InterLeafings

Wordless Wednesday: Discovering Kirby Park

2011-10-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

A recent sunset at Kirby Park, which runs along the Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, CA. So simple, so gorgeous, so peaceful...

Garden Designers Roundtable: Lawn Alternatives

2011-08-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Garden Designers Roundtable! This month's subject, "Lawn Alternatives" is near and dear to my heart, as my regular readers know! And a special welcome to our guests from the Lawn Reform Coalition, who are joining us today.

As usual, I'm being quite literal with this topic; drawing heavily from gardens I've designed for myself and others. What ARE the alternatives to a lawn? Got a minute? I'll toss you a few! Each example is a bit of garden that used to be (or could have been) a lawn.

Instead of a lawn, you could have a meditation garden with bamboo and a bubbling water feature. We're not against GRASSES you know!

You could have a vibrant, colorful front garden that the whole neighborhood adores. It's private without a fence, and requires only monthly maintenance to look wonderful.

How about a paved sitting area that nestles right up to the garden? I smile to think how many hours I spent in those chairs, talking into the night with friends and family. Not to mention tiptoeing out to catch the sunrise with my first cup of tea.

If your lawn is on an awkward slope, you could turn it into a terrace for dining or sitting by the fire. Surrounded by garden on all sides, this adds valuable living space, especially on a small lot.

This creekside clearing could have been a patch of lawn, but how much nicer to have a dining room with a huge plank table? No need to worry about too much shade, damage from furniture (or to it).

Instead of a front lawn you could add layers of interest with ornamental AND edible plants (yes, those are artichoke leaves!)

Or a kitchen garden in a sunny spot, with herbs, espaliered fruit trees, and flowers. Raised beds make raising healthy veggies easy when space is limited.

A healthy lawn needs sun. Without a lawn, you can turn a hot, dry corner of your garden into a shady oasis. Think about it! On a hot day I'd like to be sitting in this corner, not mowing it!

On the other hand, make use of the sunny spots you can reclaim: plant a rose garden!

Or a sea of thyme...

Or a sturdy border of hardy shrubs and grasses as a sidewalk buffer. Adding elements like a low wall and a curved fence (taking full advantage of a slight slope) breaks up larger expanses and gives structure and purpose to plantings.

The view from my old front porch. Before it was lawn down to the sidewalk. After it was a private garden centered around this water feature. I never missed the lawn for one moment.

So I guess what I'm saying is that your alternative to a lawn is...space. To garden, to live, to dream, to tuck your latest nursery treasures. You aren't limited to a 3' bed against the fence any more. Good design, thoughtfully applied, will give you so much more to work with. Where will you start? Which patch of scruffy green in your life is getting the stink-eye? What could go, right now? That's where you begin.

Thanks for visiting! But don't stop here, oh no. There is sooo much more, as the other Knights and Ladies of the Roundtable AND the Rock Stars from Lawn Reform Coalition have a few things to say as well:

Lawn Reform Coalition
Susan Harris : Garden Rant : Takoma Park, MD
Susan Harris : Gardener Susan’s Blog : Takoma Park, MD
Billy Goodnick : Cool Green Gardens : Santa Barbara, CA
Evelyn Hadden : Lawn Reform.Org : Saint Paul, MN
Saxon Holt : Gardening Gone Wild : Novato, CA
Shirley Bovshow : Eden Makers : Los Angeles, CA
Ginny Stibolt : Florida Native Plant Society : Green Cove Springs, FL

Garden Designers Roundtable
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA
Scott Hokunson : Blue Heron Landscapes : Granby, CT
Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston, MA
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In The Garden : Los Altos, CA
Pam Penick : Digging : Austin, TX
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber : Bristol, UK
Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO
Ivette Soler : The Germinatrix : Los Angeles, CA
Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata, CA
Douglas Owens-Pike : Energyscapes : Minneapolis, MN
Debbie Roberts : A Garden of Possibilities : Stamford, CT
Tara Dillard : Vanishing Threshold: Garden, Life, Home : Atlanta, GA

In Which Havoc is Wreaked Upon My Balcony Garden

2011-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I was told to be careful about describing something as "blooming," because by doing so you must also see it as something ephemeral, destined to fade, sooner than later. So, given that life is ephemeral enough, it should really cease to amaze me when I lose a garden!

Last December, during the darkest days of the year, I moved into a lovely, sunlit apartment, and built a charming little balcony garden that was fun to write about. I love my apartment, and when I saw how bright it was during winter, I also knew how dark it would be in summer. I decided the trade was worth it.

Sun in winter is a prize beyond measure for me. Total shade is summer is another thing; great for keeping things cool, difficult for plants. Things were starting to suffer a bit, inside and out. But it was still charming, and the ivy that I had twined around the railings was really taking off. And I had recently spotted a praying mantis, so my streak could hit its...12th year?

Then the notice came that my apartment building was to be painted, and that everything would have to come off of my balcony for 2 weeks.

Yeah...

Everything. Into my dark, dark apartment. For two weeks. Coinciding with a busy, delightful visit from my daughter, who I see way too seldom, AND some new adventures. It was doomed...

To make matters worse, this came precisely at that time of year when I get bored with a garden anyway. I'd much rather think about going somewhere else and getting recharged by the change of scene.

So this garden is REALLY doomed. I'm not being melodramatic; the casualties are pretty severe. I won't even show you. Everything is sitting out there right now, wilting. The love seat is still in the living room. Only the truly stalwart will survive (I'll write about them, next time).

I've gotten pretty good at not getting attached to things or places. It's sad, but that's life. I prefer to focus on the opportunity that loss presents: to try again. Things are changing in interesting ways, please stay tuned!

Discovering The Pot Stop at Little Baja

2011-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember there has been a big pottery yard in Moss Landing (on coastal Highway 1, about halfway between Santa Cruz and Monterey). It used to be called "Little Baja" and specialized in (you guessed it!) inexpensive pottery from Mexico. Current owners Bob and Polly have renamed it The Pot Stop, and created something quite remarkable; you will not find this particular mix of product anywhere else in the world.

That's not just hyperbole. Bob and Polly buy most of their pottery personally, rather than through a broker, and have many exclusive relationships that ensure you will ALWAYS find something unique here (and y'all know how much I like THAT!) I mean, just look. Water bearers, Buddhas, classical columns, a big stone shell and the promise of an endless aisle of more? Let me show you around...

Um, so really cool or just a little bit creepy? I think it's bothering me that they are missing their brains. What would you plant in this pot? Pittosporum Golfball would add a nice cranium (they are about two feet tall). Perhaps a bowler hat with a green apple on top...

Have you noticed how this narrow-necked urn shape isn't as common at many large pottery distributors? It's because you can't nest them, darling. If you are trying to fit as many pots as you can into a container, these things take up a lot of room. I supposed you could fill them with something else (I'll let you use your imagination here!) but suspect that most ship empty. I love these for fountains.

OK, these are new...and very interesting! Nice and architectural, love the two heights. Maybe on a Craftsman-style porch with a couple of matching Hinoki Cypress or something...

Oooh...love everything about this; click to see the detail on those center pots with the shell pattern...so pretty.

Look at those copper glazed pots. They are big. Just look at them. Near a pool? Are you with me? Planted with some choice Palm...

Those are my favorite brown bonsai-style pots in the back (the little feet make it SO much easier to install drip irrigation) and they come in some really interesting shapes. The urn in the foreground would look good all by itself in a meadow or shrubbery...

Killer water feature potential here...those ridges might do interesting things with the water as it flows down. But can we talk about the stink-eye imp from hell? It reminds me of something that Amanda Thompsen would have gladly used for gnome bowling, back in the day...

I know! I know!

So, a warning, as we reach the heart of the Pot Stop, things can start getting funky. Loved the red fountain on the green pedestal!

The Three Amigo Musketeer Mariachis?

"You can never have too many deities in the garden." I overhead this once at a nursery. You have to imagine it said in an impeccable, clipped Indian accent to get the full effect...

Even the local fauna are color coordinated (lucky shot, this was a loong zoom!)

I repeat, you can never have too many deities in the garden...

The fine folks at the Pot Stop can help you turn any of their pots into a fountain. These can be tricky, so let them help you with all the bits you need for a clean, low-maintenance installation.

The best advice I ever got about working effectively with exceptional pottery is to not be limited by what I can carry to the car by myself.
Go big or go home! They deliver!

One last find; loved this beautiful modern interpretation of classic terra cotta. Lemon tree in that tall one, right?

This was fun! Thanks for joining me. Which are your favorites?

Two Redwood Grove Landscapes, Part 2

2011-07-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few yards down the private drive from the garden in my last post is a newer garden that I was seeing for the first time at nicely-grown-in-maturity. It was a spectacularly moody day in late June, and little do you know, when you see the small moose guarding the entrance, what awaits you! (click any photo to see detail)

OK, it's just a simple side path from the driveway to the back garden. House on one side, tall wooden fence on the other. It's all in what you do with it, right? This is a textbook-perfect example of how I like to use Azara dentata. With form similar to a Japanese Maple, it's a natural small evergreen tree for narrow spaces. They are zig-zagged along the path, alternating with deciduous shrubs and trees.

A few steps in, looking back to the driveway, and the first of several interesting details within this space. My clients had several lovely, contemporary granite benches that had been used elsewhere; dispersed along the path (thick, stone steps and natural mulch) they lead the eye and provide private resting/viewing spots along the way.

From the end of the path you can better see the gentle slope it travels. Another Arbutus 'Marina' stands sentinel next to the final bench. Halfway up the path there's a third bench on the left, opposite a simple basin on the right. You can see the first bench in the distance.

Yes, this garden actual does have a lawn, but much reduced in size and appropriate water-use wise to to the rest of the garden, which is in cool, damp shade next to a creek, with a high water table. This isn't a particularly low-water landscape, mainly because redwood biomes are naturally moist environments.

Just beyond the edge of the lawn is a not-very-attractive sandbag retaining wall, marking a several foot drop to the creek bed below. Not wishing to fence (as their property partially includes the creek, which runs quite low in summer) we chose a mixed border of interesting plants, sturdy enough to protect from falls, and a nice addition to the landscape.

This is a good place to mention "borrowed" views...I mean, those trees on the opposite bank are as much a part of the experience of this garden as those in it, and they are stunning. The local homeowners have taken good care of their shared views.

The creek meanders on through the redwood grove, which is a public park and quite busy, so it was important to partially screen views all around to protect privacy; being able to do so and still feel so open and natural was the trick.

That is Cercis canadensis "Lavender Twist" by the way...a particularly sexy specimen that Sam found. Yes, she's fabulous. Cercis do very well in this garden, as you shall see.

Here's the long few (I don't give you many of these, do I? Trying to protect privacy!)

Just look at those redwoods. And there are mature pines and cedars as well. It's a shady, acidic, water loving little corner of the world. A second Arbutus mirrors the first one; strong evergreen elements guiding you across the lawn. Deciduous understory trees and shrubs enclose the space seasonally. They (and the lawn) get lots of morning sun; the garden is dappled for the rest of the day.

The big idea for this project was (again) adding a second stairway from the existing deck. The one on the right is original, and connects to the lawn (which was the only real "garden" area there originally). My clients wished to incorporate the wilder area around the existing redwoods, which slopes gently down to the creek from the lawn, into their landscape. Since this spot is subject to flooding and the closest area to the public, it needed to be designed thoughtfully.

The second stairway connects them more directly with the new garden, improves traffic flow and ties the garden to the house. The generous planting beds along the deck overflow with hydrangea, dogwood, fuchsia and dianella.

Because of the slope, an identical stairway needed one more step to reach grade. I love how Sam used a single, large slab here (and indeed, for all the steps in this garden) instead of just adding another wooden one. This spot is very energetic; all outdoor activity moves through here (including small children) so that it looks this good is impressive.

Looking closer you can see how blue Isotoma (Blue Star Creeper) is used between the stones. In the sunnier area near the lawn, it blooms a little more profusely, and blends nicely with Sedum 'Angelina' a favorite, bright accent. If there is any succulent that appreciates some water, it's sedum.

Looking down the hill toward the creek. There was a 2'-3' grade change from the bottom of the stairs to the level area along the creek bank; this short set of stone stairs is one of my favorite parts of the design. It just does so much. And the two Cercis 'Forest Pansy' planted on either side? Quite possibly the stars of today's show...

Here it is, looking up. I love slopes, don't you? I like looking for them (not always apparent to my eye, but I'm getting better) and working them into a design.

And again, I can't stress enough how wonderful it is to build a garden like this with a skilled contractor. I started as a self-taught home gardener, and didn't much venture beyond what I could do with hand tools when building my own gardens. So to have the full resources of a contractor, in terms of tools, equipment, labor, skill, etc. is a wonderful thing, and to be allowed a guiding hand in the building is a really great opportunity to own your design.

Plans can always be improved upon, and frequently are. In fact, I get a little nervous when there are no changes during a build...certainly there must be something we can improve on, now that we can see how everything comes together! This job was full of such subtle upgrades and details.

