slopes or in the field of wild mustard overlooking Mission San Juan Capistrano, there was so much to savor, an invitation to linger and appreciate the Peterson’s vision of a family compound and SoCal indoor-outdoor life. We were all awed, and inspired, for our own gardens and homes.
