Small Ignacio garden has a huge la dolce vita vibe

Jack Govi and his wife, Dolores Murphy, got a smaller garden when they moved from their Lucas Valley home to the Pointe Marin neighborhood of Ignacio more than six years ago. Through careful planning, they were able to maximize its impact.

Murphy, a practicing dentist in her native San Francisco, grew up in the Lakeside neighborhood where gardening took place in the cool fog. Her parents inspired her to garden, as her dad was active through his early 90s, Govi says.

Even though he grew up in sunny Terra Linda with a garden of flowers and a green lawn, he says that it was Murphy’s passion for gardening that inspired his love for it.

Retired since 2020, Govi, a lawyer, spent his career with the County of Marin, the bulk of it with Marin County Counsel and short stints as a Special Deputy Public Defender and Special Deputy District Attorney. He still practices law but limits it to pro bono work.

“Our Lucas Valley property was very large — a half-acre — and was a nightmare to garden between gophers, wind issues, water conservation, size and the time necessary to maintain a nice garden,” he recalls.  “Our new property is one-quarter the size.”

Still, he says, it was exactly the new garden’s smaller size,1,200 square feet, and its 6-foot high retaining wall supporting a narrow terrace in the backyard that proved challenging.

The back garden had an attractive flagstone patio, two citrus trees on the terrace and a few roses, so they kept those, but the eclectic plantings didn’t quite fit their vision so they removed them. The side yard was fenced in on all sides and contained a potpourri of vegetable boxes.

“We studied the backyard and decided upon an Italian theme,” Govi says, a decision influenced by his Italian ancestry and their mutual love of Italy.

By 2018, their new garden was in place and thriving.

“Our vision encompassed a Tuscan garden to complement the flagstone patio and we decided to stick with very basic colors of green, white, purple and cream,” he explains. “We had seen similar gardens in Tuscany and this was our inspiration.”

They planted lots of white roses in three varieties — Garden of Eden, Iceberg and Pope John Paul II. They reach up from understated charcoal-gray colored boxes to create some privacy on the east and west sides of their property, flank a new flagstone path, climb up the pergola in the side yard and dot the fence above the terrace. Besides gracing the garden with a proliferation of exuberant blooms from April through early November, these rose bushes now offer a constant supply of cut flowers for the house.

The couple is meticulous about maintenance, claiming it’s imperative for a successful garden. They’ve incorporated sustainable practices such as the use of a water-efficient drip system, rapid removal of any invasive plant that dares to show up uninvited, recycling garden waste while rejecting chemical fertilizers or pest control products.

The result, he says, is that “birds, butterflies, bumble bees, lizards and a plethora of insects thrive in this garden.”

The only wildlife not welcome would be rats, but he credits the neighborhood cats that patrol his backyard for taking care of any that might stray into the garden. They are fantastic for potential rodent control, he says.

During the cool mornings, and especially on weekends, the couple work in the garden and then read and relax in the backyard during the day. When evenings come, they take advantage of Ignacio’s balmy, wind-free weather that can range between 70 and 85 even up to 9 p.m.

“It’s conducive to entertaining and being outdoors,” he says, adding that the comfortable climate provides the perfect backdrop for parties, get-togethers and dinners.

“We relish the evenings in the garden whether it be barbecuing in the side yard, having drinks and appetizers in the backyard, eating dinner at the beautiful table in the side yard or eating at the fire table and enjoying the ambience of the fire table and patio heater when it is cooler outside.

Our garden transports us to the Italian Riviera,” he says. “The garden exudes peace and tranquility.”

Govi shares three good gardening practices.

• “Feed roses, citrus trees and plants four times per season with green-friendly fertilizers.”

• “Remove weeds regularly, as invasive weeds can overtake healthy plants and bushes.”

• “Check the moisture level of the plants to ensure they are neither receiving too much nor too little water.”

Show off

Since so many of the popular home tours are off the calendar this year, please consider this your invitation to share with fellow readers the images and description of your garden or newly designed or remodeled Marin home.

Please send an email describing either one, what you love most about it, and a photograph or two.  I will post the very best ones in upcoming columns.  Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.