garden
Winter Garden
This is a raised bed veggie garden I designed and installed this fall in San Rafael on a hill with a view of Mt. Tam. We made the planters out of redwood with gopher wire on the bottom. The paths are decomposed granite, also with gopher wire underneath. Here it is, today, still looking good. We […]Read Post ›
The time to plant in Northern California is now
If you don’t already know, the best time to plant in Northern California is during the fall – not during the spring. It’s best to get the plants in the ground just before the winter rains start so that they can root in and get the water they need. The plants can then focus on […]Read Post ›
Kids in the sandbox in the show garden
Well, the San Francisco Garden Show is over. We are breaking down my show garden today. It’s a wrap. Here are some pictures of kids playing in the sandbox in my garden. There were a lot of kids at the show and many activities for them. One little girl came running up and asked, “what […]Read Post ›
Show Garden Construction Beginning
We started show garden construction for the SF Garden show yesterday. Below, the guys with El Alamo Landscape construction helped with loading in this huge multi-trunk palm tree from Palm Island Nursery. The truck rolled in from Lyngso Garden Materials, the company that graciously supplies landscape materials for all of the show gardens (stone, mulch, […]Read Post ›
Sex in the SF City Garden Show
See the box to the left? This garden won a gold medal at the 2010 SF Garden Show. It was called “The Living Room” and was designed by James Pettigrew and Sean Stout of Organic Mechanics. It’s a 12′ wide room with living walls of succulents and a long dining room table inside. You could […]Read Post ›
Planter Boxes for Fruit Trees
Plant delivery today. The last one of 2010. We installed fruit trees in these rectangular redwood planter boxes I designed. It was pretty cold out there early this morning. Trees were Fugi Apple, Granny Smith, Bing Cherry, Black Tart Cherry, Washington Navel Orange and Nagumi Kumquat. We installed electrical outlets in each box so we […]Read Post ›
New Life for Classic Country Barns
The landscape of Sonoma County is dotted with barns from old times, as are rural areas across America. These romantic old barns all too frequently are in a state of disrepair. Majestic though they may be, they are often on the verge of collapse. That’s why its inspiring to see these old treasures given new […]Read Post ›
What to get your gardener for Christmas?
If you are wondering what to get your gardener for Christmas I have a recommendation: Hunter Boots. I love my Hunter boots. I have them in green (pictured here), silver, and also in blue. I favor the original tall rain boot. If your gardener already has Hunter boots, you might consider an additional pair or […]Read Post ›
Eco-lawn and straight dope on gas-powered lawn mowers
Conventional lawns aren’t so much in style these days, at least here in Northern California. They require a lot of maintenance and are often frowned on because they suck up a lot of water. They’re just not very sustainable. More often than not, my clients tend to favor drought tolerant native plants and grasses. If […]Read Post ›