This once-sunny Schumacher Garden Retreat calls in awards, tours – and shade
The Schumacher Garden Retreat’s curb appeal evolved from an expansive lawn to lush, leafy layers of distinctive foliage. The fragrance of roses, California native sages and citrus now intermingle and transform its the appeal to sidewalk appeal! As you pass the garden on foot, you’ll hear birds and bees, and meet butterflies delighting in this Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Of course, we’d love to take full credit for the garden’s extraordinary beauty. We can’t! Bea and Tom maintain the garden themselves and have evolved Isara Ongwiseth’s design, adding bursts of native wildflowers, and the Dr. Seuss-like blooms of Bea’s native South Africa.
The Schumachers are also evolving the space to prepare for wildfire. In 2025, the garden was challenged by embers from the Eaton fire. Shortly thereafter, updated Cal Fire maps placed the property in a high fire severity zone. To inspire and comfort fellow Californians accustomed to thinking of fire prepared as barren, Cal Fire interviewed Bea Schumacher and showcased the verdant Retreat in a video encouraging defensible space.
While the Schumachers have made small changes, they have not altered the aesthetic that inspired the Pasadena Beautiful Foundation to recognize the property’s curb appeal with a Golden Arrow Award.
In fact, while the Creative Arts Group was the first to feature the garden on the Art of the Garden Tour when the front landscape was newly installed in 2019, it has not been the last. The space continues to attract attention as it matures.
Houzz Editor Annie Thornton featured the garden as a Yard of the Week in 2021, interviewing Bea and Tom about the space and sharing before photos for perspective. The space was featured among the 10 most popular garden profiles that same year.
“One aesthetic I longed for is from reading
Yard of the Week, Houzz, 2021
‘The Secret Garden’ as a child,” Bea Schumacher says.
The Garden Conservancy featured the garden on it’s 2024 Pasadena Open Days tour. The space also earned coverage of its delightful candle-lit spa.
Project Snapshot
The Schumachers maintain both the front and back gardens, integrating new California natives, propagated cacti and succulents, and foliage native to Bea’s childhood home of South Africa.
See the full project gallery, including before photos in Houzz, where you can save your favorite ideas. Learn about the Schumacher’s experience with lawn freedom in our Client Insights section.
Plant Palettes
Looking to transform a sunny microclimate into a more temperate space? Or just to transform your time in the garden from a job to a delight? Check out the plant palette we chose for the Schumacher Garden Retreat. You’ll also find a Pinterest board to showcase Bea’s collection of climate compatible South African-native foliage. Save your favorite ideas in Pinterest.
More Information
- Houzz: Sun Drenched to Shady
- Houzz: Yard of the Week
- Houzz: 10 Most Popular Garden Profiles
- Houzz: 10 Beautifully Integrated Spas
- Design Tips: Create Long-Haul Love
- Design Tips: Design in Community
- Design Tips: A Rosy Future for Rose Gardens
- Plant Exchange: Rose vs. Rose
- Maintenance Tips: Change Your Lawn, Change Your Life