The lower patio, as I mentioned, is nestled in the bend of a creek. And you know what that means: if the levee breaks, you got nowhere to go. Er., I mean, it's a flood risk. The existing retaining walls help control that, and we reinforced the perimeter with field stones and a chunky split-rail fence (so far, so good!) The large flagstones are set in decomposed granite for stability, with a few creepers around the edges. Water running over them won't do much damage.

We chose not to do groundcover between the stones here for a couple of reasons: first it's a frequently used living area with furniture, firepit, and lots of foot traffic. And second, this moist, shady area wouldn't be improved by irrigating the patio. I loved to see how nicely the gorgeous trio of native Redbuds (Cercis occidentalis) had filled in.

Don't just stand there, all tall and majestic, do something! Putting two of the redwoods to work. Originally the swing faced the opposite direction; this works better with the new patio.

See? The bed behind it is planted with hydrangeas salvaged from the original landscape. I like how the layers of trees block the view of the neighbor's house, which used to be perfectly framed by these trees.

The patio is divided into sitting and dining areas. The huge plank table found by the client was perfect in scale and style for this area. And I wish I could take credit for the simple framing element created by two posts, two redwoods, some wire and exuberant vines (click the picture to see it better) but I fully approve, so that counts for something!

The client also conceived this functional chandelier hanging over the sitting area, yet another subtle 'roofing' element that brings this soaring environment down to human scale.

The patio circles around to a smaller set of stone steps that lead back up to the deck. A simpler path to the left connects to the side yard, which was also included in our design.

A simple stone path meanders through a mulched work/dog/play area that mimics (and includes) natural redwood litter. It never looks messy!

A neat sandbox (protected by screens) comfortable adult seating and plenty of storage make this an enjoyable and productive corner for the whole family.

Back up the slope to the steps, and we've come full circle. Many thanks to Sam Whitney of Samscaping Inc. who installed (and now maintains) this beautiful space. It is wonderful to see one's visions made real, even better to enjoy the finished product years later (the ultimate test!)

As small moose greeted us, so big moose says goodbye from her grazing spot in the garden. Thanks for visiting!

Two Redwood Grove Landscapes, Part I

2011-07-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

The best thing about a rare June rainstorm in Northern California is the opportunity to experience our summer gardens in a new light. I revisited two of my favorites last week for a weather-induced impromptu photo session. I was thinking a lot about my cohorts at the Garden Designer's Roundtable who were posting articles about designing for shade that very day, as I consider these to be some of my shadiest work!

Hakonechloa macra aureola

As I remembered these projects, I was reminded again about how great designer-contractor-client communication and synergy are so important. Some of the best ideas I've ever been a part of came during animated, focused, in-the-moment, on-site discussions. I can plan and design beautifully on paper (both of these gardens were drawn out in great detail) but the real art comes in the doing, the details, and how the space evolves over time.

Both of these landscapes were built by Sam Whitney of Samscaping, Inc., a truly outstanding contractor who I would recommend to anyone. (Check out their virtual tours, pretty impressive.) They were also, for the most part, a clean sweep, with only mature trees retained (so necessary when you must significantly alter the grade). We incorporated the displaced right back into the new design wherever possible.

Speaking of mature trees, I should mention that these gardens (just a couple doors from each other) are located at the edge of an historic redwood grove; the magnificent trees in and around them set the scene. Our goal was to fit right in, while making the most of this classic California biome. The owners of these gardens have done a beautiful job with maintenance as well (see my previous post). These visits were unannounced and unstaged on a Tuesday morning...

This is where it all started; my client wanted a rose garden in this narrow, south-facing strip between the house and a shared private drive. That's all. We were challenged by soil, drainage, and public utilities (a very large EMPTY power company vault is strategically hidden in the area where you see the path widen in the middle. It's a looong story.)

Here's what it looked like in 2003...a brand new fence, a tree in the wrong place and some of the many (very nice) granite pavers used around the property as stepping stones. Just not in a very interesting way. The soil was a rather nasty example of construction scrape; I don't even know how many yards of new soil and amendments were brought in to make it right. The three huge redwood trees in the front (seen in the background) were stressed from lack of water. I knew immediately that this whole landscape was a diamond in the rough. Needless to say, we made more than a rose garden that year.

This is how we made a grander path out of those granite pavers. They were about 12" x 16" x 3" thick, and we had dozens of them! Turned sideways instead of longways, bordered with matching ledger stone and them surrounded by pebbles they make a durable and striking walkway.

The story behind the gate is a classic example of the kind of 3-way synergy I mentioned before. Sam showed us a picture of this lovely wood and copper structure he had purchased at the SF Flower & Garden Show years before, and not yet used. Our client immediately said YES and I immediately said THERE, pointing to the spot that marks the precise transition between the shady front garden and the sunny rose garden. And there it stands; I can't imagine this space without it.

One of the best and most necessary additions to this corner (besides the gate, of course) was the beautiful specimen of Arbutus 'Marina' (my favorite small evergreen garden tree). You can see how exposed the front garden was (seen here from the front walk). Gentle berms and mossy field stone boulders were used to reshape the entire front garden, enclosing it in really subtle ways. And that tree is a striking focal point from both sides of the fence.

Here it is again, from the opposite side of the garden. Without it the large house opposite would be the view; not really the look that we were going for!

A limited palette of greens, creams, and purples dominate the plantings (including the Japanese maples, Pittosporum 'Cream de Mint' Acorus and Heuchera seen here).

Asparagus meyerii, Heuchera 'Amethyst Mist,' Helichrysum 'Limelight,' Campanula and Oxalis groundcover surround a shady boulder.

Bold variegated Holly contrasts beautifully with Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum).

A beautiful combination of Oxalis and Campanula; both ideally suited for this shady woodland garden.

A couple of years after finishing the front garden, it was time to do the back, which consisted of a small, damp lawn sloping away from a tall, imposing terrace. We created a secondary terrace and surrounded it with gardens; this path down one side is accented by three more Arbutus 'Marina' (this time in standard form). Love those red trunks!

At the back of the garden a stone wall set a couple of feet in front of the fence provided a level space for a private patio. Trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials planted on both levels make for some interesting layers.

Sitting on the bench you can contemplate the copper-glazed fountain that burbles here all day. The pot was hand-picked at Pottery Planet, and overflows into a generous underground basin. Mondo grass is great low-litter groundcover near water features, which need much less maintenance if the recirculating water is kept very clean.

Circling around we come to the new terrace. The old lawn started at the bottom step of the right staircase and sloped to the lower right corner of the garden, leaving it pretty unusable, and very boring. There were some nice maples at the fenceline and a planting bed against the terrace wall, that was it.

The new lower terrace, two steps up from grade, activated hundreds of square feet of unused space. Adding a second staircase from the upper terrace was a late addition to the design (and not an inexpensive one) but it made a huge difference. It created a natural corner for the outdoor kitchen and greatly improved traffic flow

We were required by the neighborhood CC&Rs to provide parking space for one car within the fenceline, so that limited how far the terrace could extend. We used more of those granite pavers, set in decomposed granite and pebbles, to mark the "parking spot." The same pavers with groundcover transition to the terrace area. The custom metal gates (here and on the right entrance to the lower terrace) keep the family dog in bounds.

It was a great relief for my client to move her outdoor dining area to the spacious lower terrace. We actually enlarged it twice; first by about two feet to make sure we could comfortably fit their new larger dining table, and a second time to pop out the fireplace section, as that side was not affected by the parking area setback. These layout changes were another example of how projects like these evolve, with everyone agreeing (thankfully) that knocking down a few cinder blocks to get it right was not something to worry about.

The beautiful travertine pavers are by Olympic Stone and Marble, and are a marvelous product. Beautiful colors, easy to work with, nice variety of sizes. I normally specify a square grid on a 45-degree angle, but we got a really good deal on these 16x20 pavers, so we used them in a diagonal running bond pattern, which works great for a larger spaces. We also refaced the existing terrace and steps, which were plain cast concrete and screaming for an upgrade!

This is one of my favorite outdoor fireplace installations. The simple, elegant pre-cast unit is from Designs by Garry Inc. It was easy to install, and five years later still works well and looks wonderful. The top of the seat wall is a lovely green granite, which was also used for the kitchen countertop. The frame inset in the wall is an outdoor speaker. The brown bonsai-style pots were also from Pottery Planet (love the little feet that made installing the drip irrigation a breeze!)

This garden has won CLCA awards at both the state and local levels. Sam and I are very proud of it, and our client's obvious pride, enjoyment and appreciation are gratifying.

Stay tuned for my next post, which explores a nearby home tucked even deeper into the redwoods. Thanks for joining me today!

A Hot Color and NO LAWN Garden in Los Altos

2011-06-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

One of the things one has to give up as a garden designer is an attachment to the way a garden develops after the crew leaves. When the wrong gardener is chosen, whether it's a maintenance man with a hedge trimmer or a do-it-myself home gardener who doesn't do it themselves, the results can be disappointing. But with the right team in place a new landscape has a fighting chance to be fabulous!

I've written about this charming home in Los Altos before; I consider it one of my best efforts at transforming a traditional lawn-centric suburban garden into something really different and interesting. Here's a report from its third spring, as seen on an unseasonably rainy day in late May.

This is where we began; the house was getting a total remodel, and the garden would too. Thick Pittosporum hedges were crammed against traditional white picket fence. An uneven flagstone path bisected a scruffy lawn, and there were some random planting beds. Dreadful as it was, the owner liked the privacy and the cottage garden feel of it, and wanted to try to get that feeling in the new design, but in a fresh, colorful, picket-less way.

It's easier to see what we did in this picture taken during planting (December, 2008). The garden was divided into quadrants, with a mortared flagstone path from the street to the house, and large flagstone step stones from the driveway to the side gate. Three of the quadrants were planted with Arbutus 'Marina' trees that in combination, from different angles, provide most of the privacy the house needs.

Soft shrubs like Dodonea purpurea, Leptospermum 'Apple Blossom' and Rhamnus alaternus variegata form a soft curving buffer at the right of the garden. The largest arbutus was placed squarely in front of the porch window, to protect it from the strong western sun in the summer, and curious passers-by on the street! A strong edging of ledger stone separates the garden from the gravel parking strip (no sidewalks on this side of the street).

Design note; if I had "played it safe" with color and used lots of purples, blues and silvers to cool down the strong color of the house, the effect would have been rather drab, kind of like the picture above. Consider instead where we chose to go:

Gold, purple and coral? Oh yes, let's.

Cooling touches of blue? Of course! But we love this purple sage even more for its wonderful two-tone leaves. These have lasted longer than typical, and will probably need to be replaced next spring. No problem; they achieve mature size the first season!

Let's all just have a moment of silence at the sheer loveliness of this combination. From the top: Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' Loropetalum 'Plum Delight' Pittosporum 'Creme de Mint' Heuchera 'Marmalade' and Pinus 'Mugo.' The Loropetalum and Pine will slowly get taller over time; we're shaping them as we go. The Pittosporum and Heuchera will stay low, the Coleonema will stay broad and softly spreading. This is a zoomed shot, so there is actually room for all this to happen. I like the light touch of Blue Fescue at the top...

I'm a sucker for a palette that takes the same colors and shuffles them around in different textures and combinations. Here the Coleonema and Pittosporum are joined by Phormium 'Gold Wave.'

The backdrop for this shot of Pine and Heuchera is Lonicera 'Lemon Swirl' a delicious, arching delight with tiny variegated leaves along every stem. It captures the light and makes a perfect filler/spreader in this kind of planting, where the other players are more or less stationary. Avoid too many of this type in a landscape; they tend to dominate the conversation!

One plant that I knew I must put in this landscape is Coprosma 'Evening Glow' whose shiny, evergreen leaves were the same colors as the house, and go great with the Pittosporum and the coral carpet roses.

[Insert mini rant here] Too often I see this shrub looking dreadful...awkward and sprawling. This is not the plant's fault; it's just lack of early training. So designers, listen up and help your clients give their Coprosma the tough love they require, or be prepared to do it yourself!

On the care and training of Coprosma:
This is a plant that you need to be firm with during its youth. It wants to send up exuberant, luxurious plumes of gorgeous leaves in random directions; and these MUST be cut back hard to help you form the basis of a neater mature shrub. Once or twice a year should do it (and I'm talking about being a MAN and taking your clippers and cutting it back to a nice pair of shoots or buds at your desired shrub-level. I'm NOT talking about shearing; don't be lazy!) Use them in a flower arrangement, if that makes you feel better!

As the side shoots start growing, pinch their tips. The more pinching, the denser the shrub. The one above gets pruned/pinched a few times a year, so it's rather free form. If you think that sounds like too much maintenance, would you rather mow/edge/weed a lawn or give your fingernails a little workout?

Be brave. I know, it's hard. I'm much more daring with my client's plants than with my own, I KNOW the "it's still got one flower on it" syndrome. Get over it. Sometimes good horticultural practice is to prune; for balance and to stimulate growth where you want it. It's an art. Think of it that way; plants as the medium, shaped by your touch. Good plantsmanship is one of the best skills a designer can bring to the table.

In the photo album I linked to above, I explore the choices I had for pottery. I loved the way this particular combination turned out: rustic Mexican pots planted with an unusual gold-tipped variety of Crassula ovata flank the front window, and get by with occasional hand watering. Notice the classic Craftsman pattern I chose for the porch stonework. The same stone in natural form was used for the front walkway as well.

