For such a young community, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916, Carmel has a rich legacy of historic properties and works hard to preserve them.
Much of the credit for this goes to the now deceased Enid Sales.
Enid was already a legend when we moved to Carmel in 1997 . It was a prosperous time and many who had “struck gold” in the dot-com bubble were eager to build a second home in lovely Carmel, just down Highway One. Homes were being torn down right and left and expanded and remodeled for the new owners.
Enid settled in Carmel in 1988, but fought most of her battles to preserve the remnants of Carmel’s architectural beauties and historic past during the last ten years of her life- from 1998 -2008.
This quote from Roberta Miller sums it up ,“Enid was a woman of substance. An extraordinary woman. She cut a colorful swath. The first woman in the state to pass the test for a contractor’s license, a well-known preservationist and advocate, who helped characterize and shape the modern movement for historic preservation. Her career spanned more than 50 years. She was hard working, courageous, controversial, authentic, mysterious, independent, determined, resolute, tenacious, a cut above, a force to be reckoned with and never took her eye off the prize – the need to preserve the historic buildings of the past for future generations to enjoy and appreciate as part of their collective heritage.
The saying, ‘actions speak louder than words’, certainly applied to Enid Sales. In Carmel, Enid was known for her fierce advocacy for the preservation of arts and crafts cottages and her willingness to resort to lawsuits when all else failed. A warrior, ready to do battle and steadfast in her resolve.”
Sales was the first chairwoman of the city’s Historic Resources Board and undertook an analysis of what is historic in the city.
I have no doubt that because of Enid’s battles, I am able to photograph many of the Comstock Cottages that I share with you.
And it is to the credit of the current owners of those Comstock treasures, that they are restoring the homes.
Abbey Baker Design Build helped the owners of The Comstock Home restore their home.
Curtain Call would surly have been demolished if its owner, Stephanie Kirz , had not asked that is be considered as a historical resource.
When it passed all the requirements, she painstakingly restored it with the help of Abbey Baker Design Build.
Dear little Hansel
was carefully restored by his owners with the help of Brian Congleton.
“Enid never had any problem telling people off if that’s what was needed to get it done. She told the city off; she told mayors off; she told me off,” said architect Brian Congleton , one of her friends. “She’d throw anyone necessary under the bus to get the job done.”
Roger and Kathy Sanger write “ We are the present owners of ‘Fables’. We bought it in 2010. It has had many owners over the years and was,regrettably, not well cared for.
We decided to renovate it without changing its historical character as a cottage”. One of Fables former owners was Apple CEO,John Sculley.
And so Fables has restored,original windows, new roof, updated electrical , plumbing, and floors.
They continue, “ It is great to see so many Comstock owners restoring these treasures to their former glory. We appreciate the attention that people have paid to this part of Carmel history”.
Douglas Johnson writes of his Comstock home on Carmel Point, “Donna and I own this home and spent several years restoring it..”
I blogged about this home in June 2011 after I discovered it was indeed a Comstock. I find in The Pine Cone that it is again for sale. What a wonderful restoration the Johnson’s did while keeping the exterior look the same with all the charm of the 1930’s home.
For the last blog, I snuck around the house taking pictures. This is certainly a more restful way to show you the house.
Even though I was not sure, this charm spoke of Hugh Comstock.
Now there is a 2 car garage with guest house above.
Lets walk around the outside.
I love the patio.
Entering the house,
the living room is to the left.
The board and batten , beamed ceiling is lovely and look at the shape of the door openings.
Kitchen
Dining area
Then down the hall to the east wing
which has 2 bedrooms
And a bath.
The guest quarters also has 2 bedrooms
Bath
And kitchenette.
Walk around the corner to Carmel River State Beach
And admire the view of Point Lobos.
Asking price: $3,295,000
Double lot.
Offered by
Carmel Realty Company | Real Estate Properties | Property Listings
Carmel, California is considered to be one of the most dog friendly cities in the entire world.
