Historic "Circle Garden"

In 1875 the tankhouse was built to water the nursery. In 1876, the Big House was built.

In November 1877, Lucy Shinn wrote "We have been having a great time over the laying out of the grounds, and had to agree to a compromise as we could do nothing with Papa. Annie made a new plan and Charlie has pitched right in to carry it out for fear he will shut down on it."

Charles Shinn wrote about laying out the garden next to the new 1876 Big House in 1878 in an editorial in the California Horticulturalist and Floral Magazine.

Charles wryly noted the personalities - plants and people - involved. "It was quite evident that something must be done. The Crocuses, Jonquils, Oxalis Bower, and Grape Hyacinths were impatiently sprouting in their dark corner of the tank-house....The eye of faith enabled us to perceive a future glory of bloom on a certain ungainly tract south of the greenhouse, which had been devoted principally to nursery stock of a monotonous description, and incidentally to volunteer watermelons, now blackened by the December frosts. Various objections, preferred by interested parties, were successively attacked, and reduced to silence, and the coveted plot of ground was dedicated to the service of the fair goddess Flora." 

We now know from letters and articles that the objections were made by James Shinn (papa) and that the children, Annie and Charlie, and cousin Lue were involved in the garden. In an 1937 Oakland Tribune article in "The Knave", Cousin Lue (Tichenor) Schnabel (Uncle Dr. Clark's daughter) said that she also helped lay out the gardens.

Experts on the facebook page "Agave, Yucca, and related plants " agreed upon the name Hesperoyucca whipplei. This yucca is known as chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, Quixote yucca, or foothill yucca. It is "native to southwestern California and adjacent Baja, with a disjunct population near the Grand Canyon." "The plant takes several (usually 5+) years to reach maturity and flower, doing so in April–May, at which point it usually dies." An opinion on facebook was that it could take much longer like 40-50 years. The Big House was built in 1876. Did they plant them when they set out the Big House Grounds in 1878, in which case these are 10 years old.

Over time this garden had century plants, Japanese plants, irises, three Chilean wine palms, a 120-year-old Japanese maple that died in 1994, peonies, irises, palms, cherry trees, and much more. Photos will be added over time! 

A portion of the  Circle garden is now the modern Japanese garden  built in 1983-1985 with two dedications.