Bold color continues in the back, with this stunning Cercis 'Forest Pansy' as the main focal point between the two patios. One of my top ten favorite trees...

The back is shadier, and has some lovely combinations like Polystichum polyblepharum and Begonia richmondiensis. This fern looks best if you trim away all of the previous year's fronds before the new ones start to unfurl in spring; this keeps it looking fresh and tidy all summer.

Another interesting tone-on-tone color combination; Nandina filamentosa has the same tints as the Coprosma next to it, but with any airy, delicate texture. It is a slow grower, but I appreciate that in a plant; it's good when plants work well in the place they are given AND play nicely together.

Part of the reason this garden looks so good is because I personally visit it several times a year (at the owner's request) to clean up; shape, train and evaluate. We include his arborist and landscape contractor in our discussions to take care of the heavier tasks. It doesn't take long, and it's nice when the client joins me to clean up the daylilies and give everything else a once-over.

Even after three years there are still many plants in this garden that I've never had to touch. That, to me, is a landscape that's working, and my client agrees. As I left that day, he said "You done good."

Late Spring on the Los Gatos Creek Trail

2011-06-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I posted about what it was like on the Los Gatos Creek Trail in early spring. Time for a followup! I took advantage of a dramatic clouds-and-blue-sky day to capture some mid-spring loveliness.

The Buckeyes (Aesculus californica) have quickly gone from tufts of leaves to large, fragrant racemes of flowers on long, leafy stems. So beautiful planted next to Redbud (Cercis occidentalis). In another two months they will start to fade into dormancy...so enjoy them now, darlings!

The Fennel (Foenicululm vulgare) is moving right along, and moves so gracefully with the surrounding grasses. I was surprised to see that the annual grasses had already gone to seed; I figured with the cool spring we're having that they might still be showing green. But this is a classic California palette, wouldn't you agree?

The glossy, red seedpods on the Redbuds are particularly striking now...

Not a weed here...

Oak buds...

An unexpected little meadow of statice...I wonder who planted it?

The Sycamore leaves are well on their way to enormity...beautiful texture.

Oak ball!

Yellow daisies...Helianthums?

Another dainty little thing...maybe an Eriogonum?

Back into familiar territory...did you ever wonder how Western Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) got its name? Wonder no more...this is one hot mess this time of year!

I mean, wow...

Not included last time was this gorgeous native, Sugar Bush (Rhus ovata) that my Facebook friends helped me identify. According to Cheryl Renshaw "The fruit is covered with a tart goop that you can suck on and then drink some water to sort of kind of have lemonade (hence the common name of the closely related Rhus integrifolia or Lemonade Berry). Cool!

Another view of Cottonwood...

Hawthorn flowers are so dainty compared to the dramatic and rather severe aspect of their bright red berries in winter. Love that leaf shape...

Eucalyptus flowers; this whole tree is aromatic.

Remember Squirrel Nutkin? (Totally dating myself, aren't I!)

One, last luminous Cistus blossom along the path leading home...thanks for joining me! Things will look quite different soon...

Garden Designers Roundtable: Top Landscape Plants

2011-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this month's Garden Designers Roundtable, where we are talking about the plants that we turn to again and again in our designs. My working palette is pretty vast, but these are the ones special enough to be used in my personal gardens as well.

Easily the most-used small tree in my repertoire is Arbutus 'Marina' a hybrid of our native Madrones. This was the first thing I planted in my last garden, and in four years that small shrub became this shapely specimen, with peeling red trunks, clean evergreen foliage and a long season of bloom. I also use it extensively in the standard form, and would love to see it used more as a street tree.

One of my favorite groundcovers under Arbutus is Elijah Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca). It appreciates a little shade and water to look its best; and makes a wonderful 18" mound of blue that is tough, soft, and looks great year round.

A good companion to blue fescue in a grassy landscape is the lovely Carex testacea. Its blades shift from olive green to coppery orange and back again throughout the year. This one will reseed freely if you don't keep its long flowing seed stems trimmed; you've been warned!

Soft, friendly Coleonema 'Sunset Gold' looks great planted near orange sedge; its golden plumes (and in the spring, small pink flowers) are a bright spot in any garden; it needs sun for best color.

A relatively new addition to my palette is Dianella; I use several varieties, like this Dianella caerulea (Blue Flax Lily). It's wonderful in a pot and happy in those spots that aren't quite sun and not full shade. The little blue flowers on airy stems are charming.

Somewhere in the background of my gardens you might find Dodonea purpurea (Purple Hopseed Bush). I adore the deep burgundy of the leaves in winter, and the graceful shape of the leaves and stems. They tend to be a little shallow-rooted and can tip over in wet/windy weather; firmly staking them until they are past their youth will keep them safe. In time makes an interesting small tree.

I really appreciate plants that look great in winter and early spring, when the rest of the garden is resting. Euphorbias, like this "Helena's Blush" fill the bill nicely. I would use them even more if they didn't smell, well, stinky. Ah well, nobody's perfect!

Except, just maybe, Nandina 'Firepower' a short, large-leafed variety that is simply gorgeous all year round. Happiest in part shade, with just enough sun to bring out the peach, red and copper tones in the leaves. Doesn't need much water, stays compact, with no pests to speak of.

Another contender for little Mr. Perfect is this variety of Pittosporum tenuifolium called "Golf Ball." Naturally neat and compact, looks shiny perfect all year round with little or no pruning. Those black stems and soft green leaves are killer, and if I were to make a small hedge, THIS is what I would use...

...not this. I am not a fan of boxwood usually, but this is my bright, shining exception. I like to dot variegated English Boxwood around a landscape (often zig-zagging along a path at wide intervals). Their leaves have a particularly luminous quality that just lights up the place, especially in shade. It is slow growing, tough, and needs only an occasional pinch (never sheared, thank you) to look great.

And of course, Succulents are like sprinkles for the landscape...bright, colorful, sculptural, undemanding and now available in SO many varieties that the possibilities are endless. They are often that perfect missing color or texture, especially in dry corners.

So now you know my short list...but don't stop here! My fellow Garden Roundtablers are spilling their secrets too, including guest blogger Nan Ondra; such an honor to have her here today. Enjoy!

Nan Ondra : Hayefield : Bucks County, PA
Andrew Keys : Garden Smackdown : Boston, MA
Christina Salwitz : Personal Garden Coach : Renton, WA
Genevieve Schmidt : North Coast Gardening : Arcata, CA
Ivette Soler : The Germinatrix : Los Angeles, CA
Jocelyn Chilvers : The Art Garden : Denver, CO
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA
Rochelle Greayer : Studio G : Boston, MA
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA

An EnSeven Kind of Spring...

2011-04-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

YES, it's spring! The leaves on "my" Liquidambar tree are unfurling at a rapid pace. I recently played tree-hugger to make sure the company doing tree maintenance at my complex didn't remove these graceful branches that are the only thing between me and a blank stucco wall. The foreman was sympathetic, so no particular heroics were required...

Another sign of the season: Western Mourning Doves on the lookout for precarious and/or ridiculous places to make their nests. I love these birds; their plaintive call is part of the soundtrack of my life. But they haven't quite grasped the whole "location location location" idea yet...

Moving on down the food chain, I was delighted to see the Praying Mantis egg case that I brought from my house spring to life a couple of weeks ago. The infants kind of pour out the front enclosed in a protective shell, which they quickly wriggle out of. As the first-born get their bearings they can be seen hanging around waiting to make a snack out of their younger siblings! I dispersed a few around the balcony and will be interested to see if any of them hang around; they are very territorial and if happy will spend a whole lifetime in a single bush. Stay tuned...

This was the first spring in almost 25 years that I haven't had a garden to wake up and get ready for the season. It seems very strange. No piles of weeds to the compost pile, no prunings piled in the street, no mulch to buy, no heirloom tomatoes to covet. My big tasks were switching to a lighter throw for the love-seat and vacuuming the sisal rug. I didn't even need to get dressed for that, let alone put on sunscreen, gloves and hat. Strange, I tell you.

But still, there are delights. I love how this cutting of Corylus avellana 'Rote Zeller' (European Red-Leaf Filbert) from my friend Alice Joyce's garden is coming along; those pleated purple leaves! In the garden it would be a massive shrub; I will enjoy it on a smaller scale.

Talk about a great container plant for a shady garden; this Dianella caerulea (Blue Flax Lily) is evergreen, low-maintenance, and is just getting ready to bust out in luxurious bloom. It is a good choice for my balcony because it can take full shade to full sun; depending on the time of year (or the time of day) it can be either.

And of course, there are the succulents, like my favorite Aeonium 'Sunburst.' These are another kind of plant that does surprisingly well in part sun or shade; they will be looser and lankier with less sun, but no less pretty. I find their leaves stay fresher and they grow slower...both good attributes for a small-space garden. And in a low-light situation they need even less water.

This plump fellow has been growing in shade for several years with just an occasional sip of water. My kind of plant!

Dwarf jade plant (Crassula argentea 'Hobbit') is another sun to shade winner: growing about an inch a year it may reach an eventual height of 2 feet, maybe! As the sun gets higher my balcony will get shadier...it will be interesting to see what thrives this season. I don't really miss all the work of a big garden, really I don't. And it's nice to be able to concentrate on the small details of a more intimate space. Thanks for joining me...

Wild Spring in Copperopolis

2011-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful week working at the SF Flower & Garden Show, I went for a little R&R in a less accustomed direction (like, AWAY from the ocean). I needed a simpler, wilder landscape to rest my mind in for a bit, and I found it in Copperopolis. (click any photo to enlarge)

Cool name, huh? The locals call it Copper. It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that this little corner of Gold Country was actually known for its thriving copper mines. Copperopolis was founded in 1860 and produced copper from the Civil War to World War II (the town boomed during wartimes due to the demand for munitions).

The mines closed in 1946, and this sleepy community tucked into gently curving oak woodlands two hours east of San Francisco is now largely a vacation/resort town for nearby Lake Tulloch; bustling in the summer, somewhat deserted in winter.

This is a fleeting season in the Sierra foothills, before the fresh greens of early spring turn to the dry golds of a hot summer. It is my favorite time, with all the promise of the season to come.

Two of my favorite things about this area are the fantastic rocks and the wonderful trees. Here fantastic meets wonderful in an interesting (if slightly disturbing) way.

Just your plain old everyday outcropping next to the driveway...

Well, hello little fella!

The view from the deck. Now, before you snort, that's NOT an overwatered fairway below. It's actually the aeration ponds and spray dispersal system used by the Copper Cove Water Treatment Plant (there are fairways nearby, though). As nice as any lake view, I think!

It was glorious to soak up the sun under broad, blue skies after a long, rainy winter. It felt just how this oak tree looks.

All lit up from inside.

Sun's going down...

More tomorrow!

Out for a morning walk to the lake; nice view of the distant Sierras near Yosemite National Park.

I heart rocks!

Two undeveloped lots west of Lake Tulloch. Guess someone's been hitting the Round-Up pretty hard...

Well, hello deer!

Oak blossom.

Around the lake, the view is everything. And with many houses tucked together on narrow, sloping lots you need to get creative with space. I liked how this homeowner has turned a spot at the end of the driveway into an airy retreat for outdoor cooking and watching the boats go by...the fan and curtains are a nice touch!

The colors of a California spring...

Back at the house I was reminded how much wild creatures enjoy a really good brush pile, like this cute yellow-rumped Warbler.

And this Western Bluebird.

And, another sunset means my short vacation is over. Time to go home. Thanks for joining me on another California adventure!

Garden Up! Vertical Gardening Cyber Book Party

2011-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE! The Winner of the Wally One from Woolly Pocket is Paige Puckett from Raleigh, North Carolina who just happens to write a blog called "Pocket Smiles" isn't that perfect? Congratulations, Paige!

And thanks to everyone who participated in our cyber book party...let's do it again!

~~~~~~~~

One of my favorite things about the crowd I hang with is watching the growth of projects from "wow, we have a contract" to "wow, we have a BOOK!"

I am so excited about the book that my friends Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet are launching today: Garden Up!: Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces.

The best part? How so many were able to contribute to the project, making this book a very personal snapshot of a time when this particular group of bloggers, designers, gardeners & photographers were having a conversation.

So please help me celebrate Garden Up! via this cyber book party, which is complete with door prizes AND party favors (as all the best parties are). I am honored to have been asked to be a co-host; watching Susan and Rebecca create this book has been a privilege, and that my garden is immortalized within its pages is beyond cool.

About The Book
Filled with design tips, plant ideas and over 200 photos, Garden Up! offers inspiration and how-to information for enhancing any outdoor space with vertical elements. They cover everything from living wall projects simple enough for a home gardener to creative design solutions for blank walls and narrow planting beds.

For a peek inside the book, information on upcoming media and speaking events or to learn more about the authors, be sure to visit Susan and Rebecca's website. The book is available from Amazon and Gardenbookstore.net as well as select bookstores.

It was my pleasure to host the Garden Up! duo and their entourage in my garden last spring. They were particularly interested in the plant choices in my small back garden, and what varieties work well to add layers of height and screening without using up valuable garden bed space. Since this is no longer my garden, it's especially nice to have it preserved in this book. It will always look this lovely, without me lifting another finger. I like that!

The Good Stuff: Door Prizes!
Every blog is offering something different, and all you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment. Winners will be chosen randomly. The contest runs for a week, so check back on March 21 to see if you're one of the lucky ones. The more blogs you visit, the more chances you have to win.

InterLeafings is pleased to be giving away one of the hot-hot-hot wall planting products today; the Wally One from Woolly Pocket. Available in a variety of colors, you just fill with soil add your favorite plants and hang on the wall...anywhere! For a chance to win a Wally One, just leave a comment below.

And if Woolly Pockets aren't your thing, no worries! With seven co-hosts, this book party has something for everyone.

An H. Potter Wrought Iron Trellis from Susan Morrison at Blue Planet Garden Blog

A Bundle of Fiskars Tools from Rebecca Sweet at Gossip in the Garden

A $50 Annie's Annuals Gift Certificate from Jim Martin at Compost in my Shoe.

A $25 Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply Gift Certificate from Angela Davis at My Rubber Boots

A Succulent Gardens Living Wall Kit from Pam Pennick at Digging

A $75 High Country Gardens Gift Certificate from Jenny Peterson at J Peterson Garden Design

~~~

Yours will be signed!