Of course the “off leash” beach is a big draw
and the chance to mingle with friends.
Many dogs work in the shops.
Selling jewelry
Clothing
Or antiques
I see them everywhere
They stroll down Ocean Ave.
Or are even pushed by their owners in strollers
Sometimes they are required to attend social events so their owners can show them off.
Or have birthday parties
Photo courtesy of
That is just plain tiring.
And some, gasp, are treated like dogs.
That could lead to a need for therapy
Others are tourists and are just there for the great shopping.
Which lead me to my main topic:
DIGGIDY DOG- a Dog and Cat Boutique
Diggidy Dog is proudly owned by Jeff and Napisa Pollock. Opened in May, 2003, the store has grown steadily, year after year. Prior to 2003, Napisa had worked at a pet boutique in downtown Carmel by the Sea, and learned not only what did and didn’t work within the boutique.
As I walk through the front door,
I see some great clocks
And posters. My favorite one is rated ARF.
Next up- treats- very important.
Dogs model clothing ( these were taken at Halloween)
It is here that Bill and I first see “Doggles”. All over town, dogs riding in cars with their heads out the window wear these to protect their eyes.
Carmel can be chilly so sweaters are “de rigueur”.
“If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater… suggest that he wear a tail.” – Fran Lebowitz
This little guy listens to his owner’s instructions
And then shoots me a baleful look.
Later he is given a chew bone for his patience.
Need a collar or leash? Look no farther.
Perhaps some new china.
And as for the advertised “cats”, they are relegated to a small display cabinet in the back.
“We derive immeasurable good, uncounted pleasures, enormous security, and many critical lessons about life by owning dogs.”
Roger Caras, A Celebration of Dogs
Step 6.
At this point, most gardeners find all sorts of wonderful ,whimsical touches to make their garden unique.
We add ornaments such as an old ironwork screen
A mirror “window”
Small home for the garden fairies
Toad House
Butterfly House
Whimsical frogs
Unusual planters like this bench and
Bicycle Basket.
And my favorite
Watering cans with character.
My latest ornament is a “thank you” from some guests who stay in our cottage. A loving “helping hand”
By definition, an ornament is extra. Its only function is to enhance the garden’s beauty, and most gardens are too small and crowded to be improved by more than two or three items like statues, gazing balls and rusted tractor seats.
So when you thrill to the way that one gazing ball looks tucked into the foliage
Source : Pinterest Repinned from lura cook
You may find yourself looking for more great gazing balls 
Pinterest pottedstore.com
One way to deal with your new obsession is to group items together so that many items appear as one to the eye.
But when door to door salesmen come peddling more gazing balls
Pinterest plowhearth.com
Pinned from windandweather.com
Turn them away.
That prevents one perfect gnome
Pinned from google.com
From becoming a gnome brigade.
Pinned from 2.bp.blogspot.com
But in the end, it’s your garden and “Personal taste will be the last judge.”
Pinned from aagiftsandbaskets.com
Consider lighting the garden for evening. In Carmel, lights are low-wattage.
Now mix it all up and whether it is pastel
Or a jumble of bright colors proceed to Step 7.
Step 7.
Enjoy and remember a garden is never finished and that is one of its delights.
“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” — Janet Kilburn Phillips
Now it is time to knit the garden together with ground covers and smaller plants.
Can you imagine what this path at Biddlestone Garden would look like without the blue bloom of the campanula poscharskyana?
Mixed with white bacopa, ferns
and baby tears.
Over
and over
Linda Floyd uses these tiny plants to weave her beautiful garden together. It is a “tour de force” of ground covers for a shady garden.
In the Monastery Garden of the Sisters of the Sea, the Sisters mix
Antirrhinum-Snapdragon
And petunia in their sunny spots. How cheerful.
Armeria is yet another versatile plant
with great foliage after the flower have gone.
