a Modern Mediterranean Garden

I'm looking for a way to take the '80s out of a ranch house and give it a modern edge, so I stop by the gorgeous High Hand Nursery to see what they have in the way of pots...

These urns would do, but so would the ribbed ones...

...or these smaller ones...

The house belongs to a Greek artist...she needs a more artistic environment, I think...perhaps a sitting area with these chairs from Pottery Barn, where she can have some coffee and a chat with her cats.

I love the look, the crunchy sound, the color of decomposed granite (DG to the trades)...maybe we'll take the grass out and replace it with DG...and surround it all with lovely mediterranean plants like lavenders, mexican feather grass, purple fountain grass, perhaps a hearty shrub rose, purple smoke tree. Maybe there will be some room for a lemon tree.

Fall is for Planting

flickr photo by Tigerzeye

Fall is the season for planting most everything, especially in the Sacramento Valley where there's a long growing season. When plants newly get plopped into that hole you've prepared, the roots that bring in water and minerals and oxygen (so the plant can breathe) still have the shape of their old container. They dry out faster and can't really do their job to anchor the plant. Planting now allows the roots to get integrated into your soil before the low temps of winter settle in...trees (which soon will be in nurseries showing their fall color), new or reseeded lawns, shrubs, perennials, fall bulbs...can get a head start and by spring will be ready to take off. So, now is really the time! If you need some help, re-designing your garden or planting those bulbs or shrubs, send me an email.
Jeannie (Geno herself)

Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek

Echeveria hyb. Hummel #1
Originally uploaded by bancroftgarden

A few years ago I discovered the Ruth Bancroft Garden (Walnut Creek, California), internationally recognized as one of the finest private gardens in North America. Check out its website for tours, plant sales and classes. It is truly unique. Mrs. Bancroft turned 100 on September 2nd, 2008!

2nd Thoughts on 2nd Spring

One of the things I love about gardening is the science of it, the gaining of knowledge and competence by trial and error. With that, I have to admit my 2nd spring experiment hasn't gone so well. Like many of you, I don't always get my plants into the ground the minute I get home. And, so, some of those plants I cheerily brought home didn't make it past Sacramento's Second Summer! But, I learned that the asters and the alyssum were the more fragile...and the vinca was quite up to our late-August heat wave.
Lessons learned: 1) the Second Spring isn't quite the same as the First Spring...duh...it can be really hot, so be prepared! 2) plants do better in the ground which stays cooler and more likely to be watered than the small easy to dry out compartment of the 6-pack.