Memphis Fling - Extra Days Off

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. 

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.

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.

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.

My Garden at 375

Lomelosia stellata (Scabiosa Starflower)

I saw a photo of this plant’s seedhead a few years ago and have wanted to work with it into my gardens ever since.  So I am very pleased to seed the first bloom.    

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

Beaujolais Sweet Peas

 Here’s an annual I sowed last fall for an early start this year.  

Memphis Fling - Fourth Day

This Disco across from our hotel at 9am.

The fourth day of the Fling garden tour was more relaxed.   A whole neighborhood, Cooper-Young,  was having an open garden event and we walked from garden to garden.

Memphis Fling - Second Day

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.

First Day of Memphis Fling 

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

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.

Garden Conservancy - Open Gardens

Saturday, May 10, 2025

This garden in Piedmont is 1.5 acres.  The current owner is in their thirteen-year of a twenty-year garden renovation project.  There are ten large sequoias underplanted with largely inappropriate rhododendrons and moisture loving shade plants.  A feel of the Arts and Crafts in the house architecture with it’s brick terraces and chimneys. 

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 Flowers in San Francisco

 A few snapshots of May Flowers in my gardens of San Francisco.

Iris - Each stalk yields 8-9 double-socketed buds

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.  

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.  

Narcissus, Geum and Leptospermum (Tea Tree)

Bernal Hill Garden - April Flowers

 

Wisteria trained up a thin pole. 

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.

The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery

I took BART over to Oakland to eat lunch with Frank.  We both have been traveling recently and haven’t hung out in weeks.  After lunch we decide to drive to The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery.   Frank has a project that requires a lot of drought tough plants.   Here’s what I saw and a few of my thoughts. 

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.   

Flowers of March

 What is flowering in my gardens:

Freesias at Dearborn Community Garden

Book Review - The Gardener’s Palette

By Jo Thompson

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. 

Flowers of February

 

Book Review - Shrouded in Light

 By Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi

For the last few months I have been systematically reading my library of garden books.   With my morning cup of coffee I read front cover to back the many gardening books I have collected.

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. 

Neighbors often get inspiration for each other, or think it is horticulturally acceptable.