Jeff's Beach House: Plants, Art, and Cozy Seaside Vibes
What better place to cozy up for this weird winter at home than an artful plant-filled beach house on the coast south of SF? Our own Jeff Wright graciously invited us into his sweet cottage for a peek. Jeff recently joined the FGG team after a long career working to revitalize the gardens and landscapes of the Presidio. Lucky us!
“I worked at the Presidio for twenty years,” Jeff says. “At first there were a lot of abandoned gardens left over from when the Army was there. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to test-drive a new palette of plants that were just taking a foothold in California—drought-tolerant plants that would thrive in the Presidio. A few of these Presidio gardens would become early testing grounds for the future ‘Tunnel Top’ park. Flora Grubb Gardens was a valuable resource for the new plant palette, and an instant relationship developed between us. So we’d already been working together many years before I officially joined the FGG family!”
Jeff lives on the coast south of SF in a cozy, inviting little home above the dunes. His dazzling collection of works by local artists draws you into the front room. Clusters of plants at varied heights add just the right eclectic note. Geometric pots in muted hues echo the palette and vibe of the artworks. You can read about the artists and their works on their websites:
Top photo surfboard by Thomas Campbell
Above, top row from left to right:
Close-up flower negative by Carol Drobek
Middle row:
Surf shack painting by Jan Bushart
Bottom row from left to right:
Photograph of boy by Richard Felker
Large black-and-white piece by Vincent Versace
Graceful, breezy indoor palms (Raphis multifida and a kentia palm on either side of the door, above) pull the eye up to the detail of the wood panel ceiling.
A little vignette of plant babies on the dining table plays with shapes and textures, including Pilea peperomoides with its sweet coin-shaped leaves.
A quirky specimen Rhipsalis fits right in with the wondrous odds and ends on an office shelf—each little detail (including the plant!) telling its own story. At FGG we're a little obsessed with Rhipsalis; Clarke and Flora both collect them. We're growing them down at Grubb & Nadler, and we can't wait to bring them up for your garden later this year!
Sculptural, playful Opuntia 'Cartoon' is the perfect accent in this serene nook with its mesmerizing red orb by local artist Richard Laing (the newest addition to Jeff's art collection).
The variegated foliage of Maranta 'Red' (above right) draws out the pops of red and pink in the decor, and soft silvery greens (like the aglaonemas below) complement the foggy dune landscape outside.
So many thanks to Jeff for sharing his gorgeous home with us!
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