Read 'A Visit to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California, March 2010' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

If you are lucky enough to visit this garden in March, after the rainy season, you are in for a big treat. You probably expect to see lots of cactus and you will, but you will see much much more. The rains during the winter months allow the plants to put on fresh green coats, come into bloom, and fill the garden with color. The 86 acre garden is dedicated exclusively to California’s native plants and promotes botanical knowledge, conservation and landscape use of California’s native plants with its library, herbarium, laboratory facilities and active graduate program in Botany.
The garden is divided into three main areas, each with its own unique characteristics; the Indian Hill Mesa, a large flat-topped hill, The East Alluvial Gardens at the base of the Mesa, and The Plant Communities. The Indian Hill Mesa features such plants as California Wild Lilacs and Manzanitas. The East Alluvial Gardens include the Desert Garden, California Channel islands collection, and the California Fan Palm Oasis while the Plant Communities present plants in their natural associations with other plants.

Maps are available free at the entrance gate.

The garden is full of all kinds of plants that are beautiful individually but also look good as part of a whole and create many picturesque groupings.

In March many of the trees and shrubs are blooming like this Nivins barberry;

The flowers clusters are lovely against the green leaves.

The yellow leaves of Berberis ‘Golden Abundance’ add color without flowers.

Fairy Duster adds pink to the scene.

It’s fuzzy flowers are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

The thorny dessert apricot can reach up to 15 feet high.  Its delicate pink flowers are fragrant and may produce edible fruits in late spring.

The bright purple-pink flowers of western redbud come out on the limbs of the trees before the leaves and create a great pink cloud.

The flowers are tiny but numerous.

The long thin red flowers spill over the leaves of the low growing bush.

The stamens protrude above the corolla giving the flowers a distinctive look.

One of the most unusual shrubs was this one growing near a small pond.

The fluffy flower parts were so dense they covered the ground where they had fallen and looked like great balls of cotton…or dust bunnies.

The most beautiful shrubs are probably the California lilacs. This blue one is a knock-out.

The individual clusters of flowers vaguely look like the lilacs familiar in colder climates.

The white version of this lilac is beautiful too.

The flower clusters are quite fragrant.

The narrow, waxy, gray-green leaves of the Island Tree Poppy are attractive year round in mild climates. The shrub can grow up to 18’ tall and is covered with flowers in spring.

The graceful form of this California Flannel Bush will grow to 5’ tall and bears yellow flowers in spring.

The flowers are yellow and each petal has a curved shape that comes to a point.

Sugar Bush is a very drought tolerant plant that grows 15 feet or more in height and width. The seeds and flowers can be soaked in water to make a lemonade-like drink.

The pink buds open to white flowers.

Several varieties of manzanita grow at the botanical garden from low ones hugging the ground to small trees.

The red bark and twisted stems are spectacular.

Their flowers resemble those of Andromeda.

And the berries can be quite large.

Coast Silktassel ‘Evie’ is one of the most unusual trees at the garden.

Its long fine red catkins cover the tree in spring.

Less showy but very interesting is Crucifixion Thorn, looking quite splendid en mass and not threatening at all.

A closer look at the branches reveals fierce looking thorns.

A stand of Four-needled Pinyon Pine created an inviting grove.

Yes, this plant produces pine nuts.

Coulter’s pine has long needles and huge cones.

Note the pen lying along side the cone to give scale.

A very odd plant is the boonjum tree that looks more like a snake or a candle than a tree.

The Joshua trees have a mammalian look.

Some were in flower.

The California Fan Palm is California’s only native palm.

And the king of them all, the Redwood.

Many different cactuses grow in the garden including Beavertail Cactus

California barrel cactus

Mound Cactus

Pink Teddy Bear Cholla

Coastal cholla

Mojave Prickly Pear

Buckhorn cholla

Several different kinds of agave inhabit the garden including Shaw’s agave

And this blooming one.

Some interesting succulents include: Hasse’s Liveforever

and Sticky Leaved Liveforever; they look like mounds of green beans.