And finally, as a thank-you to the first 100 people who order online, Rebecca and Susan are offering a hand-illustrated (by Susan!) signed bookplate. They're working on the honor system so no need to prove you made a purchase. Just send an email with a mailing address and the recipient's name to: susan@morrison-sweet.com.

Garden Up! makes a great birthday or Mother's Day gift, so if you're buying more than one copy, be sure to let them know and they'll include an extra bookplate.

So what are you waiting for...game on!

Unfurling Spring on the Los Gatos Creek Trail

2011-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Another reason to appreciate my new place: it's a short walk to this spot, one of the Campbell entrances to the Los Gatos Creek Trail, which follows (surprise!) Los Gatos Creek from Lexington Reservoir to San Jose. Wide paths along both banks in this section make a great 2-mile loop for just about anyone on feet, paws or wheels. ~click any photo to enlarge~

Today it really felt like spring on the trail, after a rainy and chilly week. Loved the remains of these wild almond blossoms...the petals were white, these are just the stamens!

Still my favorite red berries, Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) has been looking great since December.

More almond blossoms...

Doesn't this just shriek spring?

Huge native Sycamores (Platanus racemosa) on the banks are just starting to put out their leaves, which will be the size of dinner plates by summer.

Thick stands of Fennel (Foenicululm vulgare) are sprouting amongst last year's stalks, and will soon be waving their licorice-scented fronds high overhead.

More Sycamore leaves...

Sycamore leaves and fruit...

Willow catkins!

A lone cattail, about to implode...

Fresh new leaves on the Willows...

I love this stage of Redbud (Cercis occidentalis) bloom, when the tiny heart-shaped leaves start to emerge as well...

Some of the bushes (perhaps the really happy ones?) have flowers along every twig.

Vigorous tufts of pleated leaves launch this year's Buckeyes (Aesculus californica).

The new growth on the live oaks looks like flowers. See how these things can grow several feet in a season?

Lots of water in the creek, and our loop is complete! I think this will serve as a good surrogate garden for me. (Next month...poppies!)

EnSeven Update: In Which We Try "Plant Nannies"

2011-02-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

I love that moment in late winter when you realize that the days really ARE getting longer, and our (admittedly brief) dormant season is ending. My little south-facing balcony has been very cozy; it collects falling leaves but is protected from rain and frost alike. Being able to doze in the sun on my love seat is still a little miracle.

Think I can extend my Praying Mantis streak to 12 years on a tiny balcony? I brought this egg case (found in the Marjoram) from my old house. We'll see; I'm keeping a close eye. Would be wonderful to have at least one hang around!

I've made a couple of changes. The Asparagus Fern that so gracefully framed the fountain also liked to drop many soft little needles into the water, clogging the pump. It has been tucked safely away, and my Aeonium 'Sunburst' will take center stage. The Nandina just keeps looking beautiful, and the ivy is getting the idea.

I was glad to see these first shoots on the Japanese Maple. He suffered a bit last season from lack of feeding, and as the star of the whole design, he must be happy!

I wrote a while back about my concern over keeping my little oasis properly watered. I was quite spoiled by an automatic drip system, and I tend to get lazy with hand watering toward the end of the season. So I'm giving a product called Plant Nannies a try; a simple arrangement of a spout that attaches to a standard plastic soda bottle and slips into a terra-cotta funnel inserted into the soil. Water dispenses slowly as the roots need it. So far, so good!

Here's how the arrangement works in the Fatsia pot. On my balcony the plastic bottles are hidden behind foliage or furniture, but they also make Plant Nannies for wine bottles, or ones with decorative globes. As long as I can keep the big boys happy, the rest should be fine.

Have enjoyed how this purple plum tree is bursting into bloom in the courtyard; since I moved in December I particularly appreciated this indication that spring is just around the corner. Thanks for visiting!

Discovering DIG Gardens in Santa Cruz

2011-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Recently my friend Rebecca Sweet wrote a great post about DIG Gardens in Santa Cruz, so I just had to see it for myself!

This former patio furniture store has been lovingly and skillfully reworked, making full use of the high ceilings, abundant light, and ample wall space. I'll be seeing more of this classroom area in the future, as DIG has a wonderful lineup of Talks and Workshops this spring, with timely topics like Chicks in the City, Backyard Bee Keeping and Jam Making (Meyer Lemon Marmalade, anyone?)

The chicken corner! Organic supplies for the home henhouse, pretty cool. Don't think my apartment complex includes chickens in its "pet friendly" policy...dang.

Every corner is a delight...all that's missing is the coffee...and I believe they are working on taking care of that (a coffee shop next door? Brilliant!)

I especially liked their interesting wall pieces, some including live mosses or Tillandsias; just lovely. Displaying houseplants this way really helps customers visualize the possibilities for their own spaces.

Rebecca spoke so highly of the beautiful succulent-infused art and furniture built by 5 Feet From The Moon; they've evidently been very popular; I think this was the only piece left!

Hey, look! Books by our friends Jeffrey Gordon Smith (who is busy creating a spectacular garden for the SF Flower & Garden Show) and Debra Lee Baldwin (who will be speaking at the show AND at DIG, on Saturday, March 26th) Since they keep selling out of Debra's new book (Succulent Container Gardens) that should be a popular event!

I've been hearing a lot about terrariums lately, and since DIG seems to be right on target with other new trends, I wasn't surprised to see terraria of many kinds in the shop. And, of course, there will be a Terrarium Workshop this coming weekend (February 5th) that will teach you how to do cool things like this! Here's something an apartment dweller could get very interested in...

Woolly Pocket is another product I keep seeing everywhere, and this stunning wall display of houseplants shows why they are so popular. DIG is a great place to learn about vertical gardening, and of course they have everything you need to succeed.

I loved this beautiful display of contemporary pots. Oh, and if you have your eye on that cool Sansevieria cylindrica on the middle shelf, too late! (It's OK, they have more.)

Great Balls of Succulents! (Sorry, had to say that.) These were especially effective against the fresh white of the walls and ceiling. Lovely.

After reading Rebecca's post I was particularly interested in seeing these succulent panels, which are SO hot right now. This is a great example of how they can be used to create a garden on a cinderblock wall; loved them against that green. DIG owners Cara and Will Meyers hand-pick their plants from many local nurseries and growers.

A note to Inlanders; some of these plants are quite tender, and to live outside they are happiest near the coast. Planting them in pots that can be sheltered during winter should keep your conscience clear!

Loved this! Again, good for a sheltered spot...would not be happy in freezing temps OR blazing sun. Just because succulents don't use much water doesn't mean they don't appreciate being able to keep what's stored in those lovely leaves, bracts, fingers, and spikes, right?

Delighted to run into an old friend in the shade house; any day that includes Kwan Yin is a good one. Thanks for joining me on my first visit, and if you're in the area, consider coming to one of DIG's many events; maybe I'll see you there!

Winter Fragrance at Elizabeth Gamble Garden

2011-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, California is a historic urban estate built near Stanford University in 1902. It is now the home of a nonprofit horticultural foundation, and its mature woodland, formal and working gardens provide education and beauty to the community.

The Association of Professional Landscape Designers meets regularly at Gamble, so I've been able to visit in all seasons. (I was actually married there once, but that's a different story!) Today it was particularly beautiful, as winter-blooming shrubs are luxuriating in our recent warm spell. This hedge of camellias was screaming for attention, so my camera and I excused ourselves for a moment...

Isn't it stunning? Camellia japonica are one of our earliest bloomers, often starting right after Christmas. Carefully maintained by staff and volunteers, these hedges are light and yet covered with bloom for weeks.

And the fragrance! The warmth of the day brought out scents from all over the garden, including this Magnolia soulangiana in full bloom.

Oh, Daphne! So finicky, but when you're happy, everybody's happy...

The most fragrant thing around, however, was this Mahonia siamensis...yum!

The bees agreed!

This patch of Kniphofia offered an unexpected touch of warmth...

While a large clump of Elegia capensis cooled things down again.

Beautiful Leucadendron towers overhead.

We have time for one, sweet whiff of Sarcococca as the meeting is about to start; what a glossy beauty this is.

If you are ever in the neighborhood, treat yourself to a visit to this lovely garden. Their Spring Tour (April 29-30) explores the diverse gardens of the Palo Alto area, and is enjoyed each year by thousands of Bay Area gardeners. Add it to your spring calendar if you can!

Are You Going to The Nor Cal Spring Tradeshow?

2011-01-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

As a garden designer AND community builder, I look forward to the Nor Cal Horticultural Tradeshow every year. Aimed at professionals in the nursery and landscaping trades, this show is a great way to be introduced to new products while catching up with old friends.

You'll find great new garden products, like the biodynamic compost from Malibu Compost...

Along with every kind of garden tool, accessory and decor imaginable (that's Leo Goria, VP of California Operations for SummerWinds Nurseries visiting the J. Pedersen booth...)

As you can imagine, my favorite displays are those done by the nurseries, like this best-of-show winner created by Belmont Nursery. I could have hung out here all day!

But while the plants and products are great, it's the knowledgeable people you meet that makes an event like this truly valuable to professionals and hobbyists alike. What a great opportunity to pick the brain of Succulent Gardens owner/guru Robin Stockwell, for instance. (And then buy some of his gorgeous plants, of course!)

Sooo...are you going? Thursday, February 17th, 9am to 5pm at the San Mateo Event Center (same place as the SF Flower & Garden Show) 1346 Saratoga St., San Mateo CA (near 101 and 92)

The Cats Are All Right

2011-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

One of my biggest concerns about moving to an apartment was the impact on my two cats, who from kittenhood have enjoyed the run of nice gardens. They napped under the shrubs, patrolled the perimeter, greeted guests (or hid from them); in short, they were a part of the landscape. I felt sad that they wouldn't have that any more. I might have been projecting, just a little...

Fortunately the complex I chose is pet-friendly; and after a few busy weeks, we're all settling in just fine. Haku can now be found lounging on the balcony love seat, and although Zennie still spends much of her day under my bed, she does emerge at night to claim the top of the cat tower as her own (Haku is learning that it's best not to dispute this, especially when she has "that look in her eyezzz!")

Haku and Zen are brother and sister, almost eight years old, and getting to that "sleeping most of the time" stage of their lives. I felt no need to "cat-proof" the balcony, although I probably would with a rambunctious kitten. Their requirements are met, we're all OK with the litterbox situation, and there is still plenty for them to look at...

Like our first hummingbird at the feeder!

This birdhouse has sheltered several generations of chickadees, titmice and sparrows in turn. Hopefully it will be discovered here. I love the "happy accident" of its reflection in the mirror on the storage room door, allowing me to watch from the living room.

So far I love apartment living; I miss my washer and dryer the most, but love the endless hot water, low heating bills, and the nearby grocery store, nursery, movie theater and light rail station. I've lost more than the weight of my mortgage; for once I feel as though I'm living within my means and touching the earth more lightly as a result. There is now room for new things in my life, and I'm starting to discover them.

It was less than four months ago that I began this final stage of life re-engineering, in the autumn of a tumultuous year. Now it's January, and I'm home. There's a feeling of spring in the air and a strong sense that everything is going to be OK. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Taking My Own Small Garden Advice!

2011-01-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Last June I wrote a post for the Garden Designer's Roundtable about small-space garden design; little did I know that I'd be testing my own advice when I downsized to a 6x10 apartment balcony six months later.

My rough concept drawing was done mainly to determine how many plants I could bring with me, and didn't focus much on where I might sit. I figured the space would be enjoyed mostly from inside; I didn't see how it could be private enough outside. Space for plants was the priority, and a small chair was drawn in as a placeholder.

But then I remembered my own advice about not skimping on comfortable seating in a small garden, especially since it really only has to be big enough for two. I spotted a loveseat on another balcony, and once I realized how nice the winter sun was going to be, and how quiet the complex is during the day, I knew I had to carve a cozy, private spot for myself into my balcony design. That's how my favorite outdoor loveseat was added to the mix...

