GARDENS OF JOY SOME TRANSFORM THEIR YARDS INTO BOTANIC MASTERPIECES.

Byline: Rick Coca Valley News Writer

Taking well manicured lawns and gardens to another level, many San Fernando Valley homeowners see their yards as oversized canvases - something to paint their botanic masterpieces on. These beautiful floral and water expressions - some big, some small - not only dazzle the eye, they offer glimpses into the lives of the people who created them.

You might not notice the koala fountain when you first look at Tressie Manor's backyard garden. Besides the two ceramic koalas jutting out of the fountain in a playful pose, Manor, 85, a Canoga Park resident and Australian native, has planted shrubs, plants and flowers from the land down under. The kangaroo paw, protea and cassia chrysanthemums, mix easily with the roses and butterfly bushes and remind her of the homeland she left after WWII.

``West Australia and California are both Mediterranean,'' Manor said, explaining that the regions share similar seasonal patterns, which is why many plants native to Australia thrive in California.

Manor left Australia after meeting her future husband, Paul Manor, when he was in Sydney with the United States Navy. Sparks flew immediately between the two, but they met just three times before he sailed away. They didn't see each other again for three years, 10 months, and in the interim, he wrote her 1,100 letters as he fought in 13 major battles with the Navy.

He mailed her an engagement ring that took three months to arrive and later Manor sailed on a troop ship for two weeks with six other women, two children and 700 men.

She and her husband settled in his native Michigan, where she saw snow for the first time. When she arrived in California, she remembers seeing eucalyptus trees that reminded her of Australia.

They bought their current Canoga Park home brand new in 1958, as her husband found work as a cameraman in the film industry. Gardening became an important part of their life together.

``We'd get up at 5:30 in the morning,'' Manor said. ``He'd water the front, I'd water the back. At night we'd come home, change our clothes and weed until dark.

``Oh, yes, he'd garden with me.''

At the time of his death three years ago, the Manors had been married 56 years.

Manor is a member of the West Valley Gardening Club, an organization that raises money for scholarships and helps students at Calvert Street Elementary School maintain a rose garden, as well as taking tours to various sites to see flora all of varieties.

Manor enjoys all the activities the club engages in, but it's the friendship of the members she appreciates most. When her husband died, Manor wanted to have services at her home, but had no immediate family in the United States to help with the arrangements.

``My garden club said just tell us the date and we'll take care of everything else,'' Manor said.

Her friends from the club did just that, including providing food for the occasion, Manor said.

``I guess they do like me,'' Manor said softly.

Kyoko Kassarjian is another Valley resident whose garden reflects her nation of origin. Born in Japan, Kassarjian, 72, had a Japanese garden built on the front lawn of her Sherman Oaks home 25 years ago.

The garden features three Japanese black pine trees which stretch out like long fingers, as well as three dwarf nandina. Three being a lucky number to the Japanese. In another nod toward good fortune, Kassarjian has a large nandina, commonly called heavenly bamboo, growing in front of her home.

Kassarjian's Japanese garden was built by friend and artist, Yoko Kitajima.

``He did it for us, and I've enjoyed it ever since'' Kassarjian said.

As a master teacher of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, Kassarjian can appreciate the twisting lines on the pine and the spacing of the various flowers and contrasting color elements in the garden.

Growing up in Japan, Kassarjian said that before marrying young women commonly took lessons in ikebana, cooking and the Japanese tea ceremony.

``In Japan, (they) have (ikebana) classes on top of flower shops,'' Kassarjian said. ``So young girls on their way home from work, they go to the classes on top of the flower shops.''

Kassarjian said things are changing. She recently asked a Japanese woman what ikebana school she went to. ``What's ikebana?'' Kassarjian said the woman responded.

Kassarjian has a thriving club with 65 members in the San Fernando Valley Branch of Sogetsu Ikebana, an American affiliate of a Japanese club. She teaches students the form through classes at UCLA, Mission and Pierce Colleges.

She never intended on becoming an ikebana teacher.

