An explosion of dramatic dahlias makes it nearly impossible to miss the house and garden of mixed media artist and teacher Bibby Gignilliat—particularly because it’s in the middle of a quiet street in Mill Valley, California. In 2013, Bibby purchased the property and began working on the garden almost immediately. “The previous owners were avid gardeners, particularly of roses, but there were several aspects of the garden that didn’t feel like me, including two old sheds, a decomposed granite pathway and a rather unappealing hedge across the front,” she says. Bibby hired a garden designer and together they created its first iteration. Since then, the garden has continued to evolve in stages, without a formal plan—which, not surprisingly, is the part she loves most.
During the isolating COVID period, Bibby decided her garden should function as an outdoor living room. She extended the deck and created three separate gathering areas so that she could essentially have a “progressive dinner party” through the garden. “I loved the idea that instead of sitting in one place all evening, guests could move through the garden as the evening progressed.” Professionally trained as a chef, Bibby also ran a cooking and events business for 20 years before becoming a full-time artist, so food, creativity, and entertaining have always been central to her life.
The original garden had just one hot pink dahlia, and Bibby was instantly drawn to its incredible colors and forms. This year, she planted a staggering 100 dahlia bulbs in the front and another 25 in the backyard, concentrating them around the sunny areas and the fire pit. She routinely brings them inside for arrangements, gives them as hostess gifts, and brings bunches to her artist’s studio in Sausalito for her Open Studios.
Like Bibby’s unstructured, free-flowing garden, her artwork is layered and textural. “I build up surfaces and then dig, sand, and excavate back into them to reveal what is underneath,” she shares. Working intuitively, Bibby embraces bold colors and unexpected moments along the way. “There is a freedom and flow to my work that I think is also very present in my garden.” Bibby definitely didn’t want a perfectly manicured garden. She adds, “I am much more drawn to the feeling of an English garden: organic, abundant, a little wild and allowed to do its own thing.”
Gardening over the years has taught Bibby a lot about letting go and not trying to control every detail. As every seasoned gardener knows, you may have a plan for your garden, but sometimes the garden has its own. “I actually love that lesson because it is very similar to making art. I can begin a painting thinking I know where it is going, but at some point I have to listen to what the painting is telling me rather than forcing my original idea. Some of my favorite moments in both painting and gardening come from things I never planned.”
Photography by Kier Holmes, unless otherwise noted.
See also:
- Before & After: A 1940s-Suburban House Grows Up Gracefully in Mill Valley, CA
- Garden Visit: A Backyard Meadow in Mill Valley, CA
- Garden Visit: At Home with Architect Kelly Haegglund in Mill Valley, CA
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