Potrero Hill Garden

This garden on the northern slope of Potrero Hill is dominated by a neighbor's large green japanese maple and an avocado tree. This is mostly a shade garden with a few patch of full sun.

Large balls of Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' with Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra) in the foreground.


Forest grass with Campanula.



Winter brown color of the Japanese Forest Grass.

Cloches for the Hydrangeas are clearly seen in this winter photograph.



Brugsmania

Garden Structures - Gates

Next up is garden gates, those structures that limit access and make areas more enticing. The solid oak gate is traditional in England. Old oak weathers well.

Lichen covered Oak at the vegetable garden of RHS Rosemoor.



Numerous gates at the extensive gardens of East Ruston Old Vicarage.

Garden Structures - Pathways

Garden Pathways - My first in a series talking about garden elements. This post is about those features that guide us through the garden. This is what I saw in England. Next up will be garden: Furniture, Plant Supports, Walls, Doors.



Gravel circle stepping stones at Chelsea Garden Show 2012.

Point Reyes National Seashore & Tomales Bay State Park, California

Point Reyes, Drakes Bay & Drakes Estero along the thin horizon.

Color Scheme

Here a few of my color schemes for 2013. Most are inspirations from the many plantings I saw in England.

Rosa 'Burgundy Iceburb' with oregano.

William Robinson, The Father of Natural Gardens

    William Robinson was an Irishman born into the Victorian garden age of colorful exotic bedding and mock Italianate gardens. In his early 20's, he was appointed head of the Natives Plants section at Regent's Park. Here his exposure to the native and 'wild' plants of the English countryside heavily influenced his opposition to the current Victorian garden aesthetics. He spent many years traveling around England and visiting the continent, inspiring him to advocate for a change in English garden style. He was a prolific writer, starting the magazine, The Garden, and writing the book, The Wild Garden. His writing promoted the ideas that natural gardening was less costly to maintain with less replanting of tender annuals. He also advocated more closely planted beds, less showy beauty, and the naturalization of exotic perennials and annuals planted in a manner in which they will thrive. He believed in the natural succession of plants to provide year round interest and beauty in the garden. He was more an advocate for the natural garden style than an actual garden designer. His work was not a restoration effort of native ecosystems, but rather the creation of something more than that, something picturesque which looked natural.

Dearborn Community Garden - An Urban Vegetable Plot

I have shared this 12' x 8' plot with my friend and colleague for a couple of seasons now. We sowed a few interesting new plants from our trip to England. We mostly grow edibles but have a few purely ornamental plants we are testing for our other gardens.

Vicksburg Terraced Dry Garden

Gertrude Jekyll and her garden at Hestercombe was my inspiration for this garden design. I picked mostly Mediterranean plants and laid them out in drifts. Silver plants, seed heads, yellow & purple, I wanted lots of hot colors along with the cool lavenders and blues. 

Bernal Heights Map of City Lots

This densely populated neighborhood of San Francisco is unique.  The lots are tiny.  It was a working class neighborhood up until the 80's.  It also is on a hill.  Most real estate in San Francisco increase in value directly to altitude or view.   My garden is just north of Holly Park, the circle lower left.

Vicksburg Woodland Garden

If I can pack anymore flowers in here, my client would love me even more.