And it is perfect. Placing it in the corner facing inward was the master touch. It blocks the view onto the balcony from nearby paths, catches the slanting winter sun all afternoon, and surrounded by plants I can curl up in complete privacy. I can be out there with my sweetheart or a cat and not feel on display. Since the balcony is completely sheltered, a cozy wool throw and a jute rug warm the space up further and can be left out year-round (although I'll opt for a lighter throw in summer...)

And look how my wooden crates (which hold frequently used tools and supplies) can be tucked underneath; sheltered and dry and easy to access, and freeing up lots of room in my storage closet.

In my Roundtable post I talked about imagining the space in three dimensions, mentally carving out the paths you need to use it effectively. On my balcony the curved swathe between the sliding door and my storage closet needs to be kept clear, but everything else is fair game (and remember, not just at ground level). I used tall specimens in the corner pots, and elevated other plants on upturned pots, small tables, even my coffee-tuffet.

Long streamers of ivy, which had been growing for years in some of the larger pots, are being trained all over the railing and will add their own lacy green layer of privacy as they fill in. A strand of white lights around the railing can be lit on festive occasions.

Traffic area nice and clear, and the rest of the available space is layering up nicely. I'm not a fan of hanging plants (keeping the ones on the ground happy is challenging enough) but wind chimes, bird houses and feeders, lanterns etc. can add a lot of interest, especially if you have sturdy overhead beams to work with.

I didn't discuss using storage space efficiently in my GDRT post (probably because at the time I had a two-car garage) but that was a huge consideration for this space, as I have many tools and supplies and one very small closet in which to store them. My two wooden crates under the loveseat helped a lot, and using one of my old garage shelves gave this small space structure. Another shelf mounted inside the door holds mason jars full of frequently used things, and silverware trays organize all the other odd bits from my garage and junk drawers. There's room for everything, with space left over. Nice...

It was so comforting to be able to create a new garden space using some old friends, some of which I have had for years. And it was also gratifying to put my own design principles to the test and find them solid.

Happy New Year!

Wordless Wednesday: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum

2010-12-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

What a gorgeous place to visit in December! The UCSC Arboretum features Mediterranean-climate plants from all over the world, many of which are at their gorgeous best in winter. Enjoy!

EnSeven Heaven: My New Garden Takes Shape

2010-12-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

It is done. Two weeks, one jeans size, and countless loads of STUFF sent in all directions, and my move from a 3-bedroom house (with several thousand square feet of gardens) to a 2-bedroom apartment (with sixty square foot balcony) is complete. This would not have been possible without the help of my family and friends, to whom I am unbelievably grateful. And I will go on record here and now to say that I will NEVER have that much CRAP again! Dissembling the garage about did me in...

As I wrote before, creating my new balcony garden was high on my list of priorities. It was a huge relief when the Maple and Fatsia pots made it up the stairs (I simply couldn't look) and were settled in their respective corners with no casualties. I ended up using about a dozen good-sized plants and another dozen small ones (succulents mostly) and they have filled the space quite nicely. Their previous home (a north-facing courtyard) got no sun in winter, so their airy new south-facing digs are suiting them VERY well.

I particularly love these beautiful dwarf Nandinas, which along with a foxtail asparagus fern on a stand surround the bubbling water pot. Additional sun has brightened their colors considerably; even on overcast days they glow.

One piece of advice I give to small-space gardeners is to lift things up and make use of their "middle ground." Using taller plants, and raising shorter ones (like this lush Dianella which sits on an up-ended pot) gives you natural nooks in which to tuck smaller plants, as well as more privacy. An old tile-top table built by my father for my grandparents years ago has become my new potting bench/Buddha shelter. The jute carpet remains one of my favorite parts of the garden; absolutely everything here I already had; the old becomes new again.

The decision to use just one seating piece (my old garden loveseat) and to angle it toward the house turned out to be a really good one. I can curl up like a cat in the sun, surrounded by plants, in complete privacy. From my perch it's fun to listen to my neighbor's comments ("Wow, look at that, and she only JUST moved in!")

Fun details like the birdhouse (hanging from a sturdy beam) and a string of lights add warmth and charm. I was delighted to find that the ivy in the Fatsia and Maple pots had grown many streamers, some several feet long, which I've started twining along the top of the railing. It's like they have been preparing all along to be here. It already feels like home.

Thanks for all the good wishes as I've been making this transition; I look forward to sharing my new little space from time to time. Oh, and "EnSeven" comes from my apartment number (N7).

Happy Holidays everyone!

Moving On...

2010-11-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

Or, as Katherine S. White would say, "Onward and Upward!"

photo credit: Kelsey Cross

My house has been sold, close of escrow is December 15, and I have found a new place to dwell. As of the first of the month I will be living in an apartment for the first time since college, trading my lush gardens for a 6x10 balcony. Needless to say, this is a bit of an adjustment.

The good news is I have a wonderful collection of potted plants that are well-suited for this spot; I can indeed bring part of my garden with me. You have no idea how comforting that is.

Here is my promising garden-to-be...south facing with a nice Liquidambar tree between me and the next building. It is completely sheltered by the Spanish tile roof; in winter it is flooded with light, in summer it will be cool and shady.

My bubbling blue water pot, which has been running almost continuously for the last eight years, is coming along, and the potted Nandina will come right along with it.

Ivy from small pots behind the Buddha encircle the tree stump he sits on. This will relocate beautifully.

The Fatsia I bought the day I launched my design business is an anchor plant, and I have interesting plans for my carved Mexican posts from Santa Fe. (Hint, they don't have to be vertical, do they?)

I have the perfect spot for this red maple, and the mature Asplenium below it. My one plant-one pot philosophy of container gardening will make it fun to arrange and re-arrange.

My biggest challenge for this garden? No water out there...I have been utterly spoiled by an automatic drip system and will have to retrain myself. Where possible I will move things up a pot size so they have good resources; the sheltered location will also help. And it's not like it's a lot to take care of, is it?

So stay tuned...the garden will probably go in first, (priorities!) so it won't be long now...

Wordless Wednesday: November Garden

2010-11-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Soon this garden will no longer be mine...at least, not officially. For now I am enjoying the sunset...

Saying Goodbye, and Hello

2010-10-25T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there. Yes, it has been a long time. I've missed you.

As it often does, my annual visit to Santa Fe took my life and shook it up, but good. Changes that I had to make became clear. I realized that it was time to simplify my life, again. Now.

Four years ago my daughter, son and I moved here together. It's a cozy house for three (especially when one plays the electric guitar) but my son soon moved to his own apartment closer to work, and my daughter finished high school and went away to college. Nest = very empty.

So it's time to let it go; I can no longer keep it. The wonderful gardens I built, I can no longer care for. I have suspected all along that I've been preparing this home for someone else, who needs it as much as I did four years ago. Now I'm ready for something smaller & simpler.

I can make a home and a garden anywhere I go. This I know for sure. I'll share what I can of the journey, but as you might have noticed, I'm not as free with my sorrows as I am with my joys.

And don't worry, there are joys too. Every day. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder.

Wish me luck...

Santa Fe Chronicles - More Flora (sans Hollyhocks)

2010-08-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

Aspens are one of the true delights of high-altitude climates. The interesting bark, beautiful leaves and intensely gold fall color make it one of my favorite trees.

Aromatic juniper is a wonderful evergreen mainstay; it thrives in high desert conditions.

Crabapples also give a long season of beauty, from lush spring bloom to soft green leaves to shiny fruits in late summer, in a conveniently compact size tree!

I love this beautiful, large grass; can't figure out what it is...

Maples by the river...

A large Campsis vine happily strangling a Blue Atlas Cedar.

View from where I'm staying...

And another! Santa Fe has gotten a lot of rainfall this summer; everything is quite lush.

Focus fail makes for an interesting picture anyway; think I'll keep it!

That's better; not sure what these red berries are; maybe Viburnum?

An adopted median with lush plantings of Russian Sage (Perovskia) and Hummingbird Mint (Agastache).

This apricot Agastache is just gorgeous...

A perky, pink penstemon!

Ha, figured this one out: Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) love the silky seed heads

More Crabapples...

And we wrap up with a really sexy line of agaves in a raised bed between the sidewalk and an adobe wall.

Santa Fe Chronicles - Return to Cool Ranch

2010-08-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I wrote about the gardens at Cool Ranch with some wistfulness last year; it had just gone on the market, and I wondered if I was seeing one of my favorite projects for the last time. So I was glad to hear that my sister's beautiful house was sold to really nice people, who loved what we had done AND were happy for us to come and visit!

They've made some great changes to the landscape, like building a courtyard around the front entrance that gives some separation from the motor court/garage area, and another nice outdoor room.

I love the gentle curves and the iron gate that is light but strong. The turquoise pots add a welcome splash of color.

We should probably call this Bailey's courtyard, because it was added largely for her benefit; small dogs and cats are not a good match for the local coyotes, so a protected outdoor spot is important; especially for a pet that is very anxious to explore!

Beautiful flagstone work on the patio, and a graceful extension of the planting beds.

I loved seeing this large bronze Buddha placed so thoughtfully, framed by gnarled branches of wild juniper.

In their third summer all the perennials have reached a nice maturity, and have naturalized a bit as well. Russian Sage (Perovskia) is all over Santa Fe right now, growing in the dryest spots. Agastache is a perfect companion plant for it, and with Buddleia form the backbone of many a late-summer garden here.

There is a low wall separating cultivated space from the natural terrain beyond, but that line is becoming very blurry!

The growing season is fairly short at this altitude: June is wildflowers and flowering trees, July and August are summer, September and October can see the first snows.

And of course, I had to visit the labyrinth, which still looks amazing 3 years after installation. The center planting of Agastache and Thyme could not be more perfect.

The saplings of 2007 are filling out nicely; I was able to talk to the owners a bit about how to prune in order to frame key views.

Native Pinon pines make a great backdrop.

A meditation bell stands to one side.

The center of the garden remains open, in keeping with our intention to mimic the natural terrain of the desert beyond, with its clearings of seasonal wildflowers. There are few formal paths.

In the desert plants are found in harmonious communities, and are often clustered around rocks; this same idea gives Cool Ranch interesting structure even when it is covered with snow.

A bubbling boulder water feature from Santa Fe Stone offers a cooling welcome near the front door, and we have come full circle. My earlier post gives more of the story behind the creation of the gardens at Cool Ranch and shows how it has changed. Thanks for joining me!

Wordless Wednesday: Santa Fe Skies

2010-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Morning, evening or night, the wide open skies of New Mexico are nothing short of spectacular. But don't take MY word for it... (click to enlarge)

Bloom Day - August 2010 from Santa Fe

2010-08-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

I'm at the beginning of a two-week working holiday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Which is great for Bloom Day, because there is so much blooming here, and my own gardens are suffering from those August garden doldrums I mentioned in my previous post. So here's some of what I've seen during my first couple of days here.

I'm here, in part, to mind an artist's studio on Canyon Road while he attends a show of his work. These first few pictures were taken along the alley nearby. Caryopteris is gorgeous around here right now, and is abuzz with several varieties of bees all day.

Hollyhocks are another common sight in Santa Fe (this won't be the first one you see!)

Datura stays tightly rolled during the day, and unfurls fragrantly at night.

Phlox is everywhere too, much of it in the primordial pinks and magentas that they revert to when they self-seed. A big favorite of hummingbirds and sphinx moths.

OK, I don't know WHAT happened to this poor Achillea during color correction, but I kind of like it, so it stays! More appropriately colored Achillea later...

Out on Canyon Road I find a wan little Echinacea (especially compared to the previous pic!)

Hollyhocks and Phlox, take two!

Elegant little campanulas in dry shade...

Blush pink Phlox and sultry Rudbeckia should really not be seen together, but somehow they work!

Dainty Cosmos fill in the gaps in a mixed border and bloom like crazy all summer here.

Sunflowers are everywhere! They are a particularly special flower for me, so I enjoy being around them...

Perfect!

Drama queen...

Junior drama queen.

I loved this single flower of hardy geranium threading up through some juniper.

And this Buddleia enjoying some afternoon shade.

Hollyhock (with blue sky) take three...

Hollyhock (with pink stucco) take four!

Silver Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii) flows over many a fence and wall in Santa Fe; you definitely need to give this one some room.

As promised, some properly colored Achilleas, used beautifully here against an adobe wall.

Little sunflowers!

A perfect planting of Dwarf Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) between a pole fence and the top of a stone wall. Exquisite...

Another view of Silver Lace Vine.

Mmmmm, honeysuckle! This is what I would have on MY fences and walls instead...

Thanks for joining me in Santa Fe, be assured there is much more to come. And don't stop here! Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to Bloom Day posts from all over the world.

"We can have flowers nearly every month of the year."
Elizabeth Lawrence

My Mother's Garden...

2010-08-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

Right on schedule, here come my August garden doldrums. The miracle of spring has passed, I'm not expecting company, and my mind is on projects and vacations and eating home-grown tomatoes every day, not primping and photographing.

But that doesn't mean I'm not susceptible to a pretty face, and I saw several of them this week, while visiting my parents. So here's what's blooming at the old homestead.

The first pic is a charming little dahlia on the front porch, who hangs around with this open-blooming snapdragon and some severe pink vinca.

