North Star House Gardens Weave History into Horticulture

GRASS VALLEY — The Lake Wildwood Garden Club recently enjoyed a morning tour focused on the gardens at North Star House, Grass Valley. Julia Campbell, volunteer Lead Gardener and board president of the non-profit North Star Historic Conservancy, shared the beautifully restored Julia Morgan-designed house with a couple dozen fascinated Penn Valley gardeners and led them through the Heritage Garden. She then shared the most recent addition to the grounds, a 145-foot “hedgerow,” marking the edge of the sweeping back lawn with a wide bed of mostly native plants.

Background: The home was built for North Star mine manager A.D. Foote and his wife, successful author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote, in 1905. After the mine closed, the house stood vacant for many years, relentlessly vandalized. Since 2006, the Conservancy has worked diligently toward full restoration of this cultural treasure.

Garden Club members, some of whom had never visited the North Star House, had plenty of questions for Campbell.

They learned that the building was sited to reflect the original architect’s commitment to nestling a structure into its environment. Campbell said this approach underlies all the design and planting decisions. Although various trees and shrubs can be recognized in period photographs, little detail is known about the original flowers that graced the property. In addition to managing the mine, A.D. Foote was an avid amateur horticulturalist (for example, he bred hollies) and collaborated with Luther Burbank. Campbell included plants that reflect Foote’s known choices, filling in with cultivars that create an appropriate frame for the historic building.

The Heritage Garden, for instance, includes hydrangeas (clearly among Foote’s favorites) and Shasta Daisies (homage to Luther Burbank). The roses that used to line the “back” courtyard would no longer be considered Fire Wise abutting the shake-roofed house, but original cultivars (and a couple more modern ones) appear in the Heritage Garden. Asked what surprised her about the Heritage Garden, Campbell (who actively avoids thorns) admitted, “I’m surprised at how much I like the roses! They are nicely shaped shrubs and have a long bloom period.”

What next? Throughout the 14-acre property, there is still much to do to return the North Star House to its historic glory. A vibrant community event venue is emerging, but volunteers are badly needed. Whatever you enjoy doing (construction, research, gardening…), consider spending a few hours doing it at The North Star House!

Many more fascinating bits of the story of The North Star House and grounds are shared on the Conservancy’s website: northstarhouse.org