Keeyla's Way with Color! Meadows at San Francisco Flower Show 2010

Keeyla Meadows' Yard - Flickr photo: aroslis

Keeyla Meadows Garden Installation - San Francisco Flower & Garden Show 2010

Artist Statement excerpt: "The purpose of this garden is to focus on a red-headed snake, the San Francisco (peninsula) Garter Snake, which is on the endangered species list... The colors of this snake, red, turquoise and black - inspired the material sections of this garden...."

.. Garden Vignettes ..

Keeyla is the author of ...

Fearless Color Gardens

The Creative Gardener's Guide to Jumping Off the Color Wheel'

http://keeylameadows.net

Via Aqua .. a Modern Approach - 2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

Via Aqua

Via Aqua - Design by Huettl Landscape Architecture

2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

I'm drawn to modern design, although I've never had the opportunity to live in a contemporary space.

Joesph Huettl's approach to Via Aqua combines rectilinear elements and a minimal aesthetic,

resulting in an understated, elegant setting.

Above photo by Huettl L.A.

The garden's open steel grating forms a floating deck; the industrial nature of the material and the stone patio playing off the pop of color in the gorgeous chaises longues.

Overall, the reflective quality of the water animates the design.

www.huettldesign.com

Garden Folly for the New Millennium- 2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

The Living Room ... Organic Mechanics

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show 2010

James Pettigrew and Sean Stout, designers ... aka Organic Mechanics

create consistently fresh and innovative designs.

The Organic Mechanics 2010 show garden is no exception:

The Living Room seems calculated to captivate the senses, and in the manner of visionary work, provokes discourse. The elements came together in ways that challenged me to consider the scope and language of modern garden design. An experience I celebrate in design that looks forward, not back.

A detail of the building's circular watery surround, enlivened by shiny blue glass spheres - The Living Room is a garden folly that takes the the form of a cube, with exterior walls outfitted in a panoply of richly textural succulents. You're drawn to enter across a small circular moat, accessed via large stepping stones (repurposed aged griding wheels, if I'm right).

Tongue-in-cheek, the designers suggest thinking outside the box in their description of the design. Thinking, rather, "around the box." The entryway presents an inviting contrast, with the warm tones of natural wood

outlining the doorway.

A peek inside, where the table setting presents an inviting tableau,

and the impact of a stunning chandelier is enhanced by its mirror image.

Notice the pop of turquoise showing up on the right.....?

Detail showing a corner of the folly & shallow circular watery surround.

Step inside....

An engaging shade of turquoise makes the rectangular window cut-outs pop!

Gold Meadow Award Winning Garden

2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

Link to cool youtube video:

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show & The Living Room

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show ... Soon!

Pinchusion Protea ... Leucospermum cordifolium

Celebrating 25 years, the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show will soon be here.

Certainly I'm excited at the thought of seeing this year's show gardens,

and I look forward to perusing all sorts of cool stuff in the Marketplace.

I'll be checking out the seminar schedule to hear experts on a variety of subjects. 

My gal-pal Annie Spiegelman will be speaking on Saturday, March 27th at 11:45.

New York City born and bred - albeit transplanted to California, 

Annie has a new book, Talking Dirt:

 a savvy, informative, and in her own inimitable style, 

irreverent and fun guide to organic gardening. 

Then there are the plants! 

Hot new plant selections to stir lustful urges in horti green thumbs.

There are new owners on-board for this year's Show, 

and brilliant new features that I can't wait to see up-close.

There's a Victory Garden designed by Tim O'Shea of greenworksgardens.com,

with assistance from The Edible Schoolyard program of the Chez Panisse Foundation.

Nearby displays will lend insight into how edible gardens can be a part of our lives. 

My foodie instincts are engaged, hearing about the Slow Food Plaza.

 The Victory Garden and local farms will provide ingredients for food served to show visitors.

Farm to Table .... a good thing!

Across from the Plaza, look for an outdoor Sculpture Garden and it should be stunning! Luminary artist Topher Delaney is involved,

as is Evan Shively, who turns salvaged wood into beautiful furniture & construction elements, and others, including Inka Biosystems and Luciano Tempo of Living Green.

Stay tuned for more new & views.

March 24 - March 28, 2010 - San Mateo Event Center

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show Vignettes 2009

Show garden vignettes from the 2009 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

Fiddleleaf Fine Gardening and Design

Goulart Designs Bay Area Pond & Waterfall Supply

Marisposa Gardening & Design

Quite Contrary Garden Design

Show runs through Sunday, March 22

www.gardenshow.com 

Alas, the decision not to bring my heavy, albeit, superb Leitz tripod to the Show resulted in many photos that did not meet my standards for posting. 

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show 2009

'American Horticultural Society Environmental Award'

'Sustainable Gardening Award by San Francisco Botanical Society'

Delightfully pretty edible garden bursting with colorful companion plantings 

kale, collards & Swiss chard

               parsley, peas & pansies               

violas and calendulas.

Sustainable Garden Design   ....recycled/reclaimed materials  ..... veggies grown in compost

www.RecycleWorks.org

Garden creators:   Common Ground and College of San Mateo 

Built by volunteers of the San Mateo County RecycleWork's Master Composter Program with support form Common Ground Garden Supply & Education Center in Palo Alto.

Sky's The Limit

Designed by Rebecca Cole Design

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show  2009

Best of Show garden

built by Mark Campbell, Garden of Eden Landscapes

Exciting news on opening day of the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. Duane Kelly of Salmon Bay Events announced.... it's looking like the show will go on in 2010!  A letter of intent has been signed.  More details, and show gardens to follow on BayAreaTendrils.

Emerging in the main hall, a hip, contemporary garden designed by Rebecca Cole of New York, Sky's The Limit, garnered my vote along with the Golden Gate Cup for Best of Show... and a bevy of accolades, including a Gold Medal; the Sunset Western Living Award; the Association of Professional Landscape Designers Award; the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Center's Award.

Conceived as a high-rise, rooftop space, succulents ruled in an indoor-outdoor layout melding eye-catching textures and patterns into a cohesive design statement.

Garden highlights: the bold forms of hard-edged, rusty, steel-rimmed planters framing Aeonium tabulaeforme and stunning echeverias; 

an inviting enclosed seating area softened by a green roof;

gorgeous living walls composed of geometric shapes where a dark-leaf ajuga plays off leptinellas, sempervivums and sedums.

Cole designed brilliant glazed tiles with plant motifs; the tiles used as elements in tabletops inset with plantings. Tiles also appear on the floor plane, though I'd guess the surface might be too slippery to be used here. 

Cole credits Mark Campbell of Garden of Eden Landscapes for the daunting task of building out the garden for the San Francisco event. 

The Sky's The Limit leaflet mentions numerous others, including sponsor Smith & Hawken, whose logo appears in the cozy enclosure,  Mountain Crest Gardens, 

and Studio Replica for the cast-stone planters and sofa.

The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show runs through Sunday, March 22 

from 10 AM to 6 PM.  Visit gardenshow.com for information.