Category: California

A town square has long been a fixture in this country.  A small open green space surrounded by the shops and offices needed for the community to function.  Many have a band stand for what was a frequent summer tradition of concerts in the park.  Nearly all of these town squares are surrounded by trees.  Certainly the story behind the selection of the tree to plant would involve meetings, community leaders, horticultural experts (likely both certified and self-identified) and the decision would not likely have been quick or easy.  What ever the process I think Los Gatos has one of the best trees....   Continue Reading

We are all influenced by our life experiences.  Some experiences change the direction of our lives.  Such is the origin of this authentic Japanese garden built by Oliver and Isabel Stine. The 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition had such an impact on this San Francisco couple that Mrs. Stine spent most of 1916 visiting Japanese gardens in the Fuji-Hakone National Park region of Japan.  Where many of us would be content to bring back souvenirs of such a trip Mrs. Stine brought back an architect and landscape architect to design the 18 acre estate and garden in complete authenticity....   Continue Reading

I almost stepped on this snake today.

Yes, I was leading off down the trail and just walked into a shady patch.  There Mr. Snake was resting, all stretched out.  He scared me more than I scared him.  Fortunately no rattle, just a pretty marking and a rather chilled out snake that barely moved as we stepped carefully around him.  There are critters in the garden....   Continue Reading

Naglee & Dana Ave. CA

I realize the US Constitution does not promise her citizens a rose garden but it is lovely when citizens and elected officials figure out a way to provide one anyway.  The early 20th century was a grand time for advocating for public green space for all people.  In 1927 the Santa Clara County Rose Society advocated for establishing a community rose garden.  The rose society promised  to provide the roses, the city set aside 5 1/2 acres of land just outside the city and the idea began to grow....   Continue Reading

A friend said, “since you are in the area you might want to check out Sierra Azul Nursery on your way up.”  So we thought we could squeeze it in for about 30 minutes.  After all, I’m traveling so I can’t buy any plants, and it is only two acres of gardens.  But our thinking was way off base because this is a wonderful nursery with a great variety of plants, helpful advice, and information.  It is also a demonstration gardens of plants matured and interwoven through a natural setting not unlike one could do in their own garden.  It is also an art gallery every year from May 31 thru Oct. showcasing art for the garden....   Continue Reading

Gardening with a passion from the early 40s to the 1980’s Madam Ganna Walska found something she liked, a shrub, a tree, a type of glass and then she used alot of it.  When you have 37 acres to garden this style works.  So an agave can be 500 agaves massed along the entrance to the garden.  A ponytail palm can become a stand of trees, green glass slag from an old bottle plant can line the garden beds.  This garden was built with passion, money and serendipity as Madam discovered more about plants and pretty things....   Continue Reading

Pacific Palisades, CA

Peace and serenity are found here.  In 1950 Paramahansa Yogananda opened this ten acre site.  “This shrine is dedicated to all religions that all may feel the unity of a common faith in the Fatherhood of God.”...   Continue Reading

I have always loved trees.  Seriously felt a special affinity toward them.  There was a huge black walnut tree in the field east of my childhood home.  There were sugar maples surrounding our home, there was the tulip tree in the back of the house. All of them beautifully shaped and deciduous marking the change of seasons.  Through the years I have noticed trees, stopped in mid-step, touched the arm of  my walking companion and said “Wow, look at that tree!”...   Continue Reading

230 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas, CA

Truly I find it hard to say I have a favorite garden.  When I travel and visit gardens I enjoy the very moment in that garden.  However the San Diego Botanic garden holds a special place in my gardening heart.  What doesn’t grow wonderfully here?  This trip was a misty day with lots of moisture in the garden.  Droplets on leaves and blooms sparkled everywhere you looked.  But this day I happened to meet Margaret Jones, who describes herself as the “fashion maven of the well dressed topiaries of the succulent garden”  A garden volunteer she applies her pallet of plants to the garden resident plant people modeled on human form.   Each of the plant people has two garden volunteers working to keep them well dressed.  There are a team of 10 working on the topiaries.  Pat Hammer is director of Operations for SDBG and is responsible for bringing the topiaries to SDBG.  Originally they were all covered with ivy.  Now the clothing fashion is changing to succulents....   Continue Reading