Celebrating Gardens

Aristolochia californica .. a very early blooming native vine in Alice's Garden 
Photo Copyright © Alice Joyce

The image of California pipevine befits the notion of the brilliantly green 2-year Blogiversary, celebrated with the readers of Bay Area Tendrils!

Surely one of the most interesting 'flowers' a gardener could ask for, and a host plant for swallowtail butterflies - the vine's leaves being the only food source the caterpillars consume.

Despite the region's heavy winter rains, it's plants such as this vigorous vining species that enliven my days as a gardener in the Bay Area. It's not unusual to see the plant flowering on and off throughout the seasons. This pipevine has spread widely in the garden, climbing up latticework, and scrambling under an arbor into through a border along a fence on the western boundary of the property.

The postage-stamp size garden I left behind in Chicago may be familiar to those of you who have followed the blog from its early days. A scanned 35mm slide shows a corner of a tiny gem of a space brightened by the hue of Chinese-red enamel on arbors I constructed, the wooden shutters and door to my studio. In Chicago, it always seemed we went directly from winter into summer, when a spell of intensely hot days would descend and roses would open... only to immediately wilt in the heat. But annuals grew lushly, thriving for months on end as the evenings contained the heat of the day.

Photos Copyright © Alice Joyce

The garden I created in my new home is a retreat from the daily grind: Another outdoor room, in fact, to expand the space of a tiny house. With plants that bloom year-round, the garden is filled with buzzing bees (despite the decline in bee populations), hummingbirds, and butterflies that feed on the pipevine; keeping us company while we have lunch under the umbrella.

In this 'before' shot, you'll see the new fence built to protect the space from our small town's over-the-top deer population. I'd been working for a couple months when I took the photograph, spending much of the time down on my knees, digging up broken glass and concrete rubble in order place the pavers that define the shapes of beds and borders. I eventually built up mounds for planting, having implemented the depleted and compacted hardpan with plenty of compost. I layered newspapers over the future pathways, as the El Nino rains of 1998 & '99 poured down over me.

UCSC's incredible FLORA: Banksia ericifolia 

Photo Copyright © Alice Joyce

Moving to the West Coast has been an eye-opening journey for a self-professed fanatical plant lover. It all began with my first 'major' journey about an hour and a half south to the Arboretum at the University of California at Santa Cruz! Here, collections of plants encompass members of the Proteaceae family from South Africa; the stunningly enormous cone-like flowering clusters of Banksia species from Australia; and yes, California native plants in the Elevenia Slosson Research Gardens: All provide an exciting horticultural experience.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Native Plants .. Slipper Orchid 

Photo © Alice Joyce

New York Gardens on Bay Area Tendrils

I want to thank you all for dropping by to share in my adventures.

New York City's Battery Gardens: The Bosque designed by Piet Oudolf (Photos © Alice Joyce)

Chicago's 'Crown Fountain' by Jaume Plensa .. Millennium Park (Photos © Alice Joyce)

Chicago's Green Destinations on Bay Area Tendrils

I remain extremely proud of the city where I was born, raised, and lived for decades. It's the equal culturally and horticulturally of any city I've ever visited! I need to travel to the midwest to experience the vibrant atmosphere of Chicago at least once a year.

Barcelona's Historic Parc de la Ciutadella (Photo © Alice Joyce)

The sophistication and panache of Barcelona is unique.

It's 2011.... amazing how time is flying by. I plan to continue writing about my travels here

and on my web site: Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

...to connect with virtual green thumbs in the year ahead,

and especially those of you I'll have a chance to meet in real time!

Ciao ... à bientôt ... Hasta pronto ... Até breve ... Until next time!

The Chosen Few .. Botanical Assets

Blue Lotus

Photo: Little & Lewis

A final '2010' recap, looking afresh at scintillating botanical assets that contribute to a sense of place and style in 3 very different settings. In the new garden created by artist/ plantsmen...

Little & Lewis of Bainbridge Island, Washington, a blue lotus lures garden visitors to a lush spot in the landscape: Representative of the sculptural and horticultural tableaux associated with this exceptional team of artist/designers, and the unmistakable vitality of their work.

Eye-catching in its simplicity of design: the Moss Walkway at Stone Edge Farm.

There's nothing quite so exciting as visiting a landscape for the first time, and being stopped in one's tracks! Faced with a distinctive prospect such as this planting reminds me of why I revel in traveling from one garden to the next, never knowing what surprises await.

Leucadendron salignum growing and glowing in the Wave Garden.

There's little that can be said about this stunning member of the Proteaceae family that is not apparent in the photograph. Yet, when I think how very recently these magnificent, drought-tolerant South African plants have become widely available in California and other U.S. regions where they may grow and thrive, I'm deeply thankful to be gardening at this time, and and in this place!

Looking Back .. Going Forward!

2010 draws to a close: The time of year to look back, moving forward!