I'm not sure why I say severe, except, look at it. This is one uptight flower; it looks like it could shoot laser beams or something...

The complicated coloring of a red Japanese maple. A seasonal shift from redness to greenness to redness again.

Crape myrtles are at their peak right now; this watermelon pink is my favorite.

Not sure which barberry this is, but love the colors and patterns in the small leaves.

Love the perfect little blue flowers of Lithodora; I need to remember to use this more...

Agapanthus is so ubiquitous around here as a commercial planting that it is often passed over by designers for home gardens. Once established it is almost indestructible, and like Junipers it just persists and multiplies, (while providing a favorite hiding place for snails). But I know it is a coveted exotic to many, and upon looking closer, was surprised to realize that most of them are striped like this. Pretty...

Late summer hydrangeas. Our soil quite alkaline, can you tell? That's it, all I've got for now. I head to Santa Fe this week, and will be doing Bloom Day from Canyon Road, so y'all come back now, ya hear?

Up Close & Personal at the Ruth Bancroft Garden

2010-07-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended a horticulture and design seminar presented by
The Garden Conservancy and The Ruth Bancroft Garden. Entitled 'Make Room for Succulents in Your Garden' it was a day packed with information, plants, gardens, plants and more plants!

During lunch we paid a quick visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and even though it was high noon and 90 degrees, I managed to get some nice shots. This is a garden to be experience in several seasons, so I will definitely be back! I don't know all of the names, so will just hush up now and let you see what I saw. Enjoy! (Click any photo to enlarge).

Bloom Day - July 2010

2010-07-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my friend Susan Morrison who has become quite the video guru, may I present my debut Animoto video for this, my 12th consecutive Bloom Day. What a year it has been! Enjoy...

And don't stop here! Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to Bloom Day posts from all over the world.

"We can have flowers nearly every month of the year."
Elizabeth Lawrence

From Anagallis to Zaluzianskya at Annie's Annuals

2010-07-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Boy did I see some beautiful things at the annual 'Art in the Garden' party at Annie's Annuals & Perennials in Richmond, CA this weekend. Sunny skies, temps in the 70s after a foggy morning, and a light breeze made for a delightful couple of hours. Any of their weekend parties is a fun outing; if you live in the Bay Area a visit is definitely worth the drive. Go with a group so you can 'ooh' and 'ahh' together. Call ahead to see when Annie Hayes herself is there; a romp through the gardens and nursery with this flower child is not to be missed.

Many of their flowers are rarities I had never seen before, and yet could take home in a frugal little 4" pot if I liked. So feast your eyes; a full description of every one of these plants can be found on Annie's excellent website. I particularly appreciate their 'Totally Useful Plant Lists' because, let's face it, they have a shitload of plants, and you've got to narrow things down somehow! Here's what caught my eye yesterday...

This charming, long-blooming ball of blue is Blue Pimpernel (Anagallis monellii) a tender perennial in Zones 9-11. I would love to use this in containers, true blue is hard to find!

In fact, it would look lovely with Ruffled Snapdragon, (Antirrhinum 'Double Azalea Apricot') what a looker!

It's July and warmer colors seem to dominate, like this Calceolaria integrifolia 'Kentish Hero.' A favorite of the staff at Annie's because it has not been "bred into weak, boinky oblivion!"

But the sweet pastels of spring can still be found, perhaps with a bit more attitude, like this Corydalis sempervirens.

LOVED Crassula erosula 'Campfire' what a perfect name!

Cuphea 'Strybing Sunset' is a surprisingly low-key little plant, given the hot colors of the flowers; their small scale and the freshness of the foliage give it lightness.

I like how you'll never find two blooms exactly alike on the statuesque Dahlia coccinea; each has their own personality.

Uruguayan Firecracker Plant (Dicliptera suberecta) lives up to its, um, perky name! This one likes heat and humidity and is hardy to Zone 7.

I loved this perennial foxglove from Spain (who just won the World Cup! Well done!) Digitalis obscura is hardy to Zone 4; loves sun, sips water! And is now on my wish-list.

Ahh, I'm so glad I added this lovely native to my garden this year, Erigeron glaucus 'Wayne Roderick' named for a legendary California plantsman who died in 2003.

Here's another native for my list. Red Buckwheat (Eriogonum grande rubescens) likes dry clay soil and not much summer water once established. AND it has a long bloom period, summer to fall. Want.

Given that my Ghost Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica 'Sharpitor') is less than a foot tall, I was pleased to find this strapping six-foot specimen living happily in full sun. It looks so delicate!

A perky red perennial for dry shade? Yes please! Island Bush Snapdragon (Galvezia speciosa) is another lovely native from the Channel Islands that likes poor soil and little water.

There's a large specimen of Coastal Gum Plant (Grindelia arenicola) near the front gate at Annie's; little native bees practically bathe in the pollen (as you can see!) With a May-October bloom period this native would be a great addition to a habitat garden.

Another kicky red native hummingbird magnet for dry shade? Heartleaf Penstemon (Keckiella cordifolia) is going on my list too.

Whew, thank goodness we've reached the letter 'L' so we can cool down with a shot of Lobelia valida, a Zone 5 Hardy perennial that likes good drainage; it would be perfect in a container.

Marigold 'Harlequin' is an antique from 1870 enjoying a revival; makes a big rounded bush with these great stripey flowers!

Another cool breath of blue, this time from Monardella undulata, a rare native bee-balm. This will grow in almost pure sand near the coast; grows more lush in garden soil.

Cheerful nasturtiums, one of my favorite flowers.

This is the only plant I purchased this visit (several from my over-ambitious LAST purchase did not survive my neglect, so one was my limit this time). Nicotiana mutabilis is a tall, free-branching flowering tobacco with flowers that age from white to dark pink. I'm planting it near my porch to lure hummingbirds into close camera range!

Large containers of Red Chief and Apricot Chiffon California Poppies (Escholtzia sp.) just show you what our state flower can do, given some encouragement!

I liked this interesting Tibetan Primrose (Primula capitata), which is best in rich soil and part shade, perfect to tuck in up-close places like a shady patio with ferns. Hardy to Zone 5.

I was just thinking about Salpiglossis recently, remembering that it was one of the annuals I used to grow from seed, because I could never find nice ones in the nursery. Annie's had several lovelies, including this wild collected strain of Salpiglossis sinuata from Chile. It will bloom all summer IF it's happy!

I enjoy the pungence of Salvia clevelandii in verrry small doses; it is a quintessential California scent. Was interested to see this variety, Salvia leucophylla x clevelandii 'Pozo Blue' which is more tolerant of summer water than the species, and has a softer scent.

The only plant I couldn't identify, it looks like a lovely yellow Salvia.

Probably a good contender for most intense flower of the day, this Butterfly Flower (Schizanthus grahamii), an annual for dappled shade, really has to be experienced in person to believe. Makes me think of cartoon clowns!

Certainly the winner for most bizarre plant in the place, Porcupine Tomato (Solanum pyracanthum) is a tender perennial with the craziest orange spines along the veins of its blue-green leaves. Click the photo to enlarge, see link for a picture in bloom.

Whew! Safely back to the soft yellow flowers of Verbascum 'Cotswald King.' At first I thought it was a Hollyhock! This species Verbascum is a biennial that comes true from seed, and is snail resistant (sold!)

Winding down for a cool, blue finish with Corsican Violet (Viola corsica) a shade perennial that reseeds nicely.

And a drumroll please for our final plant, with the unfortunate common name of 'Southern Lilac Drumsticks' (Zaluzianskya villosa) a perky annual from South Africa with flowers that look like they should be sprinkled on a cake.

Please enjoy your own visit to Annie's via these links; they'll be happy to ship plants to you with great care. And California gardeners, start planning your pilgrimage!

Thoughts on Independence Day

2010-07-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

Fireworks from my garden. Twirling Fuchsias...

Marjoram sprays...

Succulent sunbursts....

Dodonea puffs...

Fiery Coleus sparklers...

Sparkly Begonia pinwheels...

Fatsia starbursts with swirling sparks of ivy...

OK, my analogies just ran out...

Happy Independence Day; celebrate it well, but never forget how much we all depend on each other...

June's End...

2010-06-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

My neighborhood gets very quiet during the summer. The road past my house is a main thoroughfare for a high school AND a middle school, so a steady stream of cars each morning and afternoon is the norm. I like it, especially hearing footsteps in fallen leaves and catching snippets of conversation.

But by mid-June it's mighty quiet out there, and that's an interesting combination with the energy of the longer days. Things are more concentrated now, the gardens are settled for the season and I'm staying out of the mid-day sun. Shades are half drawn and the ceiling fan is on during the hottest days. The garden is more concentrated now too. The rains appear to have stopped, and we will have little if any more until October. I irrigate regularly, but at rather long intervals. Wimpy plants won't make it. Lush spring foliage is fading.

There will be more surprises in store later on, but for now these are the little gems catching my eye, starting with my wonderful Moroccan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum 'Flore Pleno') catching a Solstice sunrise...

The Meyer Lemon is enormously happy this year. It is going into a second round of blooms. This awesome little tree now has lots of ripe fruit, loads of green fruit, and bunches of fragrant flowers. If you can grow lemons this is a lovely one to have in a front yard.

Priscilla, Queen of the Redbuds (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy') has outdone herself this year; now we're starting to see hints of her more modest summer coloration. She has easily doubled in size, must be getting what she needs.

OK, so I'm a little jealous of my friends who have chickens; one day I will have them too, but for now I will make due with succulents. Hens & Chicks have the most wonderful symmetry in their rosettes and their blooms; they remind me of fractals (and are so well behaved!)

First light is lovely on the New Zealand Wind Grass (Stipa Arundinacea) and Green Senecio (S. vitalis).

Almost done, the artichokes give me one last harvest of purple-thistleness. Then the once mighty beasts will be down to a few sprouts that will lay low until the fall rains come (cue the backup dancers!)

This combination is killing me right now; Bronze Fennel flanked by two Slender Veldt Grass (Pennisetum spatheolatum) with a chubby Blue Fescue (Festuca Glauca 'Elijah Blue') at its feet. All three difficult to photograph, but really happy together.

The first blooms of California Fuschia (Zauschneria californica) a snazzy little native that naturalizes well in dry areas like unirrigated park strips. The gray-green leaves are the perfect combination with that deep orange, nice!

On the other side of the tracks (in the shady courtyard) we have a first bloom on my Ghost Fuchsia (F. magellanica 'Sharpitor'). So delicate and lovely!

Mantis mania continues in the front yard; it seems like very plant has one or two! They're almost 2 inches long now, still no wings, and appear to be mostly females (so watch out, fellas!)

Here's an interesting camouflage posture, "Can't see me, I'm a STICK!"

Uh-oh, this looks like the one that attacked the camera last time, better move along while I'm ahead! Thanks for visiting, see you in July... Happy Canada Day and Independence Day!

Native Treasures on the Urban Fringe

2010-06-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

I went to my favorite hiking place today, a visit long overdue (as my knees are reminding me tonight!) The Fremont Older Open Space Preserve in the Saratoga/Cupertino CA foothills overlooks the valley that has been home for most of my life. From the top of Hunter's Point I can see most of the places where my family has worked and lived, from Moffett Field where Dad was stationed in 1964 to the converted prune factory where I experienced the dot.com boom more than 30 years later. To come here isn't to get away from it all, but rather to see the bigger picture. Wild places like these, made safe and accessible to everyone, are resources to be treasured (and supported!)

Fremont Older was a well-known newspaper editor in San Francisco at the turn of the last century. In 1914 he built his home, Woodhills, on this land, catching the train at the bottom of the hill each morning to his office in the city. His wife, Cora Baggerly Older, was a writer, and oversaw the building of the extensive gardens around Woodhills.

The preserve includes Woodhills and its lands, and truly does exist at the urban fringe; one end borders a golf course, and luxury homes dot the skyline. Within its 739 acres you won't necessarily find nature untouched; the land was previously cultivated and is surrounded by roads, neighborhoods, vineyards, a reservoir, a quarry, stables, and mansions, which all have an impact. What you will find is a beautiful example of wild land restoration, and a great place to meet our lovely native plants growing among reminders of previous generations.

Here's a little tour of this unique corner of the world, where California natives and California history make for an interesting walk in the woods!

Everywhere this time of year is the unfortunately named Sticky Monkey Flower (Mimulus aurantiacus) which is my second favorite native flower (first will always be California Poppy)! Our cool, wet spring has it looking particularly lush for late June; lovely as it is now, Mimulus starts looking less than fresh when the dust of summer settles on its sticky leaves. In my garden it gets morning sun and the dry afternoon shade it seems to prefer (given a choice!)

I'm pretty sure this is Clarkia rubicunda, but not certain, since the flower wasn't open. So graceful (and once again I capture a previously unseen stowaway!)

Sigh. It would be nice if poison oak was this conspicuous color year-round (it is in fall, but this time of year it's mostly lush and oily and green, just waiting to cause misery). Seriously, I hope I didn't get too close just taking this picture!

Our native Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), was a big weed around my house near the coast many years ago; it loves the moist coastal woodlands, and is happiest here on a north slope with access to water. We treated it like buddleia; cutting to the ground in winter kept it 8'-12' tall each year. I never did anything with the berries or flowers (although I was curious about elderberry wine) and the birds appreciated that.

