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Annesdale Mansion |
We toured at least 12 gardens on Saturday, 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.
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.
East Memphis neighborhoods and parks including the botanical gardens, Sexton/Thornton and Dixon Gallery. Visited on June 6, 2025.
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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.
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.
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.