Above... a new garden installation at Cornerstone Sonoma

'Cocoons' by Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot -- created with 5 miles of colored monofilament wrapped around a laser cut stainless steel armature fabricated by William Massie, architect. Forms that turn and spin in the windy, open landscape in wine country.

Since early 2010, I've focused more on regional destinations, news & events on this blog: Bay Area Tendrils, and have taken to highlighting garden settings and public landscapes near and far on Alice's Garden Travel Buzz.

Below:

La Cocina que Canta Cooking School - Rancho La Puerta

When I look back over 2010, my dream journey to Rancho La Puerta in Tecate stands out. You may recall the flowing form of this dry-stone bench; an element of the garden's site-appropriate hardscaping.

I'll always have fond memories of my spa week at Rancho La Puerta

Sky at Dusk .. Tecate, Mexico.

I'll recall the beauty of the cultivated gardens, and especially the surrounding natural landscape, which is protected open space.

A lush vignette from my Springtime sojourn to Britain: a Tamarisk at the Chelsea Physic Garden: I wrote about a treasure trove of English Gardens & a rare Welsh landscape on:

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

A recent sojourn to experience the legacy of Rene & Veronica di Rosa in Napa Valley.

A Celebration of Art and Nature at:

di Rosa Preserve

Visit di Rosa and enjoy a nature walk through the Sculpture Meadow: Learn about the Preserve's restoration efforts of riparian areas, and wildflower plantings.

Ron Mann Sculpture - Stone Edge Farm and Winery

2010 opened my eyes to ancestral English estates, verdant autumnal walks, and to artists and designers who continue to push at boundaries as a means of personal expression.

Only Snowmen Round Here! Cornerstone Sonoma

Although the San Francisco Bay Area may not boast any real snowmen, after having lunch at Sage this past Friday -- the Cafe at Cornerstone Sonoma in Wine Country -- I found a cheery installation to celebrate the season.

Holiday Hugs & Best Wishes for a Peaceful, Healthy 2011 to All!

Fences, Walls, Garden Gates .. A Neighborhood Stroll

An artistic entryway.

Rainy season insectary plant: Prostrate Rosemary spilling over the rocks.

What's your garden style?

Drought-tolerant, cascading streetside plantings.

Boulders & bold plant forms lend structure to a front gravel garden.

A stepped design perfectly suited to the site.

A straighforward statement.

Mediterranean attitude.

Japanese influence.

...Privacy Wall...

Moroccan blue sets this front garden apart.

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.

Red Conebush .. The Wave Garden - A Sneak Peek

UNDER CONSTRUCTION...







The glory of South African plants .. bringing color to Bay Area gardens in Winter!

Here's a sneak peek of an amazing landscape created in the East Bay over the previous decade:

-- The Wave Garden --

filled with an incredible palette of plants and an exceptional hardscape.

Leucadendron salignum .. aka Summer Red Conebush is looking especially beautiful right now.

The garden takes in vistas of San Francisco Bay, Richmond Bridge, and Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County.

An in-depth feature on the Wave Garden appears on: Alice's Garden Travel Buzz.

To all my garden blogging amigos, Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

Thank you May Dreams Gardens : Now following @IndyGardener on Twitter!

Last Bouquet of Fall?

Will this be the final blowsy bouquet of the year?

Colorful fall foliage is a cutting from Weigela florida 'Eyecatcher' ... growing in my garden.

But I'm so pleased to have a cutting garden at T's plot! In spite of the rain of the past month or so, T's allotment/community garden is drenched in sunshine most days. 

With each bouquet picked these past few weeks, he's told me it would be the last. Not so, as you can see: The Zinnias from Renee's Garden Seeds - 'Berry Basket' - are continuing to produce abundant blooms. So, too, new Buddleia 'Miss Ruby' is proving to be a winning variety (appropriately perhaps, a plant from Proven Winners).

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to photograph the bouquet when it was freshly picked, so it's already fading a bit as pictured.

Click here to see a post with Weigela 'Eyecatcher' in bloom .. Very showy.

Ravishing 'Miss Ruby' .. Butterfly Love!

Click here to see .. What's going on in Alice's Garden

Plant Hunting! 'Blue Heaven' .. VanDusen Botanical Garden

(Photo courtesy VanDusen Botanical Garden)

Wish I could attend this upcoming event at VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC.

Bill Terry will be presenting at 7:30 pm in the Garden's Floral Hall on November 11, sharing vignettes of his plant-hunting sojourn at 2700 km while traveling through Sichuan and Tibet.

Bill's tales include sightings of lovely alpine plants, including Meconopsis, the mythic blue poppy known to provoke plant lust in many a gardener. Author of 'Blue Heaven - Encounters with the Blue Poppy' (book will be available), and a grower of the genus, Bill can boast the most diverse collection of Asiatic poppies in North America. Visiting the collection is going on my bucket list!

Tickets in advance or at the door subject to availability.