Yellow plums! Not sure if this tree is wild or a naturalized Prunus domestica; it is near the Ranger's house. Because of these and the fruits of California Bay (Umbellularia californica) you find lots of seed-filled scat along the trails. I was not quick enough to catch the deer, rabbits and family of foxes that I saw, but wildlife is everywhere here. Raccoons, opossums, skunks, and mountain lions (and an incredible assortment of birds, rodents and reptiles) also make this land home.

The first part of the trail is the road to Woodhills. Nearing the house, you'll see some of the original stonework done by the Quintero family, Italian stonemasons that Cora Older hired to build her gardens. Their touch is everywhere; this is but a small part.

Stone steps lead to what was once a large, formal garden where some of the most well-known writers, politicians, lawyers and artists of the time attended parties, sometimes with music provided by the San Francisco Symphony from a stone (of course!) grandstand.

I've always loved this adobe cottage located downhill from the main house; I think it would be a great studio! It must be where the caretaker lived, with stables nearby.

Signs of cultivation tell us a garden is nearby, like this Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa) which, because of its Mediterranean heritage is right at home here.

This venerable Manzanita (Arctostaphylos) is one of my favorite plants; watching it grow even more magnificent over the last ten years has been a pleasure. I'm not sure of the variety, might be Dr. Hurd. Its large gray-green crown provides a backdrop to the house gardens above it. And those smooth, peeling trunks, well, you can see the appeal. Click the picture for a closer look.

OK, so when was the last time you came across a grotto built by Italian masons on a hike? I'm not sure if all of this work was done at the same time the house was built, but it definitely says Roaring Twenties more than Depression era to me. There are several such fancies around Woodhills, reminders of what must have been a magnificent woodland garden. As someone who enjoys designing hardscape, I wonder how many people will be looking at structures I designed in 100 years...

I'm pretty sure this is St. Catherine's Lace (Eriogonum giganteum) the largest of our native Buckwheats, getting ready to bloom. This is a great 'at the fringes' plant that needs no summer water and blends well with other 'fringers.' I need to come back soon and catch the bloom to be sure.

Come around the bend, and there is Woodhills. Surprisingly modern looking for a house built in 1914, it has been painstakingly restored by a retired Cupertino newspaperman and his family. It is open several times a year for docent tours; the guest book signed by famous San Franciscans like William Randolph Hearst is a must-see for local history buffs.

The gardens around Woodhills are full of choice natives and compatible imports. A beautiful bank of Salvia clevelandii, (commonly known as Blue, Musk, Chaparral or Cleveland Sage, depending on who you talk to) brightens a dry slope near the drive. It is one of the most aromatic of our native sages and a huge favorite of hummingbirds.

Yes, the current residents of Woodhills love Salvias! Their daughter works for a landscaping firm specializing in low-water native gardens, so you can be sure that they have been well supplied with choice selections, like Germander Sage (Salvia chamaedryoides). This Mexican native is a wonderful combination of true blue flowers and soft silver foliage that combines well with anything.

Canary Island Sage (Salvia canariensis candidissimum) is a robust plant, and its dusky rose color goes so well with the Cleveland Sage behind. And there's the top of my favorite Manzanita in the background! The combination of these three plants in any garden would make it a hummers paradise.

Not all is native, which is fine with me. I love an eclectic group that plays well together, with occasional scene-stealers, like this cute Tree Euphorbia (Euphorbia lambii) next to the pond.

Or this KILLER combination of Honey Bush (Melianthus major) and Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) which do well in dry sun, and even some shade. Melianthus is from South Africa, another Mediterranean source of plants that love our climate and thrive here.

This, my friends, is why they call it a 'Smoke Bush!'

A beautiful specimen of Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) in a sheltered spot; the soft leaves are so graceful, and turn incredible colors in the fall. A great native alternative to a Japanese Maple.

Wonderful together: Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) and Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii) an aromatic creeping herb. Both are very happy dry shade dwellers.

Leaving Woodhills behind, step through a stile and out into the hayfields that mark the center of the preserve and the crossroads for all its trails. If California has a color palette, these golds and greens are on it.

Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) is one of the first evergreen plants to return to an area that has been disturbed, so it's not surprising to find it growing lush next to the trails and the fire roads. This is the plant I recently found sprouted in my front garden that I'm going to let stay for awhile.

Ha, this was hilarious. Just as I was considering the 'urban fringe' angle of this post, I look up to see the Farmers Insurance blimp, flying over the valley, practically at eye level! I definitely wasn't lost in the wilderness...

A classic California Chaparral trio; Mimulus and Baccharis combined with silvery California Sagebrush (Artemisa californica).

A gorgeous California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) showing off its huge, fragrant flowers. This beautiful tree has the unfortunate habit of going alarmingly brown and dormant by midsummer. So we enjoy it while we can, and look forward to collecting the huge shiny seeds in winter.

Skeletal reminders that a portion of the preserve was at one time a walnut orchard. In fact, most of the valley below was orchard when the Olders built Woodhills. Before it was 'Silicon Valley' it was 'The Valley of Heart's Delight,' a huge producer of apricots, cherries and plums.

As I was shooting this last Mimulus, growing so happily with poison oak, I realized that I prefer to see these native treasures in their natural habitat (even growing with the poison oak!) rather than in a garden; unless, of course, the garden is an oak woodland. So while my cultivated gardens will always have some natives tucked into appropriate spots, I think I will head to the hills to see my wild ones, and support places that make that possible.

The Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. It is dog, bike, and even stroller friendly in parts. They do a great job. Happy Trails!

Garden Designers Roundtable: Expanding Small Spaces

2010-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

This month the Bloggers of the Garden Designers Roundtable have some big ideas about working with small spaces!

In California the trend has been toward larger houses on smaller lots, and there are many condominium communities with charming but small outdoor living areas that serve multiple needs year-round. Being able to squeeze a lot out of small spaces is an important skill for designers, and can often be more challenging than designing something larger.

I think one of the most important aspects of working with small spaces is thinking about them three dimensionally. My 12' x 13' courtyard was created when the previous owner added two matching wings to the house. It has two sliding doors that enter at different heights, and two small windows.

Imagine this space as a solid cube and consider the area that would be carved out for a person to move comfortably through it. Whatever is left is potential garden, and much of it will NOT be at ground level! A well-thought out design will add the ceiling and soften the walls and add dimension and functionality to every layer in between. Here a work/storage bench, comfy seating, festive outdoor lighting, and bubbling water feature combine under a sturdy arbor with several dozen pots in all sizes, making this a cozy, sheltered spot year-round.

A small space design solution doesn't have to be lavish to be effective. In this courtyard we didn't have the luxury of digging up new beds, and needed to direct the flow diagonally from the gate to the front door. The simple loveseat is placed in the most private, sheltered spot and flanked by pots of perennials. A vine reaching for the arbor and a rustic wall planter bring the design up from ground level.

Same house, from the gate. The planted bed would actually have been sufficient to protect the entrance without hiding it from visitors, but the addition of the two red pots and the antique bell raise the whole arrangement to a new level, giving it style that transcends the modest setting and utilitarian hardscape materials.

This brick courtyard uses these same principles to add privacy without shutting the world away. An open lattice-work fence on top of the existing brick wall, planted with exuberant Cecil Brunner roses frames the semi-circular planting bed. In this garden a limited color palette keyed to the hardscape gives an elegant, restful feel that's enhanced by the sound of the small fountain.

This narrow garden designed by John Black maximizes plantable space by floating the stone steps, then ups the design ante with elegant black pebbles as mulch; it's both garden and path, and as the bamboo and other plants grow the edges will be blurred even more. The horizontal boards that cover the existing fence and the slight meander of the steps also help make the garden feel wider.

Small spaces already feel more intimate, and can be made more so with personal touches like a favorite sculpture (or, um, two!) and choice specimen trees that might be lost in a larger setting.

And of course, one should never be afraid to resort to all-out trickery if necessary. Wondering what's through that gated opening in the bamboo grove? Nothing but a mirrored aluminum closet door, built into the fence!

Combining two of our previous Roundtable topics, Containers make great Focal Points in small gardens! Planting a tree in a pot is one way to make sure it doesn't get too big, and adds just that much more color and style!

Speaking of containers, one of my clients had these enormous terra cotta pots that didn't work in her new contemporary landscape. But arranged in her sunny side yard they make a stylish AND functional edibles garden in a very small space.

Even a 6' x 6' bed tucked in a corner becomes a lovely (and lively) spot with the addition of a bubbling birdbath fountain and a faux creekbed surrounded by small shade garden gems like ferns, hellebores and variegated liriope.

This central atrium was full of plants, none very tall. I introduced a delicate Japanese Maple and a graceful Azara microphylla for height, and added the Asian-style mobile between them. A colorful pot will anchor the corner, but already you can see how much more of the space is being activated.

When working with small spaces one tendency is to use tiny furniture to avoid taking up too much room. But when you think about it, these areas are often used by only one or two people at a time. Some comfortable seating invites you right into the center of things, which is much more functional than leaving your active living space empty while you perch on a plastic chair!

Go ahead, tuck a loveseat or club chair in your designs and watch it become a favorite relaxing spot. Working small gives a designer's abilities the close-up test, and there isn't much room for error. But when the pieces all come together, virtually any corner can be a charming garden that has everything it needs to thrive.

Thanks for joining me today, but don't stop here! The other Knights and Ladies of the Roundtable are also writing on this topic, and who knows WHAT they've come up with. Let's find out, shall we?

Carolyn Gail Choi : Sweet Home and Garden Chicago : Chicago IL
Jenny Petersen: J Petersen Garden Design : Austin TX
Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Shirley Bovshow : Eden Makers : Los Angeles, CA
Susan Morrison : Blue Planet Garden Blog : East Bay, CA
Susan Schlenger : Landscape Design Advice : Hampton, NJ
Tara Dillard : TaraDillard.com : Atlanta, GA

In Which We Begin and End with Artichokes...

2010-06-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Stellar day in the garden; unexpectedly cool and cloudy for June and my first free Saturday for weeks. Perfect for tidying up AND taking pictures. These artichoke blooms are from some of the smaller side shoots; usually not worth the trouble to cook, but lovely to look at later!

They look especially nice with Priscilla. Loving the new brown stain on my fence and arch; an absolutely perfect color and finish.

First fruits on my young Fuyu Persimmon!

And it is now confirmed that we will have Tangerines for Christmas.

I haven't shown this much as it has been growing in, but this is my juniper 'lawn' that wraps around the outer curve of the garden. It is a Monrovia variety called 'Icee Blue' which gets no taller than four inches, and is very soft (not prickly). It also matches the Blue Senecio planted nearby. I've let some volunteers hang out between the plants for now, but will make sure to keep the way clear with a continuous blue carpet in mind. The cobble edge will give it something nice to snuggle up to.

So here's my deal with self-sowers; I let them come up wherever they want, grow for awhile, then I thin them out into a pleasing arrangement (as I've started above with the Nassella and Limonium seedlings that came up everywhere this spring). Because of the mulch, they pull out easily. Plants that choose their own spot often seem healthier and hardier than transplants, and they're free, so I don't feel at all bad tearing them out if they no longer suit.

One of my favorite grasses, Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' doing its thing, what a beauty. I've just added another farther down the fence where I have a gap just this shape!

Our old friend Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' doing a whole new thing for summer. There's my new Miscanthus peeking from behind, next to the Grevillea 'Coastal Gem' which has become its sedate summer self.

Here are a few new additions this spring. This is a Fig-Leaved Hollyhock (Alcea Rugosa) from Annie's Annuals, which is supposedly resistant to rust (so far, so good!) I can't wait to see its pale yellow blooms against the blue fence!

Another Annie's find is Rudbeckia triloba, a little-known heirloom. Two of his comrades succumbed to a massive snail attack, but he seems to be out of danger.

Another new Rudbeckia is 'Cherry Brandy' purchased in a jumbo sixpack from my nursery. The weakest of the herd was immediately sacrificed to the snails, but the other five are settling in.

This looks like a seedling of our native Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis) which I like; the scent of its leaves on a hot day is, to me, the essence of the California foothills. It can stay!

Ok, file this under 'WTF happened here?' I suspect an after-hours rolling cat tussle. Oh well, looks like I have a few more 'Plum Purdy' Aeoniums for the nursery!

I have been on the fence about Aeonium 'Ballerina' since winter (it looked dreadful, and this is a prime location). But the soft billowy mounds it's making now are quite lovely, and no trouble whatsoever. And if I ever want a green wall, all the bits are right there!

These shots are from the porch, where I retreated as the sun began to emerge (remembering when a few hours of gardening didn't leave me hobbling, what's up with that??) Love the Nigella with the Thyme path in the background and a few flower spikes of Stachys 'Primrose Heron.'

Caught in the act! Haku walks up and starts gnawing on this young Nassella; both cats love to do this and then hork it up later at some inopportune time and place. Charming...

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Look at the chomp he took. Luckily this grass won't even notice (or stay there very long for that matter, I don't let many of these guys reach maturity, and pull them out as they get too big).

Yes, my darling, I can see you over there...