Baby Tears blanket the garden floor.
Bacopa holds the soil nicely
Santa Barbara Daisy is a hardworking native.
I have come to love it’s determination
Carmel Creeper
Catmint
Spilling over a path
Cranesbill
This creative gardener uses Helichrysum petiolare in masses. How effective.
Ice Plant
Lobelia
Oxalis
Pansy
Primula
Succulents
and Sweet Alyssum
These plants can transform a dull space into a rich tapestry of leaf shapes, textures, and colors. They can spruce up challenging areas under trees, accent transitional locations along paths and foundations, and add visual interest.
Add turf at your own risk and in small amounts. This gardener
has better luck with her turf than I do.
Next week we add some fun final touches.
Now is time to plant the mid-height flowers.
Anybody with a “daisy” face adds cheerful innocence.
Alstroemeria- Chilean Lily
Beard Tongue
Bell flower
Begonia
Dahlias
Dietes iridiodes
Fuchsia
Gaillardia
Lavender
Nicotiana
Pelargonium
Poppy
Ranunculus
Sea Lavender
Sage
And Zinnia
If you believe in the language of flowers, as they did in Victorian times , you can plant a garden of wisdom, innocence, amiability,good taste and gratitude. What a lovely thought.
Again remember to plant in uneven numbers – most likely threes, and fives. Plant in drifts when possible. Unlike English borders which place tall in the back and small in the front , cottage gardens mix tall, medium and small plants with some abandon.
Next week we focus on ground covers and small plants.
Now that the “bones” of our cottage garden are in place, we are ready to go shopping for flowers.
When you buy,think in terms of odd numbers 1,3,5,7 and try to mix flower shapes. I like to start with the tallest flowers first. It’s rather like casting a movie with the taller flowers as the STARS. On Carmel’s small lots these taller flowers might be planted in ones or in clusters of three.
Now we begin to add height with:
Agapanthus
Look how it calls attention to the gate at Hob Nob.
Acanthus -Bears Breeches
Works like an exclamation point to draw our eyes down the path toward the garden door.
Anemone
Standing on tall stems the graceful blooms flutter in the breezes.
Calla Lilly
A real attention getter, some gardeners plant these in the strip of earth outside the garden fence.
Cleome- Spider flower
A self-seeder, I love the way Mother Nature sprinkles it around the garden randomly. The seedlings are easy to pull it you don’t like where they land.
Centranthus
Loves Carmel’s sandy dry soil.
Cosmos
knocks your socks off in its vivid colors. Here it splashes its color around with carnations and two colors of Bougainvillea.
Crocosmia
Wow. Doesn’t it work well with the Agapanthus and mexican sage to emphasize the view through the gate?
Delphinium
Digitalis ( Foxglove) – a cottage garden favorite.
Here its vertical spires echo the vertical lines of a rustic tuteur.
Globe Allium
Lillium
and Lions Tail.
Maiden’s Wreath
is another graceful bloom to mix with some of the more rigid ones. It seems to do well with neglect.
Pride of Madeira
and Red Hot Poker
make bold statements.
while Surprise Lilly
and Verbena bonariensis
add a softer touch.
Wallflower
allows itself to be tucked in almost anywhere.
Next week we choose the Best Supporting Actors or the mid – height flowers.
When I plant my gardens, I start with some shrubs and small trees for height and bulk. They provide privacy where it is needed and reinforce the importance of your focal points.
Shrubs really call attention to the front door of this cottage. I can not even imagine it without them.
Some great shrubs and small trees for Carmel are:
Cherry Plum
Japanese Maple in every season
New Zealand Tea Tree
Abelia
Azalea
Breath of Heaven ( feathery foliage and a sweet smell)
Buddleia
Bush Daisy
Camellia
Cistus
Cuphea
Hebe
Hydrangea,
Mallow
Mexican Bush Sage
Potato bush
Princess Flower
Roses
Sweet Pea Shrub
And Wisteria
Among others.
