Recommendation Letters & References

Recommendation Letter from Lynn Montgomery

Dear Garden Lover,

The purpose of this letter is to rave about my new dear friend and cherished landscape designer, Trace Robinson. I live in Santa Barbara on Garden Street in a historic home called Almenara. It is more than one hundred years old.

Trace designed my garden four years ago when our property was featured on the Gardens of Garden Street Tour. She was a joy to work with. She discovered garden rooms where previously there had been only impenetrable brambles and hornets’ nests. She designed a cutting and kitchen garden around the pool that is such a profusion of scent and color that it literally takes your breath away. And in the front of the house, surrounding a formal fountain, she gave me the "White Garden" I have dreamed of since college when I discovered Sissinghurst and Vita Sackville West.

Because of the strong bones and clear design sense Trace brought to the property four years ago, it was not hard to, once again, bring the gardens of Almenara to "show ready" stature.

Sunday, May 20th, 2007, our home was featured on the annual Pearl Chase Historic Home Tour. It was a perfect day - the sun was shining on the towering spires of purple foxgloves and blue delphiniums. Cascading heaps of sweet peas perfumed the air. And more than one thousand (!) people came to admire the garden I am so proud to share. I only wish Trace could have been here to bask in the glow of all the compliments:

"The secret garden is my favorite. I’ve never seen anything like it, hidden behind the old fountain; it’s a magical, fairy tale room."
"Every corner has something to discover. But it is all of a piece. It all flows together."
"I love the romantic entrance to the house – the soft sounds of the fountain and all the soothing white flowers. Then you get to the back garden and it is like a crescendo of color!"
"If I lived here I’d never get anything done, just come out and commune with my flowers…"

I look forward to sharing Almenara with future garden lovers. Anyone who has the joy and privilege of working with Trace will know what it is to have a special garden to share with friends, family and even one thousand of your new garden-loving friends.

Sincerely,

Lynn Montgomery

"The world is a rose. Smell it and pass it to your friends." Persian Proverb

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