There's always something going on at the water cooler, er, fountain. I love how this view aligns with my porch chair; love it even more when I have my camera in my lap when company arrives.

Here's my other artichoke plant. I bought both at the same time, with the same label, but the chokes were a slightly different shape and color, and as you can see, are even blooming differently. It's a mystery! Thanks for visiting, and sincerest Solstice greetings from my garden to yours!

The Blues of June...

2010-06-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here, but things are looking positively cool in my garden. The California Poppies are gone, and the new kid in town is Spanish Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella hispanica 'Curiosity') growing where the Cerinthe used to be; must be center stage for camera hogs or something! Annie's Annuals plants are trained from birth to steal the show.
~click any photo to enlarge~

Here's the first bloom from last week, morphing into this nifty jester's hat of a seed pod. With no other Nigellas to cross-pollinate, I'm going to have a nice stash of seed before the season is over!

Just gorgeous! Seems very happy with morning sun and regular water.

I love the soft colors of Purple Sage (Salvia oficinalis purpurascens), so elegantly subtle. I know they won't last too many years, but what a lovely time we have now!

Now this is crazy! Check out that perfect bicolor leaf...that was NOT done in Photoshop!

Priscilla, Queen of the Redbuds, is looking spectacular this year; I had a feeling she would be happy in this spot. She's doubled in size since winter, and doesn't seem to be slowing down. And she does exactly what I wanted her to do, perfectly blocking the street and my neighbor's driveway. And that leaf color with the blue fence? Oh, yes...

Some of her leaves are six inches across, and more are coming. I love the zig-zag way the branches elongate.

Sea Lavender (Limonium perezii) and Blue Senecio (Senecio mandraliscae) look cool and watery but are actually tough, drought tolerant plants that will keep going all summer long with little attention.

Limonium also looks great with Senecio vitalis, and I have to say, the Stipa arundinacea (um, um, Anemanthele lessoniana) is knocking my socks off. So it isn't all cool and blue in my garden...

In fact, there are bits that are downright fiery. By now you've figured out that when I have a plant crush their picture will keep showing up, so here's another blazing shot of Moroccan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum). This plant is in the perfect spot to catch the morning sun, and for their short life, the blooms are perfect.

And then there's the very first Lantana blossom since being hacked to nubs in February (it's either this or battle him for possession of the porch ALL summer!) He appears with the Solstice and lights the way until winter. Not to mention the smorgasbord he provides to all manner of critters along the food chain. He earns every square inch he covers.

Speaking of critters, I caught MantisThree drinking water from a leaf...so take note, if you have a mantis in a hot, dry spot, they will appreciate a sprinkle of water now and then. They pop right out of hiding when the water comes too, a good way to keep mantis inventory!

Loved how this pretty Mylitta Crescent butterfly looked on the soft leaves of Stachys 'Primrose Heron." I liked finding its name, and knowing that they breed on thistles...

And then a ruckus up on the power pole that used to dominate my back yard (before bamboo). A trio of crows shouting out. I liked their energy, a good talisman for the summer! Thanks for visiting...

Bloom Day - June 2010

2010-06-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Whew, I'm late with my post this month, I usually do them the day before. But this is a true Garden Bloggers Bloom day: pictures taken this morning in this order! New this month is Nigella hispanica 'Curiosity' from Annie's Annuals which just started blooming last week. What a charming plant! I love how the flower color deepens over time, and the growing seed capsule spreads out and turns all twisty and black...charming and kind of creepy too!

The dwarf pomegranates have become sturdy little bushes; hopefully I'll get some fruits this year; they aren't good eating but they look cool!

I can never resist taking a peek at the collection of roses my neighbor has growing next to our driveway fence; they are a consolidation of the best from the previous owner's gardens, front and back, all in one place. This tiny single yellow is a particular favorite.

The volunteer Spanish Lavender is soldiering on; it's interesting to see the color variation among seedlings; some quite purple and some this pretty pinkish lavender. I'll be welcoming this anywhere it cares to appear!

Salvia gregii 'Caviar' is settling in out front, singing its siren song to hummingbirds everywhere.

From small round shoots a year ago, even the smallest Echeverias are flowering now.

Oh, this Moroccan Poppy was made to be photographed in early morning light. (Literally, on warm days the blooms sometimes last only a few hours!) I'd like to introduce this lovely to the lavender boys in the park strip, she has the same low-water needs, and would complement them nicely (that is, if you like orange and purple, which I do!)

Fragrant Frosty Pelargonium; what a winner. The flowers are small, but those crazy pink calyces are SO cute, and the fresh lemon-rose fragrance that exudes from every part of this plant is absolutely delightful.

Plus, Frosty even has a resident Mantis! Which is appropriate, since Miss Mantis 2009 laid her eggs here last fall. MantisOne is about an inch long now, and will probably live her entire life on this bush. I like this about Mantids; if they find a good spot they stay, rather than flitting around from here to there. They become part of the family over a long season. And we have a bigger family this year!

MantisTwo hangs out in the Pittosporum near the fountain; I need to clue her in that flowers are probably where it's at for the really tasty dining.

MantisThree lives in the Carex testacea near the front porch. Nice color matching, eh? These are actually mantis nymphs, as they don't have wings yet. Those are a few molts away.

Back to the flowers, in the back! Fuchsias are still doing their spinning ballerina thing.

Nicotiana sylvestris is already taller than I am and churning out the flora. The lovely lily-like fragrance of this species is very different from N. alata, but like its cousin, Syl is only fragrant at night or early in the morning (like when I was taking this picture!)

And speak of the devil, there's cousin Alata now! Playing very nicely with the 'Moonlight' Nasturtiums.

And then there's Nicotiana 'Lime Green' who looks like that cousin who's always getting into trouble! (Also from Annie's Annuals.)

The 'Pure Perfume' roses are looking exceptionally bridal just now, don't you think?

And yes, I'm still letting the pink Carpet Rose climb the Lilac. They're OK, no one is crying yet.

Here's what MY dreams smell like these days...

The purple Echeveria in the courtyard is putting out these almost kinetic flowers, you can almost hear them peeping...

Whoa, here's that Moroccan Poppy again, this time from the back. What a dazzler!

And speaking of dazzlers, it happened again! I was shooting these new Arbutus 'Marina' blooms when I had a little visitor! (Click on the picture to see closer).

Thanks for visiting my flowery garden today. And thanks, as always, to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for being the heart of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Visit her site for links to Bloom Day posts from all over the world.

"We can have flowers nearly every month of the year."
Elizabeth Lawrence

In The Garden With Sean & James of Organic Mechanics

2010-06-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

How wonderful to find another garden gem tucked away in the middle of San Francisco, just a few blocks from Union Square. Bordered on the north and east sides by tall buildings, but open to the sunny southwest, it is a lovely spot that was just waiting for some talented hands to bring it to life. And that's exactly what Sean Stout and James Pettigrew of Organic Mechanics Landscaping have done over the past ten years.

Isn't this amazing? A 3-story 'Owl Cigar 5c' sign watches over the garden, which is the length of two buildings and the depth of one. Three ancient Victorian Box (Pittosporum undulatum) have grown into large, twisting trees that shelter most of the space and fill the air with orange-blossom fragrance in early spring.

The 'sunny side' of the garden, punctuated by paths and fun sitting spots is filled to bursting with favorite sun-loving plants. Such a sheltered sunny corner, protected from the wind, is much appreciated in a cool-summer city like San Francisco. The 80-degree temps on the day I visited were unusual; what a great spot to spend the first day of summer!

At ground level looking up at the Owl Cigar wall and the Pittosporum canopy. Once upon a time this was a concrete jungle, completely utilitarian.

An antique votive stand flanked by potted conifers welcomes visitors as they enter the garden from a small side entrance.

A curving bed opposite has newer plantings; a real mixed bag of conifers, shrubs, grasses, perennials and succulents. Beautiful.

The shady beds around the massive Pittosporum trunks are more mature, with a delicious mix of begonias, golden oxalis, fuchsias and other delights.

Now, isn't this a lovely place for a party? The new patio of simple colored concrete connects everything with easy curves. It's easy to clean, and good for a shared common area.

The attentions of a skilled arborist helped create this incredible high canopy that dominates the view from most of the apartments in their building. It is an incredible asset to this space, and one of those little reminders about How Big Things Get!

So many hand-crafted details, like this corner which was perfect for jamming musicians. I love the way they use mixed salvage for their hardscape, and how the plants have blended them.

What goes best with a garage wall? Classical statuary and tropical foliage? You bet!

The old concrete patio was broken up and used to make raised beds around a sunken meditation garden in the shadiest part of the garden.

A charming Kwan Yin...

A large lava rock is slowly being engulfed by a tapestry of needlepoint ivies, next to an unusual dwarf redbud.

One of my personal favorites, Begonia fuschioides grows lush here...

Another charming corner with an antique cabinet, potted succulents and a graceful Norfolk Island Pine in a bed edged with a collection of salvaged bricks.

Nearby a classical bust with an awesome patina hangs out with Yucca and Crassula.

A young Silk Floss Tree (Chorisia speciosa) shows its characteristic trunk spines in an Asian pot on the "sunny side.'

I was impressed by this beautiful specimen of Red Velvet Sage (Salvia confertiflora) and it was pretty funny that among all the hortirati at this party no one could remember its name!

Gorgeous, yes?

Against the sunny south-facing wall a wonderful collection of succulents and cacti in pots. Love the chunky little column!

Another artful corner just goes to show you that succulents are at home just about everywhere!

This tall euphorbia caught my eye...

As did this lovely Leucospermum...

But one of my favorite things in the garden were these incredible salvaged material paths, made from a little bit of everything! Beautifully executed, and so nicely enhanced by the plants.

Here's the other half of the path shown above; a simple half-circle through a planting bed; a great place to park a bike!

One last path; this also shows how the new concrete ties the different elements of the garden together. Big thanks to Sean and James for inviting me to their home and garden; there was so much to see, this just scratches the surface, thanks for joining me!

Delighting in Detailing

2010-06-09T19:39:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad that many of the garden design changes I've pondered over the past year are finally getting done. I HATE moving plants or planting anything larger than my head, so nothing happens until I'm so sure of what I'm doing that I almost see it that way already. Then in short bursts, before I can change my mind, I quickly dive in and accomplish something.

One such miraculous feat was finally getting this Coprosma 'Evening Glow' out of a pot and into a prime spot near the fountain. Its shiny leaves echo the colors of the pot and the bamboo, and I love its neat form. The fat Carex divulsa it replaces will NOT be missed; the long flower stems had to be trimmed back from the fountain constantly (anything that touches the sides will quickly wick water away and your fountain will empty!) I prefer plants that can be themselves.

Meet my new sweetheart, Aeonium 'Sunburst.' We met at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, introduced by our mutual friend, Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens. 'Sunny' would hang around the press room every day. When the show was over, well, he came home with me. He was a little scrawny, and an unfortunate encounter with a snail didn't help his disposition. But his new digs in the courtyard suit him just fine; I think he'll be around for awhile.

First blossoms of Begonia richmondiensis, which was killed to the ground this winter, and is therefore a little behind schedule. These are one of my favorite flowers to photograph; I love the crystalline quality of the petals.

An angel-wing begonia followed me home recently; probably heard what a nice spot my courtyard is since I finished the irrigation..

A former courtyard resident is now happily growing on a trellis in dappled shade; Abutilons really need at least a little sun to bloom well. This variety has always been a bit floppy, so the trellis comes in handy.

The Manihot trees in the sunny side yard are towering; when grown in the shade they stay fairly small. A few of them are now lending their beautiful foliage to the bamboo grove.

It's official! The Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) has finally covered the fence that hides the shed. Only took 3 years (3 plants planted at the base.) This could get pretty massive; I've started training some of the vines along the eaves. The garden is smelling pretty good!

The rose is 'Pure Perfume' and it smells like grapefruit (in a good way!) Three plants given to me by one of my contractors guard my bedroom window.

More succulents; I love this dwarf Crassula (Jade Plant) which won't get more than a foot high; talk about a low-maintenance plant!

The other Carex near the fountain was also removed, and replaced with this handsome devil, Abutilon 'Savitzii.' Grown mainly for its striking variegated foliage and compact form, it also has pretty apricot blooms. I think it will add a lot of sparkle to the shady side of the garden.

Pink Carpet Roses going nuts. It is one of many Monrovia plants given to me over the years; I love a few bright color splashes in my serene back garden.

The way I've pruned the Dodonea (Purple Hopseed Bush) has made the flower clusters look particularly lush; this is a shrub that responds very well to artful shaping. I do keep it firmly roped to the fence though, ever since one of them keeled over in a wet windstorm last fall.

I'm also being stricter with the Pomegranate in the corner of the kitchen garden; last year it got mixed up with the tomatoes by mid-season, and the fruit was rather hidden in a wild thicket. This year I've told it to mind its manners; and with luck will have a shapely little tree come fall.

Last stand of poppies around the windmill; growing in gravel (rather than rich garden soil) keeps them a more modest size; these are another favorite to photograph.

Finally, a rustic portrait of a dainty 'Moonlight' nasturtium which is working to establish itself (with my blessings!) Yep, somehow things are getting done around here; can't wait to see how everything grows together this summer...thanks for visiting!