Nothing else like it: Jim Bishop's garden in San Diego
Note: For the sake of convenience, I refer to the garden in this post as Jim’s garden, although of course it’s his partner Scott’s garden as well. When Jim was honored as Horticulturist of the Year by the San Diego Horticultural Society in 2019 , he gave a touching tribute to Scott, calling him “the most significant person in my world, plant or otherwise … He has enabled me to truly follow my passion for plants and led me on journeys around the world.” Of all the gardens I’ve visited over the years, Jim Bishop’s garden in San Diego is a standout. When you look at the photos below, it’s easy to see why. It’s a large garden, and almost every square foot is landscaped to perfection. There are well over 1,000 species of plants ranging from California natives to succulents to South African and Australian shrubs. They all seem to thrive in the garden’s hilltop location just a couple of miles from Mission Bay . But it’s not just the size and the variety of plants: It’s how everything c...