All through the garden, the flowers of herbaceous plants brighten the scene:

Monkey flower

Iris

Blue Eyed Grass

Lupines

Matilija Poppy

California poppies and Colorado four o’clocks

Yellow coastal sunflowers,

And many different sages including these.

And don’t forget to take in the view occasionally; the San Gabriel Mountains are the backdrop for this richly planted garden.

Read 'A Visit to the Getty Center Gardens, March, 2010' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

A March visit to the Getty Center Garden introduced us to a very different look we had from past visits in the summer, fall and winter. Just as the art exhibits at the Center change so do the gardens as new plant material leafs out, blooms, and fades. The visits are never the same and this visit allowed us to see the azaleas in the pool garden off the Center Garden in bloom, something we had never seen before. Our focus for this visit was the Center Garden but we also visited other garden areas, each with its own unique characteristics.

The architect of the Getty Center, Richard Meier, is known for his striking white buildings that reflect his notion of architecture as sculpture. In his own words, he sought to “pursue the plastic limits of modern architecture to include a notion of beauty molded by light.” The site, overlooking mountains, ocean, and the urban mass that is Los Angeles, inspired Meier to integrate nature and culture and many areas of the site include plantings that soften the overall appearance.

The large staircase, called the Spanish Steps by our guide, greet the visitors as they exit the tram from the parking lot below. Although on a smaller scale than those in Rome their brightness leads the visitor to squint or don sunglasses.

Large pots adorn the steps, with sweet alyssum blooming now but more to come in the future weeks and months.

To the side, a water staircase adds sound, sparkle, and movement to the stairs, reminding me of those at the Generalife in Granada, Spain, or Villa Lante in Bagnaia, Italy, but in a modern idiom.

Along one wall rosemary drapes over a wall accented by fountains, reminiscent of the fountain wall at Villa D’Este, in Tivoli, Italy.

A pergola with vines growing up the sides to provide shade is a pleasant place to rest or savor the view.

Several times a year the sycamores are pruned to create a sculptured look and allow the visitor to enjoy the spotted bark that echo the spottedness of the travertine stone that is used as facing on the nearby buildings. In summer the trees will be covered with large leaves to provide shade. In the distance, a pale lavender pergola is entwined with wisteria that will bloom with lavender flowers, the only color Meier allowed.

The Italian pines planted in large sunken pots recall the Mediterranean climate of the site.

A planting of birds of paradise create the foreground for majestic view towards the mountains.

A water channel hints at the garden below.

Once the building design of the Center was determined, the Getty Trust hired Robert Irwin to design the main garden area. A painter and sculpture, Irwin knew nothing about plants and saw the garden as a way to express his aesthetic in a new and different way. He was quoted as saying that the Central Garden at the Getty “is a sculpture in the form of a garden, which aims to be art.” The garden he designed provides a contrast to the architecture of Meier and encourages the visitor to enjoy the garden experience from grand vistas toward the ocean and mountains to individual plants with varying levels of involvement. As the visitors descend from the high ridge where the buildings are located, to the pool in the lowest part of the garden they enjoy a variety of sights, sounds, and scents. The plant material was chosen on the basis of artistic considerations including texture, form, and color as well as how these characteristics would effect their interaction with light and reflection.

The water channel in the upper level sends its contents into a huge vase shaped fountain below where the stream that flows through the garden

The top of the stream is marked by large boulders set so that the visitor can not see the water but can hear it.

As the stream descends, the boulders are more widely spaced and the sight of the water becomes more important.

In the lower part of the stream the rocks are gone and the stream bed is formed by stones set on edge.

All along the path of the stream London plane trees ‘Yarwood’ were planted providing shade in the summer but trimmed so that they are open enough to permit a large variety of plants to grow beneath them in all times of the year.

Deer grass, a California native, is extensively planted along the stream because of its year round interest.

The path down into the garden is a switch back with sharp turns.

