When we first arrived at the ranch it had been neglected for over 25 years. Cows graze the 320 acre ranch for 6 months from Nov to May in the California foothills and when they leave the place looks like a newly mowed lawn. At some point ranchers had decided to just let the cows graze through the castle grounds and had opened many of the gardens placing cow fencing here and there where they didn't want the cows to go. We actually didn't know some of the elements and 'bones' of the gardens were here till the cows grazed down the grass that first year.
Our first job was to remove all the old cattle gates that boxed off the porches to the houses but let the cows go right through the courtyards and gardens. Then we slowly figured out where old garden gates, walks and plan used to be,
 |
| Garden Bones of Stone Endure |
 |
| Sunken Gardens Stone Walls made a Cattle Corral at one Point |
Once some of the vistas opened you could look down them and make out the old path and lawns to the Meditation Garden and above that the Woodland Garden. Even with the place stripped back there were mysteries...
 |
| Gardens beckon in the Distance |
 |
| People Walked this Land Before us |
