Events at famous feng shui oasis raise funds to help children at Shriners Hospital
Huei's Garden will be open to the public every Sunday in April. Make reservations now. Courtesy of Huei Young
It’s a tranquil jewel in a suburban neighborhood – and open only a few times a year. Find that happy place in Huei’s Garden, the one-of-a-kind feng shui garden oasis in Davis.
Huei Young, who created her Davis oasis at 234 Luz Place, is hosting a fund-raising event and tour at her private garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7. Proceeds will benefit Shriners Hospital for Children. Reservations are limited; email Huei to check for availability at hueis.garden@yahoo.com.
Can’t make this Sunday? No problem; Young will open her garden to guests every Sunday in April. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Suggested donation is $25 per person.
“Shriner’s Children’s (Hospital) is a special place,” Young says. “It has been a gift for so many children and families. I work hard every day on my garden so people can enjoy and help the children.”
Through her tours, Young has raised about $100,000 for local charities. She also welcomes garden clubs and is now scheduling spring tours in addition to her April Sunday events.
Since last spring, Young has made many changes in her garden, improving accessibility in addition to enhancing its beauty. See a slide show of her garden here.
Feng shui – the way of wind and water – is the art of finding harmony and balance through nature. Over the decades, “Huei’s Garden” has been shaped by both wind (a storm toppled a huge redwood across the backyard) and water (ponds and fountains flow throughout the landscape). It harnesses positive energy at every twist while inviting guests to relax and reflect.
Internationally known, her private garden – as well as the public Huei’s City Garden she started on the greenbelt adjacent to her mid-century modern home – have been featured on television, in magazines and books as well as local newspapers and blogs.
During the pandemic, Young made several additions to her gardens. She planted fragrant roses along with the scores of perennials and shrubs, nestled under mammoth redwoods.
In October 2019, a windstorm dropped huge limbs from one of those redwoods onto her beloved feng shui garden, wiping out her large covered patio along with a mirrored wall and water features. While staying safe at home during 2020, Young channeled her abundant energy into rebuilding her garden better than ever.
For more than 30 years, Young has been working on the City Garden as well as her own landscape. Open daily to visitors, the City Garden runs along the bike and walking path in her neighborhood in east Davis at the end of Luz Place near Grande Avenue. It includes a permanent bench in memory of her late husband, Frank. In addition, the City of Davis installed an official sign designating that section of the greenbelt “Adopt-a-Park Huei’s City Garden.”
But her private garden is private – except when Young hosts a tour. For a reservation, email Young at hueis.garden@yahoo.com.
Details and photos: www.hueis-garden.com.
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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 9
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* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.
* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.
* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.
* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).
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* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.