This is an example of the many small and medium sized gardens around England’s Southwest. The Garden House is a definite stop on our Road Trip around England in June 2026. The photos below is from our stop in 2016. I keep coming back to this photo mainly for the design element of the A-Frame hedge wiggle through a flower bed.
Frank and I are planning our next trip to England in June 15-July 3, 2026. The map show our general plan to visit Cornwall, Somerset, Devon, Dorset in the southwest portion including the city of Bristol. Then continue north to Liverpool-Leeds-Sheffield-Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire,Cheshire.
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| Heat Map of my photo locations. |
Those of you interested in joining us for a portion of this road-trip, now is a good time to start planning. We have simplified the planning by introducing a flat day rate. This daily rate will include ground transportation, accommodations, all meals and garden admission. This is to make it easy for everyone to join us for two days, or for five days or for the entire duration of eighteen days. Make this a small part of your bigger journey in the UK and Europe.
For more details, use the Contact Mike form on the right-side column of my blog.
And of course, take a look at our trips in years past:
Looking back at old posts of this garden, I realize I have been working here since 2016, about nine years. But lots of work needed to prepare the site before any plants were added just two years ago. This is the first autumn the plants have reach a good mature size.
I am so pleased to see six or so Monarch caterpillars on this Milkweed I planted years ago. First time to witness the larva on one of my plants. Direct action. But apparently to some native plant enthusiasts, this is the wrong Milkweed to grow here on central coastal California. These littles ones could have utilized the Showy Milkweed planted twenty feet away, but didn’t, they chose this one, Asclepias tuberosa.
What’s blooming in my gardens in August? The asters are starting to go. Along with the already blooming Astromeria and Agapanthus. This trio is divine. The Astromeria has been blooming nonstop since April, maybe March. The Agapanthus since July.
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| My Garden at 375 |
This Consolida self-sown itself in my garden on Guerrero in February. Copiously so I know it was one I planted last year. Which according to my seed records it would be Consolida ajacis 'Earl Grey'. I have sown a few different Consolida over the last three years. One is white but this one doesn't match the photos I see when I search the internet. It's a single and the leaves are more palm-like than fern-like, dark green with a heavy waxy surface.
I planted this one a couple years ago. Love this rich ruby coloring. It doesn’t seem to get the rust like the larger florist gladiolus.
I planted this clump of Agapanthus from Digging Dog Nursery in December 2022. This is the first time to bloom and the first time I have been able to assess the color.
Over the last few years I have been growing more of my plants from seeds. Although it takes at least 24 months from sowing until a one-gallon plant, I find it worthwhile. But with a plant that tends to be biennial you can lower that to nine months. Sow in the fall and flowers in July.
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| This Disco across from our hotel at 9am. |
Frank and I arrived a day before the tour began and stayed three days after. We wanted days to explore Memphis without any itinerary. From my window seat this is downtown Memphis and the mighty Mississippi River.
Sunday Morning 7am, BB King's Blues Club is quiet. Nobody was out on the street. Perfect way to see a sight. But we are here to see gardens. Today we go out to the suburban town of Germantown. |
Annesdale Mansion |
We toured at least 12 gardens on Saturday June 7th, the second day at the Memphis Fling. Memphis is a small second city kind of city in the middle of the United States. The natural beauty for this landscape dominated by the mighty Mississippi River seen by the large areas of green space, Ox Bow lakes and large trees. Although the city has many problems, it has some enthusiastic people who love this place and take their duty seriously.
East Memphis neighborhoods and parks including the botanical gardens, Sexton/Thornton and Dixon Gallery.
To see the Second Day of Memphis Fling
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| Mimosas at the Memphis Botanic Garden |
Here are most of the products given to us on this tour. A group of 75 garden bloggers and social media personas. So far I have been reading the Weeds of the Pacific Northwest from Timber Press and will include a book review soon. I have the CobraHead hand tool in my tool bag but have yet to have the opportunity to work with it. More on that one too.
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Max and Justin’s Oakland garden is a horticulturalist’s collection. A small gardens packed full of epiphytes around their cute bungalow. Intimate spaces to sit, relax and meditate.
A few snapshots of May Flowers in my gardens of San Francisco.
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| Iris - Each stalk yields 8-9 double-socketed buds |
On Friday mornings, there is no parking along this section of Bird Street. This is effectively the Rose border for Dearborn Community Garden. Well maintained by a dedicated member of the garden.
This is the start of the second spring for this newly plants residential backyard. The layers of bulbs, annuals, flowering perennials and shrubs fill two rectangular beds.
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| Narcissus, Geum and Leptospermum (Tea Tree) |
With much anxiety Angele and I drove up to Richmond, California to the new nursery called Curious Flora. I was curious. I was hoping for the best but prepared to be disappointed and ashamed. The best being a thriving commercial nursery producing fun and new things along with those successful heirlooms. The worst, a possible commercial implosion and the loss of a great gardening resource.
It has been over 15 years since the Presidio became a national park in San Francisco. This area between Baker Beach to the south and the Golden Gate Bridge to the north has undergone a transformation removing many invasive weeds and planting all natives.
By Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi
I took the N-Judah street car to Ocean Beach and then walked the five miles back home. Here’s some characteristic street scenes.