At the urging of one potential pupil 20 years ago, Kassarjian started an ikebana class from her home, which eventually grew to what it is today. Her club is made up of mostly American-born women, but includes students from 14 other countries including France, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines and Russia. Kassarjian jokingly said it's often difficult to communicate with all the accents, including her own.

Kassarjian has won numerous awards for her designs and her work has been displayed in department store windows, museum openings and events for Japanese dignitaries. As part of the tradition, the designs are created on sight and are taken apart after just a day or two.

Each one is its own work of art.

Kassarjian said the point of having ikebana in one's home is to create a warm atmosphere.

``It's a nice feeling when you walk into the house and there's a little flower on the counter,'' Kassarjian said.

Kassarjian said she hopes her Japanese garden out front has the same effect.

``It's a nice welcoming,'' she said.

For Woodland Hills residents Rick and Janet Shaw, their backyard garden and pond is all about welcoming. Since having the approximately 6,000 gallon pond designed and installed about a year ago, the Shaw's find themselves drawn to the water's edge daily.

Water iris, horsetail, elephant ears plants, canna lilies and giant bamboo provide greenery and color to the natural setting. The pond's turtles and 150 koi fish keep Rick busy with feedings and making sure the water has enough good bacteria.

The Shaws moved into the home in 1982 and raised three children there. Before they added an outdoor fire pit and installed the pond and renovated garden, the backyard was not a destination.

``I don't think we spent 200 hours in the backyard in the whole time we've lived here before,'' Rick said. ``We spent more time in the first six months since we got the pond, then the whole 22 years (we've lived here).''

The Shaws enjoy the soothing effect of the pond's waterfall.

``We come outside and bring books-on-tape,'' Janet said. ``We bring our down comforters. Any excuse to come out here.''

Rick, a sound and lighting specialist and former geologist who enjoys roasting his own coffee and sharing it with friends, said the inviting atmosphere makes it easy to have family and friends over.

``People like coming here,'' Rick said, of his slice of garden paradise.

Another home people like coming to is Greg Nestor's in Lake View Terrace.

Originally built by Fred Joerger, one of the original designers of Disneyland, the house is host to no less than five gardens.

In a truly ``you've got to see it to believe it sense,'' the ponds, gardens and fountains are simply breathtaking.

Their craftsmanship and original design are a testament to Joerger's brilliance and use of forced perspective, a technique he perfected on such Disney sites as Main Street and Story Book Land.

The Lake View Terrace residence continued growth and beauty are a testament to the dedication of the home's latest owner, noted classical guitarist and arranger, Gregg Nestor.

Joerger sold the house to Nestor because he trusted that Nestor would honor his vision and continue the work he started decades before.

That, Nestor has done. Since purchasing the home in 1998, Nestor has brought in designers that are inspired by Joerger's original plans.

``When he was alive (Joerger died in 2003), I would get together with him and show him the different ideas I had because I thought it was important that the original (owner and designer of the house) had input into what I was doing,'' Nestor said.

Nestor excitedly shows every detail, large and small, of the ponds, gardens and multilayered fountains. His attention for detail is only surpassed by his passion, enthusiasm and utter joy in talking about the property. It has become his passion.

Joerger spent 45 years building the Lake View Terrace home.

Nestor was asked when he might be done building on Joerger's paradise.

``When I die,'' Nestor said.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kyoki Kassarjian is a master teacher of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arraging.

(2 -- color) Gregg Nestor, with Neptune behind him, in front of Fred Joerger's brilliant aquatic creation.

(3 -- color) Jeffrey Robinson, a woodwork artisan, stands on the bridge he designed and built for Gregg Nestor's Lake View Terrace home.

(4 -- color) A Koi fish feeding frenzy at the Shaw home.

(5 -- color) Tressie Manor, an Australian native, stops and smells the roses in her Canoga Park garden.

(6 -- color) A tranquil scene at the pond's edge of Rick and Janet Shaw's Woodland Hills home.

Photos by Rick Coca/Valley News