Sumptuous Springtime Garden Travel!

May I suggest:

Sumptuous settings for Springtime Travel!

Sonoma Horticultural Nursery

Sonoma County Getaway

Click on garden to read full feature on Bay Area Tendrils Garden Travel.

Sonoma Hort Display Gardens - Sebastopol, California

Van Dusen Botanical Garden .. Vancouver, British Columbia

Surface Tension: A Permanent Installation by Andy Goldsworthy

Hess Collection Winery Napa Valley, California

Jardin de l'Alchimiste - Garden of the Alchemist
Photo Courtesy of the Garden

Note: No longer open

Eygalieres, France

Ira Keller Fountain .. Portland, Oregon

Exquisite Rush of Cascading Water .. Multnomah Falls & Ira's Fountain

Cherry blossoms! 2010 Sakura Matsuri Festival takes place May 1 & 2 at:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

...you'll see Trillium & slipper orchids,

peonies, shooting stars and wisteria amid the garden's glorious blooming displays.

Escapee! Euphorbia 'Fen's Ruby'

Euphorbia cyparissias 'Fen's Ruby'

An itty bitty Euphorbia cultivar, 'Fen's Ruby' was planted early on in Alice's Garden, let's say... nearly a decade ago. Nothing much happened as the years passed, until now.

Fen's Ruby has become an escapee, making its way into the garden's gravel paths, where it's blooming. Atop the red-flushed stems of the new Spring growth, delicate lime-green to yellow flowers decorate the fine, thread-like textural foliage.

The plant pictured is no more than 3 inches across, if that. While the species is considered aggressive, probably invasive in many areas, this variety is found to be less so.

It generally dies back in a cold winter. And like all Euphrobias, the plant has a milky sap that's caustic. I've taken to wearing surgical gloves whenever I garden, and skin problems that troubled me have disappeared.

Click for more about plants and design in: Alice's Garden

Snowy Egrets! The Gardens of Alcatraz Island

Restoration of the historic Alcatraz Island gardens is ongoing.

The island is reached via a short ferry ride from San Francisco.

On a recent trip to see the lush spring bloom throughout the Gardens of Alcatraz,

I took countless photos that must be sorted and labeled.

Look for an in-depth feature to appear very soon on: Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

One delightful aspect of the tour: An opportunity to peek through the vegetation and see the fluffy feathers of young Snowy Egrets!

Sorry, but it was impossible to get a good photo, as the birds are ensconced in such dense thickets.

As the sign mentions, the egrets are able to find plenty of food in tidepools and at island's edge.

No problem getting close to the seagulls!

Getting there: http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

To learn more about visiting the gardens: www.alcatrazgardens.org

Click here: Gardens of Alcatraz on Bay Area Tendrils Garden Travel

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