Special Plants Nursery & Garden

June 05, 2012

Special Plants Nursery & Garden

This was one of the side trips that turned out well for us. The other being the discovery of East Lambrook Manor House. I'll show you that in a few days. Frank & I decided to stop by The Special Plants Nursery on our way to Prince Charles Highgrove House. We stumbled upon a garden tour and talk about hardy geraniums, starting in 5 minutes. Wow. A room full of old ladies and us two. Inspired to find some of the geranium hybrids as they'll look great in San Francisco gardens.

The weather was gray; great for photos but it was also raining. So we spend an hour drinking coffee, eating cake, talking plants and US & UK topics. Too wet for Highgrove House plus we didn't have tickets. We were advised it is usually sold out. We must order tickets next visit.

The first sighting of the famous Patty's Plum Poppy.

My path

Garden Fluffer, Personal Gardener, Fine Gardening, Market Gardener these are some of the names I have toyed with as my official title or job description. Most would classify me as a maintenance gardener. But i do things much different than your basic gardening crew. It is all about the process or procedures that I use to make my green spaces.

Simple things, done well. A gardener’s influence on a space is through control. Pruning, thinning, dividing and moving plants around to create an authentic natural look. But this is far from Nature. Step lightly and preen like a large herbivore. Leave all clippings around its source to replenish and shade the soil, creating a good environment for seeds to germinate. Only remove weed seed heads, diseased material and anything sharp like rose thorns, all other green material is made into compost either in a formal pile or as a light mulch. Nothing looks more authentic than a plant mulched with it’s own leaves and twigs. That is my gardening process. Simply well.

This is on top of picking the right plant in the right place. When I am looking to fill a void, no matter if it’s an annual or perennial, tree or shrub, evergreen or deciduous; I start with California and Western US native plants. If nothing fits my requirements (exposure, water, form and floral timing, client preferences) then I look at plants from the other Mediterranean regions of the world.

This blog is my chance to show my work and those things that inspire and influence.

MUG | Mike's Urban Garden | MUG

June 05, 2012

Special Plants Nursery & Garden

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