CALIFORNIA DREAMING: THE GARDENS OF BERNARD TRAINOR
Australians sense a natural accord with the landscapes of California and their essentially Mediterranean characteristics. The geographical and botanical parallels were understood in the nineteenth century and openly discussed a hundred years ago.1 Much of south-eastern Australia and the central coastal region of California has an austere beauty, with relatively untouched landscapes where mountains meet the sea.
The beautiful Californian coast and its hinterland – known to many through visiting the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, the Sea Ranch or the Napa Valley – are characterized by a rugged Pacific edge backed by folded hillsides covered in golden, grassy meadows or forests of native oaks. Warm days and cold ocean currents can produce misty fogs that mysteriously shroud the terrain, yet may suddenly disperse.
In California after World War II, ideals of healthy outdoor living were promoted through innovative architecture and landscape design and the readily available magazine. Popular culture acknowledged the charms of the wilderness and walks in redwood forests, discussed gardens that did not emulate
