Peeping Gardener - Rockridge Neighborhood in Oakland

There are so many gardens to photograph in this neighborhood. I'm only scratching the surface with these. There does seem to be a recurring theme in many gardens though - that of the little low wall. It's done in many styles and materials but always around 1-1.5' tall. My favorite was this simple concrete one.

This one sure would be better if they had stopped the plastic edging where the stone wall began. And Sedum spurium makes a cute trailer over another wall.

Chunky is nice.

And so is a nicely sliced slate wall.

We found some nice paving.

And of course some lovely plantings.

We thought this one looked like a howling bunny.

Some dramatic strappy-leaved plants:

And even Rockridge has some ugly yards and messed up houses.

And I'm not sure what to make of this place other than my assumption that they might have control issues.

Oh well, each to his own. It keeps the neighborhood more interesting.

Peeping Gardener - Carmel and Venice Beach

Whenever I take walks through neighborhoods I usually lug my camera with me so I can snap photos of any gardens I find interesting. I thought I'd start sharing my photos with you guys of the different neighborhoods I visit. Each neighborhood seems to have its own flavor and quirkiness.

This past spring, on the way to Venice Beach, we made a quick stop in Carmel. Right next to where we parked was this interesting fence.

While the house architecture looks a bit confused (Am I Tudor? Am I Tuscan?) I found the fence charming and thought it would look perfect in front of the Hobbit House in Houston.

Elsewhere, this massive planting of a single color of Antirrhinums certainly did the trick to catch one's attention.

I loved this colorful succulent planting in front of some fancy-smansy store, who's name I can't remember now.

The coolest thing I saw were these "stone" window boxes built right into the building facade. I was trying to figure out exactly how they were built, but it basically seems to involve colored concrete over some kind of framework, water-proof flashing, and drainage holes.

I do like how Carmel has respect for its trees, allowing some to grow as they will, even though they take up vital parking spots!

Venice Beach was of course a bit grittier, with funkiness to spare. The following garden was a repurposer's dream and definitely appealed to my love of rust. It seemed to belong to an apartment building but was totally exposed to the sidewalk, separated only by a low wall.

A couple more alley-facing gardens that embrace the beachy vibe.

Next up will be photos from walks through the Rockridge neighborhood here in Oakland.

The most beautiful grass

There are a lot of grasses I like, but Stipa barbata, sometimes called Stipa 'Silver Feather' holds a special place in my heart. When blooming, it is certainly the most graceful thing in the garden. The soft blond "feathers" float and undulate with the slightest breeze. A photograph rarely does them justice. One really needs to videotape their graceful movements.

When not in bloom, there isn't much to the plant. In fact, the sparse dried-looking leaf blades often look dead. I've learned to leave them alone and I am rewarded in summer with those golden tassels. It isn't the type of plant you would want to use as a groundcover since it covers nothing. I plant them in groups of at least 3 so that the massed bloom stalks make a good impact. They also like it on the drier side. I've found the perfect home for them in my forsaken sunny parking strip where most plants fail. Interplanted with low succulents, they are able to take advantage of the breezes out by the street to dance and wave, catching the late evening sun.

But the fun has just begun because once the seeds mature and fall from the plant they do the most interesting things. When first separated from the plant the long dark brown part of the seed are straight as an arrow, tipped with a sharp point. The blond "feather" catches the wind and allows the seed to float to a new home.

I usually collect the seed for future crops and I noticed after a few days the straight dark brown stems had developed attractive spiral twists. Out in the garden I began to notice that seeds that had escaped my collecting had burrowed themselves into the ground. It must be that spring-loaded spiral twisting that forces the seed into the ground. How cool! A seed that plants itself!

I've since noticed that other Stipas have the ability to twist into the soil - especially the extremely prolific Stipa tenuissima, aka Mexican Feather Grass. On close examination, its small seeds are miniature replicas of Stipa barbata. Even though some seeds remain in my garden, I've never seen them germinate out there, even though the readily do at the nursery.

Do try to collect some of the seeds and bring them inside. A bowl full of them is lovely or try putting a few in a small vase for a charming dried arrangement.

You can sometimes find Stipa barbata at Annie's Annuals and Perennials.

Bromiliad, Cactus and Succulent Show in SF

I was happened to be over by SF Botanical Garden when the Bromiliad, Cactus and Succulent Societies were having their plant sale. I've always been into succulents and I'm getting more and more interested in bromiliads so I thought I'd see if I could pick up any good deals.

The display section had some very nice specimens.

I don't know why but succulent growers always have the coolest pots!

These warty balls were my favorite though. That is some freaky stuff! And I love that the name of the plant is Mammillaria bocasana 'Fred'. Fred's warty balls. (Tee-hee!) Geesh, I can be so juvenile! And I should really keep in mind that my mom reads this blog.

Anyway, onto the sale part of the show. There were tables and tables of little pots of cuties.

Here is what I ended up taking home:

Succulents are (from left to right):

Kalanchoe synsepala dissectum

Aloe hybrid

Aloe hybrid

Gasteria prolifera

Bromiliads are (from top left down ending at bottom right):

Neotunisia

Tillandsia fasciculata x ionantha

Tillandsia concolor

(missing tag)

Tillandsia tenuifolia 'Amethyst'

Neoreglia cv.

Oh, and this one - Neoreglia hybrid.

Those Tillandsias I'm going to try growing on some palm trunks I've had in my garden for years and never know what to do with.

I also picked up this book, The History of Succulents by Gordon Douglas Rowley, which looks pretty interesting.

I was sold as soon as I saw the photo of this guy. Doesn't he look like some cooky neighbor that likes to garden naked, handing out divisions of his succulents to neighbors, whether they want them or not. Actually, he looks like his name could be Fred...