Cottage gardens take advantage of vertical space. So remember to cover trellis, arbors, and fences with such climbers as
Ablution -Chinese Lantern
Bougainvillea
Clematis
Ivy
Passion Vine
Potato vine.
And Roses
Be patient. Next week we actually start to plant flowers.
We have now established boundaries , an entrance and paths in our Cottage Garden. Examine the view from both inside the garden and inside the cottage. What view is pleasing and should be left open and what views are less than perfect and could be improved by creating a better place to look, a focal point. Focal points also work to draw one’s eye around the garden.
Proceed to
Step 4.
Create focal points such as
A spot to sit. This spot in front of the cottage window hides the view of the street beyond and creates a charming view from within.
This one works to draw the visitor through the garden
A birdbath anchors a planting bed.
A fantastick birdhouse
A feeder to attract wild life
A sundial
Tuteur
Or special planter
All work as places for the eye to rest for a moment.
I especially love a bee skep
To attract the bees
Hooray! We are finally ready to begin planting next week.
A cottage garden needs a cottage. Try creating the feel of a cottage garden on a large suburban plot with a McMansion and it fails.
It is a distinct style incorporating informal design and dense plantings,
usually enclosed and often with a rose or vine covered gate and arbor.
Hardly what my home-owners association in Kansas City has mandated.
But on the small lots in Carmel-by-the Sea, the conditions are perfect.
Tiny front gardens thrive behind fences
or hedges of privet and boxwood.
Stone or stucco walls enclose others.
And other times flowers billow right out to the street.
How can we create sweet gardens like these. Let me try to walk you through some of the steps I take when designing gardens.
Step 1.
Create a sense of enclosure for your garden. In Carmel this is most often done with a combination of a fence and hedging plants.
Step 2.
Add a gate
and perhaps an arbor.
Let this opening create “peeks” into the garden . This gate just makes me want to step up and get a closer look.
Think about some baskets or planted pots to make it even more inviting.
Step 3.
Develop meandering pathwork. The path adds stucture, character and allows you to walk around and care for the plants.
These gardeners use pavers
Stepping stones
Carmel Stone
And gravel
A friend of ours created this smashing concrete path and embedded shells and stones she collected from all over the world. She placed each one individually. A real labor of love.
Allow plants to spill over the path
and fill the spaces between stones.
Next week, I will write about creating Focal Points around which we will start planting.
Dining al fresco in Carmel has its own particular charm. The temperate climate and Carmel’s one-of-a-kind mix of architecture make for an abundance of picturesque courtyards and hidden nooks where restaurants enchant diners.
This is a special treat for Bill and I, since there are at most 15 days a year that we are comfortable eating outside in Kansas City. Admittedly, we are picky about the temperature. But our hot, humid summers send us scurrying to air conditioning. In our cold winters we beg, “please seat us in a warm spot”.
I probably do not mention enough what a large part the climate plays when we decide to buy a second home here.
Carmel is blessed with 269 sunny days a year on average with highs between 58-70 and lows between 44 and 53 degrees. My personal favorite temperatures. A sweater, outdoor heat lamp or shady umbrella make al fresco dining a pleasure most of the year.
If sipping your morning coffee outside sounds good to you, try Katy’s Place for breakfast.
Carmel by the Sea, CA, Katy’s Place Carmel. They open at 7AM everyday.
Bring your appetite for fantastic Eggs Benedict
or Belgian Waffles
or omelets. Bill likes the Corned Beef Hash ‘n Eggs. Sit outside on the deck or inside.
Another favorite of ours is The Terrace Grill at the newly remodeled La Playa Hotel
right down the street from us. The combination of good food, garden views,
a glimpse of the ocean and the music of the nearby surf is unbeatable. They offer a buffet or made-to order specialties.
They also serve a delicious, well priced “early bird” dinner.
