By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

The gardens of Casa Romantica were included in San Clemente Garden Club's Annual Garden Tour on June 20th.  (Casa Romantica, designed by Carl Lindom, who also designed Casa Pacifica, better known as the Western White House, is the former home of the founder and developer of San Clemente, Ole Hanson.)  I was so impressed with the gardens I went back for a second look.  Here's some snapshots of that follow-up trip.

Matilija poppy and Cleveland sage were still holding on in the Native Bowl (the photo on the left), and the new Herb Garden, just planted last November (photo on the right), was going strong -- artichokes in bud, borage and creeping thyme in exuberant bloom, scented geraniums perfuming the air, and lettuces in full romantic bolt.

And on the other side of Casa Romantica some of the gardens just seemed to be hitting their stride.  The Butterfly Garden, for instance, shown below. 

Same thing with the Spanky Chang Children's Garden.  Lion's Tail, shown here, Lamb's Ears, Parrot's Beak, and Salvia 'Hot Lips all looking splendid, and Mint Marigold still to come. 

If it's been awhile since you visited Casa Romantica, come back and take another look.  Maybe you visited once and thought some parts of the garden looked a little, shall we say, scrufty.  I've sometimes thought so, too.

Well, that's definitely not that case now.  Launa Gould, the head gardener, is primarily responsible for that.  (Gould used to be the president of the San Clemente Garden Club, has lots of experience with civic beautification projects, and put in six years volunteering at the Casa before being hired for this position.)  But Gould is blessed with a great second-in-command in Lisa Goff, a volunteer who also happens to be a landscape architect.

The garden has always had a magnificient setting. And excellent bones, too--Isabelle Greene designed the basic layout. But somehow it just didn't seem to come together.  Now it does.

I'm already looking forward to my next visit.