A Garden Grows in California

12 Jul '09 5:43 pm

What wonderful pictures,Mark (just what was in those glasses,judging by Lia's expression.)
Your last photo is indeed stunning in its simplicity.
i did smile at the scritching description-my children used to describe woolly jumpers as too scritchly around the neck!

13 Jul '09 3:36 am

Sounds like a great, trip Mark! Now the literator in me wonders: what was Lia reading to you? Was it an extract she had enjoyed, or does she often read to you? (What a joy!) The view from the table - I never cease to be amazed how most of the world is put together from similar pieces: that view could have been photographed in 50 places in SA - long rolling landscapes with hills in the distance and beautiful clouds. I agree about the last pic. In fact I studied it on flickr and thought it was my sort of very informal approach to formality. And I wondered what the trees were: birches? poplars? something else? Thanks for the detailed account and pics - we are all doing too little of the DIARY these days - all, except Gordon, who surges ahead!!!

Now for more pics - those front gardens? I love the way people interpret gardening and beauty. In fact my next 1995 post might just be on front gardens...

18 Jul '09 8:14 pm

I've just gotten back from my trip to Southern California with my brother Terry and his young family. What a great time. It was just us as Lia is off to Austria for a couple of weeks. (Now who is going to read to me?) My niece is 3 and a half and my nephew is 6 months old. We rented a larger vehicle so that we could share the driving. We spent a day and over-night with my sister and her fiancee. Then we moved to a motel near another brother. Here we spent a day at the beach swimming in a 64 degree ocean currant. Exhausting and renewing all at once. We also made a trek through the Las Angeles Zoo seeing many -but not all- of the animals Jack has photographed in his 'backyard'. Today we visited the Huntington Garden before returning home. They have built a Chinese garden there which is breath-takingly beautiful. It's nothing I'd aspire to but something I relished nonetheless. We had tea in the rose garden and had a fantastic time in the Children's garden which is by far the best of its kind I've ever seen or heard of. You will be shocked to learn I did not carry a camera on this trip. I couldn't help but notice the quality of my experience when I was focused on the garden and what it brought to mind rather looking for optimal camera vantage points. I enjoy that too of course but it was a good reminder of what is given up when I am busy freezing the experience for later consumption.

Now it is going on one in the morning so I am off to bed. I hope to get more Oregon photos loaded soon. The first order of business tomorrow has got to be a long walk with my poor deprived dogs who had no walks while I was gone. Then I have to see to the garden which was not watered at all either - during a heat wave!

18 Jul '09 8:55 pm

You are so right, Mark. I tend also at social gatherings to leave the camera behind - I'm not a good photographer of people anyway - because one can so easily get caught-up in record-taking. I'm a great believer that life is for living, not recording, which is of course the one and only reason I've never written the Great South African Novel!

20 Jul '09 9:28 am

"..which is of course the one and only reason I've never written the Great South African Novel!" you said. You haven't written it YET says I. But I get your drift. Writing can be another obsession which draws us away from our surroundings and the moment. Still, it is a good way to find out what you think, but then again so is strolling around wonderful gardens and the latter experience comes with fresh air and exercise!

4 Aug '09 8:11 am

About a week ago I went up to see this botanical garden as I needed to get some replacement parts for my truck's camper shell anyway. So I would already be an hour in the right direction and it would then only take another three hours to get there. I think the gardens are actually in the town of Fort Bragg along the northern California coast. I belive the population is about 6 or 7 thousand. The primary business now must revolve around tourism but I suspect lumber and fishing would have been the original reasons for founding the town.

The site of the botanical gardens is atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific ocean along with some canyon areas between bluffs. The parking area is just off the Pacific Coast Hiway. Long story short, I thoroughly enjoyed it as did Fletcher who came with me. At the cafe inside the park they offered him a small paper cup of icecream both when I bought a sandwich and again later when I got some tea. I've never been to one that let dogs in, let alone encouraging them in this way. Though they're a good deal north of me the temperatures along the coast don't get a whole lot colder there. They're in the same Sunset Zone 17 as I am, though I'm sure they get a good deal more rain than I do in Berkeley. The other difference in their favor is the lower cap on high temperatures. In Berkeley, we get very few hot days but here they can grow Rhotochyton s. yeararound. That vine pouts if the temperature gets above 75F and also will not tolerate frost. So this is a prime spot for it. I've rented a room for two nights and will be bringing Lia up (sorry Fletcher) soon after she returns from Austria. Well, on to the photos.

7 Aug '09 1:17 pm

Love that sculpture! Pretty impressive country up Mendocino way.

7 Aug '09 7:04 pm

Lovely atmospheric pictures Mark.

10 Aug '09 8:16 am

I've really enjoyed this post, Mark, even if I did forget it in an over-full desktop, then lost it in a somewhat forced close-down related to said over-full desktop, then had two days in which the luxury of downloading pics didn't make it onto the agenda (both schedule and connection quality) - but at last I can take a look... a wonderful sculpture, and a concept that could work in my large garden. I'm just not too happy with the association with rifle sights and targets; perhaps I must think squares that align... aha... say 9 squares of different colours solid at the back, outlined by a second set of 'hollow squares' in a single colour with a thin outline of the 9 squares in front. Superimpose them. A wonderfully graphic comment on the concept 'linear axis' in garden design... Darn, I even know where it would go. Now let's see: it won't be too difficult to construct. It will take jolly careful measuring and placing. Nothing I can't do with the help of my team. Right. It is on the list of priorities. At number 743.... Sad

When did you say you are coming for a visit? It will have to be finished by then. What shall I call it? The Marker? Mark the Spot? Spot Mark? Darn I really hate getting creative when there's work to be done!

Then there's a photo that has me salivating. Sort of winter colours in mid-summer. Must do something like this... have vaguely wanted to, but the inspiration has always been too English, whereas this is more xerophytic... I refer of course to 'Nearbookstore'.

And then lastly your comments on Rhodochyton sulking in the heat explains a lot... I bought some in the UK in '95. They germinated beautifully, then upt and died spectacularly. Twas the heat what did it then...

12 Aug '09 8:44 am

Your pictures bought back great memories of visiting Mendocino years ago. A long, lovely, seascape. The golden heather is unusual - heathers usually hate it here; too humid and moist, but I may try this one.

A Garden Grows in California

garden news

... and a good time was had by all...

Delayed greetings, Jack and DIxie.

To photograph or not?

..yet.

Photos from the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden

Mendocino Botanical Gardens

pics

An interesting post

Lovely Mendocino