A slave to the Goddess Flora shares his garden adventures.
-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.
Showing posts with label Garden Bloggers Fling 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden Bloggers Fling 2013. Show all posts
The end of the Garden Bloggers' Fling in San Francisco, that is. On the final evening of the fling, there was a reception at Flora Grubb Gardens. Before we take one more fond look back at that incredible place, here's a garden within walking distance of the store that was designed by the Flora Grubb team. The garden is on a site which is popular with women of ill repute and their clientele. The plants in this garden needed to be able to withstand some horizontal activity. (Californication?) I'm thinking that the yuccas don't look too welcoming. That must be why they're labeled "control plant." (The full sign reads "Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant.")
The plant choices are wonderful. Ah, California...
Definitely a control plant!
It's not a Bismarkia nobilis but it is huge and impressive! Heavy sigh.
And there were several of them!
Our guide from Flora Grubb extolling the virtues of Grevillea ('moonlight'?)
This is a fairly young garden and it would be great to see it in a few years as the plants grow larger! One more reason to revisit this area!
By the last garden tour of the last day of the Garden Bloggers' Fling in San Francisco, we were all feeling a little overwhelmed by having seen so many incredible gardens and awesome plants. The last garden (well almost) we visited was a smallish one and we had some extra time after touring and before the bus picked us up so a few of us decided to take a stroll around the Berkley neighborhood in which we found ourselves. There were signs and wonders that seemed to be leading us to something, but what could it be?
Were these trying to tell us something or were they some sort of winter protection for the plants that someone forgot to remove?
Who wouldn't want a picture of this? I wonder if we'll see hats popping up in Rhone Street Gardens this summer?
The hat led us to these pants with a slow sign mounted above them. Do you suppose this is some new clothing marketing scheme? Are slow pants the latest fad with the kids these days? Does this fall in line with the slow food and slow flowers movement? Anyway, the slow sign was obviously alerting us to the tree covered in white blossoms in the distance, obviously our destination.
Looking like a huge broccoli floret, it drew us ever closer.
to see the gorgeous foliage and sweet flowers.
We four Pacific Northwesterners looked at each other hoping that one of us could identify the tree. Many plants in this area were familiar to us because some of them are hardy in our area and we grow numerous others in pots, coddling them through the winter. Trees, not so much.
While the blooms and foliage were great, it was the bark of the tree that seemed to fall at the slightest breeze that was especially intriguing.
The bark was spongy, cork-like and fun to play with.
Were we drunk with having taken in so many gardens, enchanted by this magic tree, excited at a new discovery or simply giddy from the heat?
Maybe it was something in the flowers
that caused this strange ritual of tree worship to occur.
For more sights from our walk, go here and to experience the fun of a garden bloggers' fling, make sure you plan to attend next summers event in Toronto as there are no open spots left for the Portland fling. For those of you going to Portlnad, you may not find yourself fondling a tree but Portland has lots of great specimens and is a delightfully weird city* so one never knows what could happen!
*Could be just the places I hang out.
The team assures us that the following will be over before fling time.
Keeyla Meadows is the author of the books Making Gardens Works of Art: Creating Your Own Personal Paradise and Fearless Color Gardens: The Creative Gardener's Guide to Jumping Off the Color Wheel. Her garden, studio, and home blend beautifully into three dimensional living art in which Keeyla lives and works. When the Northwest Flower and Garden Show announced the title of this years show, "Art In Bloom," I expected to see demonstration gardens with similarities to Ms Meadows Garden! Anyway, this garden was the next to last stop on the last day of the San Francisco Garden Bloggers' Fling last June.
The first thing I saw as I approached this garden was this driveway. I was thrilled! Empty pots, greenhouse flats...she's one of us! Notice the beautiful restio in the background. (Rhodocoma capensis? I purchased and have studied the book Restios of the Fynbos with many beautiful and detailed color images of each of the family members and still have trouble telling some of them apart.)
Did I mention that this garden is in Berkley and is open to the public on certain days?
Interesting piece from the from the sidewalk.
The view from the house side. the fountain was not turned on for our visit.
So much to take in and enjoy in this garden!
I'll stop jabbering and let you enjoy the garden. It was a very warm day but in this area of town there was a nice cooling breeze.
Lusting after this arch!
It doesn't show because of the sunshine but the pink hat, sweater, and clogs match the pink of the tiles and surrounding mosaic walls perfectly. Talk about dressing for the occasion!
Bevvy of beauties enjoying the mosaic bench.
These floral dresses are interesting. I just can't do the spaghetti strap look the way I could thirty years ago.
Mosaic covers the kitchen walls.
The bathroom is tiny but fabulous.
To see this wall, one must sit on the toilet.
View from the upstairs balcony.
One of my favorite pieces in the garden was this brugmansia arch which is perfectly situated with real brugmansias blooming on the right.
I thoroughly enjoyed this small but powerful space!
Here's the creator of this wonderful garden, Keeyla Meadows herself.
To see more of Ms Meadows' colorful and fearless work go here.