And of course, there is the Jazz Brunch at the Mission Ranch Mission Ranch in Carmel California.
We save this for special occasions because it is pricey, but worth it. The brunch is from 10AM- 1:30PM Sundays only. We sit on the patio overlooking the meadow and Carmel Bay.
We watch grazing sheep and beautiful people ,listen to the sound of jazz drifting out the door and sip Champagne and coffee before going inside to tour the hot station, cold station, carving station AND the dessert table. The food is beautifully presented as well as delicious.
The Ranch also serves a great dinner – make reservations.
Another very popular spot in Carmel is the Village Corner Village Corner Mediterranean Bistro, Carmel-by-the-Sea with its central location at Dolores and Sixth.
I find we see more locals here. One corner is “reserved” for a group of guys who daily attempt to solve the world’s problems over breakfast and newspapers.
Lush plantings surround the patio,
fresh flowers are on the tables
and there is open fire pit in the center. They also serve a great lunch.
When I am near Carmel Plaza, I sit at a table
outside Carmel Coffee & Cocoa Bar
and enjoy a drink and Panini or Quiche to fortify myself for shopping.
Or stroll over to Bistro Beaujolais Carmel Restaurants | Bistro Beaujolais, Carmel California | Carmel’s Firok Shield Family of Restaurants .
They offer alfresco dining in a garden setting around a fire pit on a heated patio.
Or we stop for dinner on Friday or Saturday to listen to live music on the patio.
And the places to lunch!! My favorite for a leisurely lunch is Casanova’s (CASANOVA Restaurant :: Carmel’s Most Romantic Restaurant) .
Sit on the front patio
or ask to be seated in the “indoor” patio. Built around a huge tree, this space is partly covered by awnings and glass roof.
Small birds peck at the crumbs by your feet.
A favorite spot for dog lovers is the Forge In The Forest (The Forge In The Forest Restaurant) .
Ivy covered walls enclose the brick patio with its open fireplace and heaters.
And your dog can order from his very own menu.
Or drop by Hog’s Breath Inn( Hog’s Breath Inn Restaurant & Bar, located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Hogs Breath Inn, Clint Eastwood Property ) once owned by Clint Eastwood.
Step down the stairs to a patio made magical by a huge mural. Cozy yourself in front of one of the many fireplaces for a burger and fries.
Another good burger joint is Jack London’s. ( Jack Londons Restaurant & Pub – Carmel-by-the-Sea, California | )
Eat inside or out under umbrella- shaded tables.
For lunch or dinner, it’s hard to beat Porta Bella’s picturesque sidewalk seating in the Court of the Golden Bough.
Diners enjoy privacy created by plantings awarded first prize for beautiful flowerscaping from the Carmel Garden Club.
So kick off your shoes and relax.
PortaBella Restaurant on Ocean Avenue, Carmel-by-the-Sea
I am somewhat ashamed to say we have not yet tried Basil http://www.basilcarmel.com/index.html
despite rave reviews from our friends. The courtyard dining is alway busy. Dogs receive a complimentary bowl of water.
The hottest new night spot for a drink under the stars is the Starlight 65 Rooftop Lounge. It sits atop Vesuvio Italian Restaurant on the SE corner of Junipero and 6th .
Several years ago, we attended a tequilla tasting up here with a friend. It is a magical spot. Now it is described as having a “hip,cool vibe”. Although Bill and I are both of the above, we have yet to visit so I will have to rely on Nicole D.’s Yelp review. Nicole writes:
“This stylish rooftop lounge atop Vesuvios is the total package. I love the comfortable lounge-chic furnishings and decor and beautiful overhead strung lights; very celestial. Ringed by low-slung wicker benches and warm fire-pits, this hangout spot affords guests a fun, relaxing and comfortable venue to linger over drinks and fine food. High brow cocktails and great food await at this rooftop lounge in picturesque Carmel by the Sea.”
Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea 