The Surprising Dunsmuir Estate

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I am so excited to tell you that I've been asked to serve on an advisory board for the Dunsmuir Estate!  I'm told that this is the first advisory board since the City of Oakland took over care of the property, so I feel truly honored.I was just over there last Friday because I made an effort to remember to visit during their insanely restricted hours (it is an effort, even bank employees would drool over these hours!).  I work from home not very far from this place and even still, I can't seem to get over there while they're actually open.... never-mind the times they should be open (imho) but aren't, like weekdays squeezed between major holidays and weekends (I tried to go last Black Friday for example).  BUT, that's not the point I'm here to make.This place is a gem in the rough.  Anyone who has read my blog before knows how much I enjoy visiting historic estates and gardens, but this one eluded me until a few months ago.  SO, without further delay - a few photos from last Friday to celebrate my budding relationship with the folks who are working so hard to keep the place up and promote it.  I'm plain ole thrilled about it.So above you see the Main House and the entry, ducks, fountain, and gazebo (drought?  what drought?)....... and two benches with gobs of personality...... a couple of shots that I think exemplify the magic of the character of the place....... but I'll leave you with a shot of my favorite thing, the pool and pool house.  I could do a whole post just on this one item, and I probably will, but it is such a magical, beautifully proportioned thing, I wish I had drawings of it to study, find out what it is about the space that is so magical, apply those ratios to my own work (even though I don't design by mathematical formula, I just want to "get" it and be able to replicate it).   I dearly hope that this can someday be restored, but in the meantime, I'll stare at it and imagine what it must have been like.

Italian Garden in the fall

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I was just sent two new photos of my project in Italy (mentioned before HERE) now that it is fall.  The garden looks fantastic, which is a real testament to the Owners taking such wonderful care of it!  That is such an important aspect of any garden's success, and I'm delighted to share these images with you:

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

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Two years ago this month I visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Az.  Even though I was in Phoenix for the ASLA conference, I think I was more excited about visiting this garden than anything else.  This year, they're celebraing their 75th anniversary - SEVENTY FIVE YEARS!The Desert Botanical Garden, despite being in the desert, has beauty, drama, softness, and life.  There's a word that I hate (it starts with a "x" and ends in "scaping") that makes most people imagine a particular layout and use of plant materials that just makes my head hurt.  Things have changed, though, and design of water wise planting has evolved!The folks at the Desert Botanical Garden have done a beautiful job with the materials they use.  Most of the arbors, gates, trellises, and things like that are made with raw steel and rebar.  They've oxidized into being gorgeous rusted pieces that are both crisp in their design and rustic in their finish.  Next up is the use of concrete - oh yes, concrete is wonderful stuff!  This board-formed concrete wall with the wood bench attached to it is so nicely detailed! There's this lovely seat wall with a green stone inlay that becomes a very discrete water feature at the other end.  The water aspect of this would be easy to overlook, it is not showy or loud.  Water, of course, is important for many reasons, but a big gurgling fountain would be out of place here.  Tempting, but not appropriate.I only recall one other water feature, also a nice quiet, appropriate piece.Nearby were some very cool butterfly chairs with white slipcovers - they even looked refreshing - which caused me to realize that even if you don't sit or touch the water, the visual cue of taking a break is still a powerful (refreshing) force.Above you can get a real feel for the place - materials retain their integrity; for example, stone is used like stone, and it isn't just veneer.  The colors belong here, and boldness is introduced sparingly.  Here, the planting not only steals the show, it IS the show thanks to strategic restraint in all the other materials.  Take a peek at the next several images - notice how the materials are used honestly, With color and a sense of place in mind, here are more of my favorites: Last, but not least I leave you with the parking lot (that's right, the parking lot) and a bunny with two quail (the quail blend, just behind the bunny to the right, in front of the succulents).Botanical gardens and arboreta are a big influence in my life and someday I hope to work on another one.  In fact, I really should buy a lottery ticket because if I ever won, I'd buy some land and .... oh, do I have ideas!

Filoli Again, in August Again

I've talked enough about Filoli - so I'll just post the photos from last weekend: 

Something I did not know was that they had a ton of sculptures installed - with price lists in the gift shop, apparently.  I like the new additions.

I love catching people in my photos right when they're wondering if they can possibly escape before I click the shutter.  Sorry, I was too quick this time, but holy crap - lookit those Hydrangeas!

The Cleome were incredible - again, people in the shot to show just how BIG they are (the Cleome, not the people)!

Love the pond, there are fish in there too - I don't know what kind, but I could sit and watch them for a good while, goofing off in the waterlilies (not sure who would goof off more, the fish or me).

Here I thought I was taking pictures of Magnolias, but these two are so sweet.

...and again, Filoli manages to make even ordinary Pelargoniums look amazing!  I bought one at the gift shop, just could not resist, so don't be surprised if you see them in future posts...

as usual, the intense exuberance of the plantings are utterly breathtaking.  Vigor and vibrance around every corner.

and of course, a trip to Filoli wouldn't be complete without photos in the Olive Grove.  Talk about a sense of place!

Montalvo Arts Center

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Allow me to introduce you to Montalvo.  If you've been reading my blog, you probably know I adore Filoli, I have posted about it a few times (March 2012, August 2010, late winter 2010) and am thinking I'll go visit again soon.  However, just about half an hour drive south of there in Saratoga, CA is another impressive estate that is also open to the public (visiting this place is FREE!) Montalvo Arts Center.  I visited Montalvo a few times in 2012 and attended an evening concert in 2013 and wanted to share a few images with you (yes, I AM due another visit! keep reading).  Montalvo, being state owned, could always use a few more visitors. It has an incredible history and offers concerts, constantly changing artistic installations, and all sorts of festivals and events.The grounds change constantly as you'll see in the photos I'll post here and when I've visited next (familiarity with Montalvo comes thanks to my last employer, PGAdesign in Oakland):As you come up the drive, the Villa reveals itself - and in front of it is the Great Lawn (recently modified and renovated).Turning around on the great lawn you see the drive there on the left, and the entrance to the Italianate Garden.Inside the Italianate Garden (a stunner!) there are sculptures, an incredible folly, and all sorts of discoveries.Walking around the Great Lawn and up to the Villa, artistic installations are constantly changing.....and once up at the Villa, the courtyard and the former pool are flat-out lovely places to see.  Do you see the pool?  look again at that flat, oval lawn....those steps are more recent, but imagine the wall they're on around water...Montalvo has been undergoing renovations in the last couple of years, and I expect to return for another visit as soon as I can.  Maybe this weekend?  I hope so!

A Garden in Italy

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While I was away neglecting my modern web-presence-building duties, I enjoyed working on a particularly wonderful little project.... a Bed and Breakfast in Italy!  I have never been to Italy, but when my good friend and talented architect Glenda Flaim showed me her work on Casa Incantata, I asked if I could take a stab at the planting design which had yet to be finalized.  Neither of us had any idea what would happen.  Come on, what do I know about plants in Italy?!  Niente.  The way we worked around that, and got the garden done was a genuinely collaborative effort involving Glenda, the Owners, their gardener, some dutch visitors, and me:First, Glenda sent me a photo of the site with notes (in green) on her thoughts for the planting:We chatted about the decisions on the photo - why the hedge, what is the lawn for, stuff like that.  I studied snapshots of the building and tried to imagine what it would be like to be there in person.  Glenda mentioned that the house  had just won a national award for sustainable architecture, and was photographed soon after I started noodling with the design of the garden on paper.  You can see pre-garden professional architectural photos here and here.  She sent me a computer drafted file of the site and I gathered photos of plants that came to mind.I started the planting design in June 2012:I mapped out the planting design in areas with palettes.  The areas got names:  there was "lawn", "spicy", "meadow", and "hedge".  I wrote a description of how each of these areas would be different from each other, what forms and colors I was trying to emphasize, and what colors I wanted to avoid entirely.  I wrote out how these plants would change with the seasons and the desired effects.  With lists of plants and their written intentions, the memos were translated into Italian and back into English through Glenda.The Owners and their gardener started looking for the plants and sent word back what was available and not, and we figured out plants that might work instead.  More memos handling spacing and layout were translated back and forth, plant research was done on both continents.  Plants were purchased and installed as they were found; this took a few seasons to finish.  Some were purchased in Italy, some shipped from the U.S., and the last, elusive bulb was a gift from some visitors from Holland who learned of the missing bulb in discussions of the garden during their stay.Over the last 2 years, I've gotten a couple of photos a season so I could see how the garden was doing.  They had wasted no time getting plants in the ground.  Later that same year (fall 2012), the lawn (Hernaria glabra) which also extended between the pavers, was getting its start:By the following Spring (2013) it had filled-in very nicely!The other plants were coming along too:By that Summer, you could see the different zones expressing themselves:And just last month, I got another update:It is challenging to know how a garden will look when you're designing it, and there were many anxious moments when I knew they were investing in my advice and I could only hope that the Owners would like the results.  I'm not sure it is possible to tell if the image in my head matches what the garden will become.  I can't know ahead of time if the Owners will like what the garden will become, and yet it is dependent on them and everyone who takes care of it to continue to support the design's intention as the garden is maintained.I am finally able to share (two years later) how things are going here in this post.   I can also share that the owners are very happy with their garden, and conveyed to me this sentiment:

 Il giardino che ho sempre sognato!!!

(The garden I have always dreamed about!!!)

I couldn't have asked for more.

Filoli March 2012

I went to Filoli AGAIN!  I know, I know, I don't put up any new posts for practically a year, then I go to Filoli yet again, and start a fourth post on how awesome it is.  Pretty lame, but I have a new friend (and an observation about the nursery industry) because of this particular trip.Filoli is awesome and the people watching (really, people overhearing) can't be beat.  Best line of the day came from an elderly gentleman to his wife  near the parking lot: "would you like me to carry your bag?".   There were some ladies settled on a bench behind the main house talking about something that sounded very personal. I also enjoyed the murmurings of tour groups as they responded to their tour guide's proclamations, and a few occasions where people were clearly seeing something new to them (a double flowered daffodil confounded one woman who wondered aloud if it was really three flowers that had grown together).  One visitor was wearing a pretty lavender scarf that was perfectly in tune with this planting of bulbs behind offices (near the gift shop).So - while I was over here near the gift shop, I did a little poking around their plant selections and I just had to buy something that was new to me!  I found a dwarf Wisteria called 'Kofuji'.  It is supposedly a shrub form wisteria that will stay within 2-3' ht x sp (height by spread).  I googled it and found very little information on it, but the label was from a wholesale grower, so there's hope of finding it again.  I am going to stick it in a pot outside my back door and see what happens.  Here's my new friend:Here's what I'm getting to:  I've had my own garden on my mind lately (as well as those of clients), and have been visiting local nurseries to see what is interesting.  I depend on nurseries to carry a wide variety of plants including the newer introductions so that I can take pictures for my clients (especially of certain plants together!) and test grow stuff in my patio, see how they do, get to know them personally.  I like to think that through this process, I can not only suggest the exact cultivar I would propose for their project, but also have a reasonable expectation of being able to secure that plant when the time comes.  Unfortunately, even though my new Wisteria friend originated at a well known wholesale grower, I had to go all the way across the bay to Filoli to discover it.Sadly, nurseries have been struggling along with the rest of the design and construction industries for the last few years.  Last year, I noticed that they were under-staffed, under-stocked, and had extended seasonal closures.  This year, what I am noticing is a lack of variety and larger materials.  They're selling old standbys in smaller sizes and have reduced or eliminated the expense of ordering from a wider number of growers and also are not putting as much effort into creating big displays that I am sure ate up some money for them in the past (but was probably worth it when people were buying!).  They seem to be avoiding the riskiness of bringing in less commonly known plants.  I can't usually leave a nursery without buying something, but this spring, I've been through several - the Wisteria is the first plant I bought this year - which is saying something!So please - go and show your local nursery some love (not Home Depot).  Buy a small plant or some seeds, let them know you're still out there.  Your community and your garden will thank you.  Meanwhile, here's some more of the wonderfulness that is Filoli:

Plant Delights Nursery Open House

I was delighted to have had the opportunity to visit Plant Delights Nursery and their Juniper Level Botanical Garden last week.  There is SO much to love, but sadly very few decent photos.  You see, that day was the first day of their Open House, but my last day in the area.  I had only two hours before I had to leave for my flight, and a measly 36 image slots left on my camera's memory card (not nearly enough!).  I didn't want to skip shopping, so I had to keep moving....Let me start here:  I've been reading Tony Avent's (the proprietor) e-mail newsletter and ordering from his mail order catalog for years.  I read his book in college, and meeting him was (for doofy plant geek me) akin to meeting a movie star.  Let me tell you - HE KNOWS HIS STUFF.  Even though he lives in North Carolina, that dude is up to speed on Bay Area nurseries and gardens  (including news items I wouldn't know about if I wasn't a member of the HALS North CA chapter).  Despite having hundreds (think I'm kidding?  you should've seen the big tour busses) of people wandering about, he spent a nice chunk of time chatting with me about gardens and nurseries in the Bay Area.His staff were equally accommodating, and this is the main reason I am posting about the trip.  I cannot emphasize enough how remarkable the staff is.  I met/talked to no less than six people, each of them asked me if it was my first time at the gardens, and where was I visiting from.  When I saw that person again, they made sure to make eye contact, wave, smile, or otherwise say something like "hey, you still here?", "what plant are you getting now?" or "have a safe flight!".  I bought only THREE plants, all in 4" containers, so it wasn't like I was being recognized for pigging out on the greenery.  I bought an Arisaema (I've never grown this before, so we'll see if Tony was right and it likes my patio) that had been rooted in the pot next to it, so when they were picked up, each had exposed roots.  I went to pay for it, and the nice man who wrote up my sales ticket directed me into one of their holding/shipping greenhouses so he could nest the 4" pot into a 2 gal pot with potting soil to protect those roots until I could get it home and safely re-potted.  There was no extra charge for this, but it sure illustrates how much they care about the plants and what they'll do to make sure they aren't compromised.Plant Delights specializes in some very cool stuff, making their own introductions as well as cultivating rare and unusual plants from all over the world (responsibly, too!).  They've got the most Zephyranthes cultivars I've ever seen in one place (and mine are doing well, I've had them a few years now).  I don't personally grow Hosta, but check out one part of their Hosta seed trials below:The people there know about their plants and soils, and they sure as heck care.  I overheard an impromptu lecture on soils and the evils of commercial fertilizer (organic is the way to go, no matter what you read anywhere else), and I learned that even they get their soils tested annually.  They take good care of everything, and to get plants of this quality from people of this quality....well....I have no need to go to Home Depot anytime soon.Maybe someday I will try Pitcher plants again....I love how they look in bloom and with other plants (above).Thank you, Plant Delights Nursery!OH - and what did I carry home in my carry-on bag?  Bletilla striata 'Murasaki Skikibu', Arisaema costatum, and Lycoris x 'Elsiae'.

