Claudio Ponte

As promised previously, here’s the winning design for the garden at the Inn. The garden will be a contemporary interpretation of the ones found within the California Missions. The design objective was to provide you with a place for relaxation, and to share a glass of wine with your friends. The garden is divided into eight separate “rooms” with a variety of seating options. Two of these areas can be set up for al fresco dining. There will be two separate fire pits, a lawn area and a pond.

For those of you who enjoy our Italian style garden at the winery, this garden will be at once familiar and novel. The garden at the winery is about paths and walks. The one at the hotel is about sitting areas and quiet contemplation. The plant palette I’ve selected contains more California natives and fewer water loving plants but will still be lush and colorful.

Four giant Pepper trees will anchor the four corners and provide dappled shade around the fountain.

The perimeter of the hotel will be shaded by a variety of trees to lower heat gain as part of our sustainability efforts. Rainwater from the roof will be captured to feed the pond and be used for irrigation.