Samuel Taylor State Park, Marin County

Indian paintbrush / Castilleja affinis

One of the wildflowers found growing in Samuel Taylor State Park.

Taylor State Park - located 15 miles west of San Rafael off Highway 101 -

Central San Rafael exit, not far from San Francisco.

Taylor State Park became lost in the glow of 

yesterday's anniversary post.

Approach the park along Sir Francis Drake, driving through groves of towering redwoods

that embrace sections of the roadway.

Listed on the California State Parks website, the park encompasses hiking, biking & nature trails, places to picnic, and campsites.

Celebrating! Garden Tendrils Reaching Out from the Bay Area

In Celebration: 1 Year since I began sending out these tendrils...

 - short features and photos - reaching out into cyberspace to connect with readers worldwide. 

What an incredible journey! 

One that has given rise to countless friendships and connections in the virtual world, 

and under fortunate circumstances... every so often, in real life.

((In truth, I've just checked the date of my first 'Insomnia' post.

Apparently life has been so hectic - with much on my plate, so to speak,

that yesterday, in fact, heralded the Blogiversary of Bay Area Tendrils.

... aka Bay Area Tendrils Garden Travel ))

Thank you, T., for appreciating my passion for the art of the garden,

and for accompanying me on too-many-to-count short trips and lengthy sojourns.

Your love of birding and nature enhances my days. 

Winter Color! San Francisco Botanical Garden Succulents

"San Francisco's mild temperatures and rare winter frost make it possible to grow a great diversity of plants..." 

Succulents in the Entry Border

After more than a decade of living in the Bay Area, the wintertime displays 

of vividly colorful succulent plants still hold me spellbound.

  Visitors to the San Francisco Botanical Garden will find the fan aloe among the

Entry Garden's eye-catching succulent specimens. 

Aloe plicatilis - Photo: Joanne Taylor

 At the Garden ... the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society's Newsletter:

"Gracing the hills and mountains of Cape Province in South Africa, Aloe plicatilis, or "Fan Aloe," adds drama to our Garden with its fan-like arrangement of fleshy leaves tipped in orange. The species name, "plicatilis," means fan-like, pleated or folding together. 

The fans of leaves display in two opposing rows with a spike of scarlet tubular flowers rising from the center 

on a tall solitary stem. 

Look for Aloe plicatilis in the South Africa Garden and in this month's In Bloom feature, 

complete with photos, a plant profile and exact locations."

21st Century Gardens .. at the Marin Art and Garden Center

21st Century Gardens: Movements, Trends, Projects 

A Presentation on Landscape as Art.

This Thursday I'll be presenting a talk to the Garden Society of Marin.

My musings on landscape at art will braid together gardens designed by Ossart & Maurieres,

land artist Alain Idoux, 

and tree sculptor - work pictured above - Marc Nucera: the subject of a recent book.

My talk takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Marin Art & Garden Center 

Arrive early and you can stroll through the lovely gardens on this historic property.

Photo: San Francisco Chronicle - for my Garden Walks Column.

To read more about the MAAGC gardens in Ross, California,

link below to one of my San Francisco Chronicle  

'Garden Walks' columns.

Another contemporary Paris parkland that has been featured on 

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz ~ click on link below:

Parc André Citröen

gives rise to compelling design elements that are highlighted in the presentation,

along with major private gardens in Provence created in the new millennium. 

Reflecting ... on 2009

Reflecting on a New Year   

A look back at features appearing in 2009,

aka Year One on Bay Area Tendrils. . . and a preview.

Huntington Chinese Garden

San Marino, California - Photo: Huntington Botanical Garden

Hadrian's Villa - Villa Adriana

Laberint d'Horta Pavilion 

Barcelona

Eliasson Installation .. Bard College

photo: Bess Reynolds

Sooke Harbour House ... Autumn

Vancouver Island

Blue Blooms ... a Bevy of Garden Destinations 

Clamor .. Murmur .. Plash! A Potpourri of Fountains

Words and photos (unless otherwise noted) by Alice Joyce, Bay Area Tendrils Garden Travel

The theft of content and photos on the Internet is widespread.

For now, I'll be taking steps to insert links back to my site.