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.
Producing Floriferous Gardens in San Francisco’s Mediterranean Climate.
September 23, 2025
Memphis Fling - Extra Days Off
September 20, 2025
Hell Strip Supports the Monarch Butterfly
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.
September 16, 2025
Memphis Fling - Third Day
Visited on Sunday June 8, 2025
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.August 19, 2025
The Asters - The Fantastic Ones Known as Symphyotrichum
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 |
August 05, 2025
Lomelosia stellata (Scabiosa Starflower)
July 28, 2025
Consolida ajacis 'Earl Grey'?
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.
July 21, 2025
Gladiolus n. papilio 'Ruby'
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.
July 17, 2025
Agapanthus 'Back in Black'
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.
July 03, 2025
Unique Biennial for the Meadow - Clary Sage
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.
June 15, 2025
Beaujolais Sweet Peas
June 09, 2025
Memphis Fling - Fourth Day
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This Disco across from our hotel at 9am. |
June 07, 2025
Memphis Fling - Second Day
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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.
June 06, 2025
Memphis Fling - First Day
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 |
Memphis Fling Sponsors
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.
May 23, 2025
Garden Conservancy - Open Gardens
May 20, 2025
Garden Conservancy - Open Gardens
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.
May 06, 2025
May Flowers in San Francisco
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 |
May 02, 2025
Dearborn Garden's Rose Border
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.
April 15, 2025
Saint Francis Woods Garden - April Flowers
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) |
Bernal Hill Garden - April Flowers
April 05, 2025
Curious Flora Nursery (Reincarnation of Annie’s Annuals)
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.
April 02, 2025
The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery
March 16, 2025
Marshall Beach
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.
March 15, 2025
Flowers of March
March 12, 2025
Book Review - The Gardener’s Palette
A journey into color, this book with over a hundred selected color schemes will test your knowledge of what colors go together. Each scheme is two or three pages with a large photo and a plant list. It is hard to say if this is a reference book. Looking up say red,purple and apricot planting scheme is not easy as there is no real organization of the book. Or rather, I can’t figure out how this is organized. Maybe that will come to me on its second reading.
February 12, 2025
Flowers of February
February 07, 2025
Book Review - Shrouded in Light
By Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi
January 01, 2025
Great Highway, San Francisco
I took the N-Judah street car to Ocean Beach and then walked the five miles back home. Here’s some characteristic street scenes.
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