A bench along the path provides a change to sit and experience the sounds as well as the sights.

Irwin divided the beds along the stream into four areas and planted them according to their leaf color and texture. At the top Eceverias are tightly massed in front of lavender that gives them scale.

A bed at the bottom of the stream is bright with color.

The plantings along the stream garden end with a large open plaza where two groups of three huge umbrella-shaped trellises stand covered with bougainvilleas.

A circular pool lies below with its maze consisting of three interlocking circles of azaleas in three different colors. The azaleas look as though they are floating but are actually planted in waterproofed containers. And yes, deer are a problem with a herd of 40 of them coming to feast when the azaleas are in bloom.

The large circular garden around the pool is divided into four areas where flower color becomes more important.

The far side of the Bowl Garden is devoid of plants with a simple, uninteresting sort of look; the perfect look to force the visitor to forgo the view toward the sea and instead look at the spectacular garden Irwin has created for the architecture above.

In this area Irwin left a heart with the names of his wife and daughter.

Irwin saw that the garden was a work in progress and he said “Always changing, never twice the same”; these words are the perfect invitation to return to the garden frequently and enjoy the new experiences it has to offer.

Read 'Japanese Rice Art' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Here’s a unique garden idea from Japan; growing different colored plants to create a picture. The Japanese do it with rice and the pictures they create are huge, covering a whole field. Hundreds of thousands of rice plants are used, with different varieties providing the different colors.

Yellow and purple kodaimai rice are planted with the local green-leafed tsugaru roman variety according to a computer generated plan to create a complex scene that include warriors, horses, and other animals. Some of the designs are so large that viewers have to go to a high place to fully appreciate them.This crop art began in 1993 in Inakadate, a village of 8,700 people lying 600 miles north of Tokyo, as part of a revitalization project. Hundreds of villagers and volunteers plant the rice in May, covering 15,000 square meters with the rice crop art. The reputation of the village’s handwork has spread and 150,000 visitors came to view their handiwork during the summer as the rice grows and the pictures develop.

The designs range in subject matter. Some mimic Japanese prints like this view of Mt. Fuji.

A sengoku warrior on horseback races through another field…

While Napoleon occupies another field on his rearing steed.

In the town of Yonezawa, the fictional Samurai warrior Naoe Kanetsugu and his wife Osen, from the TV series Tnechijin, can be found.

Animals of various sorts make good subjects for the rice art. Here is a ladybug…

dragon fly…

Butterfly…

Frog…

and a cow.

The most amazing thing to me is how the people can accurately plant the rice in a water covered field.

Each year brings new designs and new visitors. September is the best month to visit when the crop is mature but not yet harvested.

Read 'A Visit to Ham House, Richmond, Surrey, England' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

The stately Stuart period Ham house and garden sit on the backs of The River Thames in the outskirts of London offering a glimpse of 17th century life. The mansion, built in 1610 during the reign of King James I for Sir Thomas Vavascour, later became the property of Elizabeth Maitland Duchess of Lauderdale, who altered and improved the house and initiated the garden design seen today. The garden was one of the few that escaped the England Landscape movement but became overgrown until 1975 when the National Trust took over the property and decided to restore the garden according to its original 1670s design using plants that were typical of 17th century gardens. Today you can see formal parterres, a “wilderness’, kitchen garden, grand terraces, and beautiful statuary.

The statue of Father Thames in front of the house sculpted by John Bacon by was added to the garden in about 1800. It was made of Coade’s stone, an artificial stone invented in 1769 and very popular for garden statuary at the time.

Also of Coade’s stone are the handsome pineapples seen in various places.

Gravel terraces and pathways enhance the grandeur of the setting and overlook 8 large squares of grass extending towards the river

A wall near the house features niches containing the busts of ancient Roman emperors and ladies with clipped shrubs along its side.

The Cherry garden is laid out in big diamonds and triangle with each parterre edged in box, decorated with cones, and filled with gray santolina also known as lavender cotton.

