The Garden2Blog Event With P. Allen Smith - The Home of Chip & Cindy Murphy

There's something thrilling about getting to see the private gardens of those that can afford to have them the way they want them. I'm really never jealous of them; I simply feel fortunate to get to see them. It's like attending a little home and garden show, except that it's a real home and a real garden, and that makes it all the better.

The gardens we saw on the first day of the Garden2Blog event kicked it up a notch because they were designed by our host, P. Allen Smith, and his team. After we visited the Governor's Mansion, we traveled to the home of Chip and Cindy Murphy.

• The Murphy House

Allen and Cindy share a smile.

Chip and Cindy Murphy, of Murphy Oil Corporation (Ever gotten gas at Walmart? That's them.) have a lovely home that was built to resemble the French style of architecture. They love the south of France and wanted their backyard to remind them of their time spent there.

Not having been to the south of France (I don't think Chamonix counts) I can't say for sure if it does, but it's absolutely lovely and charming and classic in style. The pool was begging me to wade in, with its gentle sloping entrance on two sides, but I was on my best behavior and resisted the urge.

The Murphys like to entertain at their home, many times for charity, and I can just imagine laughing and sharing a drink with friends while strolling along the pool's edge or overlooking any of the several balconies.

There are gorgeous roses among all shapes of green foundation plantings that are so well put together that you have a feeling of order and serene beauty punctuated by spots of color. The garden decor, consisting of fountains and statuary complement the stone walls and multi-level stairways and raised bed planters.

The design is brilliant and the Murphys must be quite pleased with things.  When Mrs. Murphy spoke to us about what she wanted and looked out over what she got, it was obvious that she is. The photos I took really only give a glimpse of the beauty of it all.

Since these posts are so photo intensive, I'm going to make a separate post about the next home on our tour - that of Mark and Kim Brockinton. As beautiful as the Murphy home is, I absolutely fell in love with the Brockinton's property. I'll show that to you in the next post.

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I was invited to attend the Garden2Blog Event by P. Allen Smith and Associates/Hortus, Ltd., free of charge. My airfare, lodging and meals were provided (with some exceptions) by them. Any opinions expressed on this blog in this post and any subsequent posts about my experiences or products associated with them are my own true and honest opinions, as always. Please note that they are just that - my opinions - and I was not asked to blog, tweet, or post on Facebook about any of it.