Succulents and More™

When my friend Loree danger garden Bohl visited last weekend, we stopped by the Wave Garden in Point Richmond . Both of us had fond memories from previous visits and wanted to see how it had evolved. I’m happy to say that while it isn’t quite as shiny as it used to be, it’s still a very special place. I’ve blogged about the Wave Garden before (in 2014 , 2015 , 2017 ). In these posts, I go into the history of this unique place, but let me summarize: The creators of the Wave Garden, Jeanne and Vern Doellstedt, bought the property adjacent to their home to prevent it from being developed and from blocking their view of San Pablo Bay, the northern extension of San Francisco Bay. They decided to turn it into a collaborative space combining concrete walls and paths, metal gates and fences, and lush yet drought-tolerant plantings that provide visual interest and color year round. Out of the goodness of their heart, they elected to open the garden to the public to enjoy. Basically, the Wave G...

Echinopsis ‘Flying Saucer’ is the first one to kick off this year’s cactus bloom season. As always, it made a spectacular entrance. There’s nothing modest or reserved about it. It’s as splashy as it gets. Since daytime temperatures have been on the cool side all week, the flowers have lasted much longer than usual. As I’m writing this, we’re on day 4, and the flowers are just now starting to fade; I expect them to be completely spent by tomorrow. Four days is a new record for me. On a hot summer day, the flowers sometimes don’t even last until evening. Day 1, March 31 I was hoping the flowers would open up before Loree danger garden Bohl went back to Portland, and they did: Day 2, April 1 On day 2, the flowers were a lighter pink than on day 1. This is the typical color for ‘Flying Saucer’. Day 3, April 2 On day 3, the flowers were a darker pink again. The petals were beginning to look a bit tired. Day 4, April 3 The petals looked much rougher now, but the flowers were still open. I ...

Portland garden writer Loree Bohl, the mastermind behind the danger garden blog and author of the Timber Press book Fearless Gardening , is an old friend. Loree had been wanting to visit for some time, and finally the stars were aligned just right. We spent three jam-packed days visiting gardens in the East Bay, both public and private, meeting old friends and making new ones. It was an exhilarating weekend – exhausting, yes, but in the best way when you’re tired, yet completely content. I’ll have individual posts over the next month. Here’s a teaser to whet your appetite. Ruth Bancroft Garden, Walnut Creek The first garden Loree and I visited was the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. I had just been there , but for Loree it had been six years. Tracy’s garden, Livermore Tracy chronicles the evolution of her garden on her blog tzgarden . Both Loree and I knew her garden from photos, but seeing it in person offered a completely new perspective. Suffice it to say that the three of us...