A statue of Bacchus stands in the center of the parterres.

An allee of pleached hornbeams continues the formality of the garden.

The ‘wilderness’ area does not resemble a wilderness at all and can be recognized by the hornbeam hedges and grassy areas.

The grassy walks radiate through two circles bounded by the hedges, creating a maze like design. In the central clearing are reproduction of 17th century garden chairs.
Small circular pavilions may be found in some of the areas created by the hedges.

These gardens are quite unique and well worth a visit. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the banks of the river and you have a great day immersed in a 17th century house and garden.

Read 'A Visit to Glamis Castle, Glamis, Angus, Scotland' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Glamis Castle, known for being the childhood home of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and the birthplace of her sister, Princess Margaret, has been in the Strathmore family for over 600 years. The garden was first planted in the second half of the 1600s and included a walled garden but in 1760 and it was replaced by the landscaped park type of garden that was popular at the time. The garden was changed again in the 19th and 20th centuries to include the Pinetum, featuring many native American trees, the Dutch Garden, and the formal Italian garden that is the high point of a visit to the castle gardens.

The mile long drive to the castle lined by large oaks is impressive any time of year but presents a beautiful daffodil display in spring.

A large, old dovecote adds a quaint charm to the approach.

The two circular towers on the front lawn, one of which is seen here, are follies.

A spectacular 21 foot tall sundial nearby was built in 1671 as part of the formal gardens and features 84 separate sundials.

The Dutch Garden immediately outside the east wing was laid out in 1893 and consists of boxwood edged parterres filled with flowering plants. Unfortunately, this garden is not open to the public and so you have to enjoy it from afar.

The Italian garden, created in 1910 by Countess Cecilia, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, is surrounded by a yew hedge and has two pleached beech allees.

Two gazebos that date to the 17th century are on either end of a raised viewing area. From the viewing area the flowerbeds can be seen. The parterres were laid out in the shape of a fan so that the varied colored flowers in the beds looked like a rainbow.

A stone fountain adds sparkle to the display.

The castle grounds also includes a nature trail and pasture land in which unusual cattle can be seen as well as visiting deer. A visit to Glamis castle gardens is a wonderful way to spend a leisurely afternoon in Scotland.

Read 'A Visit to Scotney Castle and Gardens, Lamberhurst, Kent, England' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Perched high on a hill Scotney New Castle overlooks a beautiful view of the ruins of Scotney Old Castle in the valley below. The Old Castle was built c.1378-80 and was partially dismantled in 1843 to create garden ruins after the New Castle was built. The idea of ruins in a garden was popular at this time as part of the “Picturesque” style of gardening associated with the Romantic movement popular in England in the 18th century. The picturesque style favored natural landscapes over manicured ones and included architectural follies like rustic cottages and the castle ruins seen here. The castle ruins with its moat are the focal point of the garden that includes an herb garden, parkland, woodland, a fabulous azaleas, rhododendron and kalmia display in spring, and spectacular fall coloration in autumn. The garden was first planted in the 1840’s according to an overall design created by Edward Hussey, owner, with the help of William Sawrey Gilpin but more recent additions were made between 1952 to 1970 to create year round color in the garden.

The old fortified castle with one of its four towers remaining present a grand introduction to the site.

Other parts of the castle remain only in ruins creating the look that makes this site known as one of the most romantic in all of England.

The courtyard in front of the Old Castle is a circular herb garden designed by Lanning Roper with a well head in the center.

The original moat is now a lake that together with the castle is the focus of the garden.

A boathouse built in the 1840s lies surrounded by trees and rushes.

A statue by Moore, “Three piece Reclining Figure”, stands nearby.

On a slope leading to the New Castle there is an icehouse with a conical thatched roof and wooden door. It looks a lot like a rustic cottage, a popular feature in a “Picturesque” garden.

In spring you can enjoy the azalea-rhodendron display as captured here by Paste on Flickr.

And in fall, enjoy the autumn coloration with the old castle in the distance as seen by Roantrum on Flickr.

