Asian Species .. Quarryhill Botanical Garden

Photo: Christine Walker

(Photo: San Francisco Chronicle)

Some years ago one of my San Francisco Chronicle 'Garden Walks' columns

highlighted Quarryhill Botanical Garden

The site is a horticultural paradise that is surprising to discover when touring Sonoma's Valley of the Moon in wine country. What sets Quarryhill apart is the fact that most all the plants - trees, shrubs, bulbs, roses - have been grown from wild collected seed gathered during plant expeditions undertaken by the garden's director, Bill McNamara, who travels extensively to China, Japan and the Himalayas. You can click below to read...

...the original feature in the archives on SFgate.com...

More photos of the garden are posted on Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Writing about garden travel is especially gratifying when sharing information about a place like Quarryhill.

Fertility .. Abundance : Pomegranates for Turkey Day!

via Wikipedia .. Illustration by Otto Wilhelm Thome - 1885

Pomegranates - Symbol of fertility and abundance, befitting a Thanksgiving afternoon.

à votre Santé my friends... to your health!

Garden travel enthusiasts are invited to peruse my web site:

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Curving.. Flowing.. Sinuous Design - Wave Garden Part II

Another look at the Wave Garden: Hardscape, artwork and plantings. Kellee Adams, the plant-scape designer selected species from the 5 Mediterranean regions of the world to enliven a drought-tolerant landscape.

The rosettes of Aeonium 'Sunburst' effectively repeat the harmonious lines appearing throughout the garden, where Victor Amador, the garden's third-generation concrete contractor/designer worked intuitively, applying an organic approach to the creation of walls, stairs, walkways, and special focal points.

The curving planes of a wall embrace a bevy of drought tolerant plants.

The alluring, sinuous lines of hand-crafted iron work are outstanding.