Filoli in August

I have to admit that my plan to visit Filoli several times this year fell apart over the summer....but I did visit the gardens yesterday, August 8th, and took a few snapshots. This time, I watched people (and eavesdropped) as much as I enjoyed the gardens. The light was glaringly bright, and good pictures difficult to get, but my ancient digital camera and I did our best.

It was a great day for people watching, though.  The visitors I encountered were (if accents are any indication) from all over the world, and they brought lots of kids with them (which can be both hysterical and loud).  There were also some people there talking about their own gardens....perhaps looking for design ideas?One couple appeared to be touring the garden with their designer. This is what I overheard:Wife: I love those white flowers over there (they were a full bed of white Agrostemma). I mean they're all nice, but I do have some sun and I like those, they're so delicate.Designer: Yeah, with those you need to have full sun.Husband: uh huh.Wife: They're just so pretty.Husband: But this is the Summer. Think about what they'll look like at other times of the year, it will be just this (points to the soil underneath).Designer: yup.What???  Is he kidding?  Not to get into that specific plant, and I have no idea what they are designing for/around...but Agrostemma is an annual and one can plant bulbs underneath or ground cover plants if a spot of bare soil is a major issue for the husband.   In addition, the designer could (should!) be designing so that the garden's inherent design is beautiful whether it is Summer or not (and needs to illustrate this to his clients). If the wife is smitten with white Agrostemma, they should be at least under consideration.  To be fair, I don't know what happened after that....I try not to assert design "rules" because for every rule, there is likely at least one successful example that breaks it...but I do believe that Filoli is a fantastic place to see occasions when an area in its 'off-season' is beautiful, too.What you are focused on is what you will notice.  If you are focused on how much you hate a certain view, guess what?  That view will bother you all the time.  If you are looking for bare patches of soil, congratulations!  Bare soil is what you will find.  What would happen if we all adjusted our attention? What if we saw more than bare soil and ugly views?The paired images here are from Feb 2010 and August 2010.

Ruth Bancroft Garden

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Ruth Bancroft Garden Oct 09

Bench at Ruth Bancroft Garden

I finally went.  I've been meaning to go to the Ruth Bancroft Garden for years, and I am so glad I finally went today.  Nice and overcast, not hot out, quiet with few visitors.  They're closing soon for most of the winter, so this was a last chance day.  I enjoyed the garden, but I was surprised both at how big it is and also how small given the reputation.  Getting there is easy, figuring out what to do next was confusing.  I passed the whole thing the first time, having missed the entrance....then we drove around the back to park in (apparently) someone's driveway?Anyway - the whole experience was fun, the garden could do with some work, more seating, and a proper gift shop.  Today was one of those instances when I badly wish I could win the lottery and make it all better.  Even though it is scrappy in many areas, it was also easy to find a flattering angle for pictures - something I attribute to the layout being very relaxed and organic, no edging or excessive ornament, and the plants being a well layered mix of nice big mature specimens with smaller plants.  There were lots of plant labels but no labels on plants I wanted to identify / verify.All in all, worth the ten bucks to support a local treasure.....even if it did mix all kinds of weird stuff in with natives with little explanation of what we were looking at and there was only one bench in the whole place.  I'd not call it a botanical garden, but I had a really nice half day out.