Spectacular in any season!

Read 'A Visit to Hardwick Hall and Gardens, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

The Tudor house with its huge glass windows stands on the summit of a wind-swept hill; it is impressive and it was meant to be. It was built by Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury (Bess of Harwick) between 1591 and 1597 (a rapid pace in those days) and is considered to be one of Britain’s greatest and most complete Elizabethan houses. Bess was one of the powerful people at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and had married four times accumulating considerable wealth from each union. The house and its contents are said to be a statement of Bess’ influence and wealth. The gardens that originally surrounded the house are gone and all that remain are the walls and gazebo. The garden layout that you see today dates in part to the 1870s with later additions made in the 1930s and after 1959 when the National Trust took over. The herb garden is spectacular.

The imposing entrance gate reminds the visitor that Bess of Hardwick was wealthy, in fact, she was the second most wealthy woman after Queen Elizabeth.

Between 1865 and 1907 Lady Louisa Cavendish lay out a garden in the courtyard near the Hall. She filled it with flower beds but today lawn and a flower border along the Elizabethan wall occupy the area.  Note the handsome finials of the wall.

Plantings by the National Trust according to a 19th century design recall the color scheme of Gertrude Jekyll with bright colors giving way to softer ones.  Here the bright blue delphiniums stand proudly in a border that mixes blue with yellow further along.

A grand old Cedar of Lebanon (over 170 years old) stands on the other side of the garden wall.  Its mate was reduced by the wind to a 30′ stump in a 1990.

Hedges of clipped hornbeam and yews protect the gardens and visitors from chilling winds and form grand grassy alleys.

Converging paths meet at the rondel where benches invite the visitor to rest.

A statue stands in the niche carved into the hedge.

The herb garden is spectacular. Developed by the National Trust in the 1960s, it is large and contains a huge variety of herbs.

Rows of culinary and medicinal herbs are planted in blocks.

Hops and other climbing herbs are trained on wooden tripods to add vertical interest.

The long straight path along one side of the herb garden presents a view of the Hall, a reminder of the historic background of the garden and the remarkable Bess of Hardwick.

Read 'A Visit to the Gardens at Castle Drogo, near Drewsteignton, Devon, England' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

Castle Drogo was a considerable trek from our base but the prospect of seeing the creative efforts of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll were enough to spur us on. The castle, designed by Lutyens, was built in the 1910s and 1920s for the founder of the Home and Colonial Stores, Julius Drewe. Built of granite, it is an austere and formidable looking structure in a dramatic setting overlooking the gorge of the River Teign and commanding a superbe view of Dartmoor. The Arts and Crafts style garden is the result of a collaboration between Lutyens and Jekyll with the Lutyens providing the basic design and Jekyll the plantings. The orginal hardscape remains but the plantings have been modified over the years. This is a cold and windy place even in the summer so bring along a sweater and wind breaker when you visit.

The site was a difficult one and some of the original garden plans came to nothing because of the high winds. The gardens that you see, however, are beautiful and soften the harsh appearance of the castle and natural environment. Planted in a relatively protected area on the north–east side of the castle, the rectangular formal garden is surrounded by yew hedges with woodlands on both sides. In the center is the rose garden with its alternating blocks of lawn and rose beds of hybrid teas and floribundas.

Double herbaceous borders occupy one of the terraces above.

The paths between the herbaceous borders are especially interesting; Lutyens had been working on the design of New Delhi, India and he took the design for the paths from an Indian motif, alternating semicircles and straight lines.

A formal herb garden adds interest to one of the terraces.

A beech colonnade gives a view of the gorge below.

A playhouse in a wooded area lends charm to a wooded area.

A one acre circular croquet lawn can be rented for croquet matches.

In spring rhododendrons and azaleas bloom as captured here by G. Marshall.

An arbor of clipped shrubs stands near the castle and is a reminder of the role that Lutyens played in the design of this unique garden.

