Wordless Wednesday…where the garden speaks for itself
Duranta ‘sapphire showers’ against new distressed wrought iron gate
Flora Grubb delights bloggers with pots, plants and garden design and decor
Come on in.
Where to start?
Our 6th annual Garden Bloggers Fling in the San Francisco area this year was phenomenal. The Fling crew, Kelly Kilpatrick, Andrea Fox, Charlotte, Claire and Maggie, did an amazing job of crafting a program filled with beautiful private gardens, public gardens and nurseries. They babied us and fed us well and it was so fun to gather with friends, old and new, and join together to discover the Bay area.
As we began our Fling, we all laughingly said that they can grow everything in California. After these garden tours, I think it may be true!
I’m starting my blog posts from the end. After numerous problems with my computer and iPhoto (all self- created problems having to do with TOO many files – 18,000 photos – even after moving 5 years worth of photos elsewhere), these are the photos I’ve uploaded so these are the photos you get to see!
Our last stop – a shopping tour and reception filled with wonderful food and drinks – at the well-known nursery, Flora Grubb. Wow.
The nursery had me on garden overload with its unique plants, bursts of hot color and just plain old cool stuff. Creative vignettes like this classic car overflowing with ferns and phormium captured our attention.
This exotic staghorn fern makes me think of Medusa as it spills out of this Buddha head planter.
The pruning of this palm tree created a live piece of sculptural garden art.
Endless bromeliads – loving the heat and humidity of the Bay area – and paired with hot pots.
Or succulents sitting side-by-side in cool concrete.
Flora Grubb did the landscaping for nearby gardens, and we got a walking tour of the area, which included these great yuccas.
I loved this plant – tibouchina – and was pondering its viability here in Austin, Texas, when Kelly came along, laughed at me, and said:
“No, it won’t grow in Austin, but it will grow in my garden!”
Then she snatched one up and sauntered up to the cash register! I had to laugh. I had a case of serious plant envy by this point without a doubt.
Inside the store, we were surrounded by more beautiful pots and decor.
As things were winding down, and I sat to chat with friends, I almost didn’t notice the cool trenched table inlaid with succulents. I knew I couldn’t get this in my suitcase. Think I could make one? Hmmmm…
Each year at the Fling, there seems to be one specific plant that’s in its full glory in almost every garden we visit. In Buffalo, I remember the mondarda, in Chicago, I remember the alliums. From the San Francisco fling, I will always remember the over-the-top phormium we found in almost every garden. We’re a little too hot and a little too dry to grow them here, but you can bet money I’m gonna try! Maybe in a pot, in a carefully chosen spot and lots of TLC. (No work involved in trying to grow this plant!)
Here’s a glimpse of what I brought home in my suitcase – a succulent, a fern and a few tilandsias along with a trio of metal planters and some red long beans. I would have liked to fill a truck with so much more and drive it home, but that would have been impractical.
This was a spectacular ending to a wonderful Fling. Thanks to everyone who helped by working, hosting, opening their homes, and sponsoring our special event.
More exotic blooms from Thailand – Chiang Mai Orchid Farm
One of my favorite ventures during our trip to Thailand was the tour of the orchid farm outside of Chiang Mai, which is in the mountains of northern Thailand. When we walked in, my dear husband handed me the camera and went of to entertain the girl and leave me to my orchid oggling.
There were rows and rows of them, in every possible color, size and shape. I was actually a little nervous that I’d get lost in there.
I have a lot of variegated shell ginger in my garden, but this sealed the deal for me – I will be getting some other gingers to add to the mix.
There was a little cafe to sit and have a snack or a drink, but I was too focused to stop!
Carvings and intricate architectural details greeted us everywhere we went.
The raised stepping stones will make passage through the rows of orchids possible when the monsoons come this month.
I was fascinated by the propagation areas and their growing of the orchids in tiny glass jars.
I’m not sure why there was a collection of cool old cars there, but they added character to the farm.
They also had information on display to educate visitors about growing orchids.
So now I have serious orchid envy. I may have to try, again, to keep an orchid alive for more than a few months!
Tidbits of our trip to Thailand…
You think you know hot. You do not. Here’s what I said to my husband when we arrived for our 16-day trip to Thailand:
“I will never ever complain about the Texas heat again. Ever.”
We ventured out into the weekend market where we saw and smelled every thing imaginable. You could buy anything from fresh flowers to clothes to souvenirs to live eels and stinky durian fruit. It was a bit of an assault on the senses for our 10-year old who, on more than one occasion, could be seen plugging her nose.
Then on our first full day of sightseeing, we headed off to the Grand Palace, the Wat of the Reclining Buddha (its huge), Golden Mountain Temple and two more Buddhas in one Wat.
I was struck by the simplicity of pots of water lilies scattered about the Grand Palace compound. There was a different kind around every corner, but no other landscaping or garden elements.
And then we shopped. We shopped a lot. There was “stuff” everywhere. Souvenirs and crafts and carvings and fabric. And all very inexpensive.
We rode tuk-tuk’s…think of a motorcycle with three wheels and a place for two/three people to sit in the back. We had a wild ride back to the hotel through really amazing traffic and well, heat. But it was so hot that even traffic-filled fumes of breeze felt good! It took 20 minutes and cost a whopping $5.
Then we went to the amazing hotel pool…afternoon heat and humidity there was not fit for man nor beast.
The tropical plants and trees there were incredible and we visited an orchid farm that just blew me away.
I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the Thai people. Customary greetings and goodbyes include bringing together the hands and a slight bow of the head, which you do to everyone you see. I learned greetings and goodbyes and thank you and the Thai always smiled and appreciated it. Hotel and large restaurant people spoke English, but most on the street didn’t. But we all managed to communicate in spite of that. And they were so sweet to our daughter – I’d read that they love kids and it was clearly evident.
The tropical plants and trees there were incredible and we visited an orchid farm that just blew me away. I’ll post about the orchid farm next, so check back.
More of our trip to come …
The camera lens is a great garden tool…
Last week I was taking pictures of all the lovely flowers that popped up after our wonderful rains. I thought the cutting garden looked particularly nice with the clematis blooming.
But when I downloaded the pictures into iPhoto, this one looked odd.
That’s when I realized that I needed another element in that hole between the jackmanii clematis and the pitcheri clematis. Funny how I never saw that before with my naked eye. That area used to be home to a zillion larkspur in the spring, but this year they simply didn’t come back.
So I made a mental shopping list note and went to the nursery. This is what followed me home in the trunk.
I’m quite pleased with myself, and now it looks complete.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, the things that you can see through your camera lens?
Kids love beautiful gardens, too…
I just came from morning assembly at Kallie’s elementary school where they honored me for designing their front garden — donating all the plants and creating the bed at cost. It was so special – they gave me this GIANT card and beautiful sunflowers and are putting up a sign recognizing the work.
We planted tough, xeric plants in the school colors – gold and purple — lantana, damianita, Indigo spires, grasses, blackfoot daisies and a lovely tree.