If you're on FaceBook .. check out this link:

Cedar Lecture: Poppies and Plant Hunting on the Roof of the World

Link to Meconopsis grandis on Bay Area Tendrils

Bewitching Blue Poppies

Link to VanDusen on Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Rain Did Not Dampen the Delights .. DeLoach Vineyards

It may be rainy season in Northern California Wine Country, but that did not stop an international coterie of journalists, authors, bloggers & permaculture professionals from enjoying a day of garden touring, wine tasting, and a delectable locavore lunch at DeLoach Vineyards.

At De Loach the entire approach to the land, from the vineyards to the culinary and insectary gardens, is fully organic and biodynamic: Awarded CCOF certification.

Our host, Jean-Charles Boisset applies sustainable principles, biodynamic farming, and organic methods to every aspect of the Boisset estates in California, France, Italy & Québec.

On the local level, in partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, 100% of the proceeds from one of the excellent wines we tasted -- DeLoach Vinthropic Chardonnay -- are donated to the Food Bank.

Winegrower Eric Pooler spearheaded our tour, and allowed an up-close and personal look at the innovative bio-reactor - one of the first in the industry - that relies on micro-organisms to purify all the water used in the winemaking process so it can be called upon for landscaping and irrigation use.

Maria Mobilia is shown behind the camera, filming the tour for 
Your Garden Show.

In-depth coverage of my day at DeLoach Vineyards ...

Biodynamic Gardens & Wine Tasting on:

Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

The Hortiphile! Luculias at San Francisco Botanical Garden

Searching the internet can be enlightening.

As it was the other day when I discovered 'The Hortiphile' -- San Francisco Botanical Garden's blog written by Lisa Van Cleef: Lisa's not only super-savvy about plants, but a wonderfully engaging writer, too.

Richly fragrant Luculia had a starring role in a recent post: Photo courtesy of San Francisco Botanical Garden

Luculias grow in the Rhododendron, Asian Discovery, and Moon Viewing Gardens.

Should you be in the Bay Area, pencil in a visit to SFBG - a must-see on any itinerary!

Luculia - Plant of the Moment

A Garden Tale Worth Repeating .. Jimmy Nardello Peppers

'Jimmy Nardello'

Returning to my tour of Stone Edge Farm and Vineyards, head gardener Lena introduced me to these delectable sweet red peppers with an intriguing name.

Back home, my curiosity roused, I searched the internet before labeling the photographs I had taken as we explored the farm's ornamental and edible gardens, and the estate's modernist architecture and art.

I found the story about how the peppers were named on the 'Iowa Source' web site.

Reading the history of one Southern Italian gentleman, Giuseppe Nardiello, and his descendants exemplifies the endlessly engaging encounters that a love of gardening affords.

Needless to say, I'm itching to buy seeds and grow a crop next year--at T's community garden, of course! A side note: My Italian father introduced me to a melange of sauteed sweet peppers, and although I was not inclined to indulge as a child,

the zealous foodie I've become is mad about this dish.

Are you serving lunch? 'Potimarron' Winter Squash!

What's for Lunch?

During my visit to Stone Edge Farm and Vineyards, head gardener Lena Hahn-Schuman kindly handed me one of these beautiful 'Potimarron' squash. As the French name indicates, this winter squash is thought to have the flavor of chestnuts. I'll let you know as soon as it's been cooked: A simple preparation is planned - slicing in half and baking.

'Potimarron' is a golden color as it grows, achieving the lovely red-orange hue when fully ripe.

As you can see from the lead photo, chickens are part of the larger ecosystem at Stone Edge, where an approach to sustainable organic farming takes in ornamental and culinary gardens, along with the vineyards and olive trees.

If you're in Northern California, or expect to be in the area, you may want to sign up for the farm's Mailing List, to be notified of special events and receive news of the release of Cabernet Sauvignon and 'Surround' wines,

not to mention the award-winning olive oil produced at Stone Edge Farm.

Head-Turning Design .. Citron and Emerald

A Walkway of Citron and Emerald Green:

Sagina subulata and Sagina subulata 'Aurea' flanked by Verbena bonariensis:

Stonework punctuates the vignette.

It's the rare instance when I'm totally captivated by a design element,

but I took great pleasure in this moss walkway during a recent garden visit

to Stone Edge Farm 

The elegance of the clean-lined scheme turns heads, while the juxtaposition of cushiony mounds of moss beckoned me to remove my shoes and experience the sensation of the patterned planting beneath my feet!

Do you call it Scotch Moss or Irish Moss?

Both common names appear in the realm of gardening and horticulture.
... to read more, visit Alice's Garden Travel Buzz

Summer's End .. Gorgeous Grasses

Delicate plumes brush against the face along the entry path to Alice's Garden.

Photo © ALICE JOYCE

The showy display of Stipa - a welcome element in September.

Photos © ALICE JOYCE

And on the road... where late-summer gardens are buzzing with the effects of ornamental and native grasses!