What a lovely dark red lily. It’s even taller in its second year, and seems quite happy out front with an eastern exposure. This one is planted in the ground, and I’ve found it very beneficial to use bamboo stakes and green stretchy tape for added support.
I enjoyed this article by Don Shor about planting for pollinators. It’s good reminder for me to plant a few more varieties that are especially good at drawing bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden. By taking a few simple steps to provide habitat, food, water and nectar sources and avoiding pesticide use, I’ll be rewarded with a beautiful garden that is buzzing with life.
As of right now, I have ordered plenty of milkweed for the nursery, but I haven’t planted any at the home. And closer to Fall when natives are more readily available, I need to be on the lookout for native pipevine (Aristolochia californica). I’ve got lavender, Dicliptera, CA poppies, Echium… a birdbath… hummingbird feeder… and some untouched areas where nature can do its thing.
I’d also like to add a native bee house. It’s all about working with nature, not against it.
“You are the garden”, professes the entry marquee at Flowerland Nursery in Albany, CA. Heck, yeah, I am. I am often in need of weeding, have untapped potential, and every now and then in the right light and after a lot more work than should be necessary, am tinged with loveliness.
This was my first visit to Flowerland Nursery, another wonderful East Bay nursery with a unique hook– its own airstream trailer coffee shop on site. The coffee shop is operated by Local 123, serving espresso, coffee and pastries. Being able to buy coffee and plants in one place is a marriage of two of my favorite things in life. Add in the mellow music and delicious gluten-free peanut butter cookie I bought and I am one happy camper.
Flowerland is a magical place. My hurried phone pics don’t do the place justice. I’d love to see the nursery in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is softest; I must return with the intent to have no intent.
We visited on a Friday, a time when many nursery workers have that frenzied, “gearing up for the weekend” look. Believe me, I know the feeling. Customers also tend to be task-oriented on Fridays at many nurseries.
“Gotta get those bags of mulch before the party!”
“Gotta replace that broken hose!”
“Gotta feed those tomatoes!”
Gardening can sometimes feel like a chore, and it can take on an edge of competitiveness at times; It needn’t. At Flowerland, I’ve never seen a more mellow-looking group of employees and customers. It’s a place where you can buy stuff to feed your plants, but it’s also a place where you can feed your soul; where you can sit down in the retro chair of your choice and just chill the heck out. Catch up with a friend. Read a book.
A great big thanks to East Sac Edible for recommending this gem of a nursery. I can’t believe it didn’t register on my usually keen nursery radar before now. An added bonus is that it only took about an hour and nineteen minutes to get there from my house. (more…)
They’re inexpensive, elegant and magical. What’s holding me up? Magic? No, Pot Klips!
It was 104 degrees in Sacramento yesterday, which made it a great day to get out of Dodge! I recently purchased two cycling books in an effort to burn more calories while seeing new sights. Kim and I chose a fun (i.e. brisk, but not death-defying) bike ride around Tiburon, CA.
Northern California is a staggeringly beautiful place and I’m way behind in exploring it. What I (and poor Kim) hadn’t anticipated was all the braking we’d be doing for flowers and succulents. You have to be a gazillionaire in order to live in a place like Tiburon, but all you need is a bicycle and a smart phone camera in order to enjoy its flora. Doable!
This 10.5-mile ride came from Moon Bay Area Biking: 60 of the Best Rides for Road and Mountain Biking (Moon Outdoors). With an elevation gain of 700 feet, the “Tiburon and Belvedere Loop” is described as “easy riding with stunning bay views”. It delivers even more to the gardener’s eye as you cruise by colorful front yard gardens, hanging baskets, overflowing window boxes, super-saturated flower colors you see only along the coast, whimsical mailboxes (is that a thing here?) and liberal use of succulents in the landscape. We ended up doing two loops… about 20 miles.
Tiburon and Belvedere Loop