Read 'A Visit to Edzell Castle, Scotland' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

The garden at Edzell Castle was planted in the 1930 but reflects the Renaissance ideas of its earlier owner and designer, David Lindsay, and offers some remarkable features. The original castle dating back to the 1100s no longer remains but the building seen there now dates back to the mid 16th century, the same time period that the walled garden was built. Lindsay wanted to create a stimulus for both the mind and the senses and the garden he built carries out his intentions.

As soon as you approach the castle with its garden wall you know that it is something special. Over the entrance is the Lindsay coat of arms and motto, “Dum spiro spero” (“While I breath I hope”).

Inside, the garden is planted in a formal Renaissance style with parterres and trimmed hedges.

In each corner there are hedges planted in various flower shapes including fleur de lis (shown), Scottish thistle, and English rose.

An interesting note is added by the topiary hedge spelling out the Lindsay’s  motto (“Dum spiro spero”)

The spectacular wall features niches for flower boxes or sculpture, and birds.

The niches are planted with blue and white lobelia and make a stunning sight when they bloom as seen in the photograph by Scoonie on Flickr.com

The wall is also adorned with bas relief panels representing the seven Greco-Roman deities associated with the known planets of the day (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon) on the east wall, the seven liberal arts (Grammatica, Rhetorica, Dialectia, Arithmetica, Musica, Geometria and Astronomia) on the south wall, and the seven cardinal virtues (Fides, Spes, Caritas, Prudentia, Temperantia, Fortitudo and Justitia) on the west wall. The panels are believed to be taken from illustrations in pattern books that were circulated at the time.  Some of the panels have been removed so that they may be saved for posterity.

Originally, there was a bath house in one corner but now only slight ruins are visible.

To add further interest to the garden, a guest house is was built in a far corner.

If you like castles, castle gardens and unique wall features you will love this garden. The wall features alone are worth the visit.

Read 'A Visit to the Los Angeles Flower Market (January 13, 2010)' at http://www.KarensGardenTips.com.

One of the high lights of my visits to Los Angeles is the L. A. Flower Market. It is large, full of flowers, and open to the public as well as the trade. I never expect to save money by going there but I go because of the huge variety of flowers. I get carried away, of course, and end up buying more flowers than I need because I just can’t resist so many beautiful flowers in so many gorgeous colors.

The official Flower Market consists of two huge warehouses filled with vendors of all sorts of floral products. But all around the warehouses are small shops selling more floral products from plants and flowers, to ribbon, foam, vases, and more. The Flower Market charges $2.00 admissions and is open until noon. Vendors may start packing up earlier if business is slow so an early arrival is a good thing. The small shops around the Market are free admissions and set their own times.

Buckets of gerbers give you a huge selection of color and sizes.

Stargazer lilies dominated but other colors and kinds were available.

The stock selection was spectacular.

These white lizianthus were just one of many colors available.

The tulips were disappointing; these were a nice size but I saw bigger and better ones at the local grocery stores the same day.

I had to resist these peonies because pink was not in the color scheme.

I am fond of green flowers especially ones like this amaranthus.

Bells of Ireland are another of my favorites and were in good supply.

Calla lilies were abundant; both the tall ones…

and the small ones.

The Birds of Paradise looked great but they are blooming in my back yard so I wasn’t tempted.

The acacia is also blooming here and was available at the Market.

There were cymbidium orchids in all colors;

And potted phalonopsis.

Some vendors specialized in tropicals.

Can’t decide on flowers?  No problem, buy one of their ready made bouquets.

One vendor had a fabulous selection of greens.

The seeded eucalyptus was especially attractive and I bought a big bunch.

Another customer was really into the other kind of eucaluptus and had her cart piled high with it.

Ming fern is always on my buy list.

Several vendors had all sorts of stems and branches including corkscrew willow,

Yellow and red twig dogwood,

Equisetum (with tropicals in the background),

moss and lichens,

And my all time favorite, pussy willow.

A few vendors had house plants;

Others had bedding plants.

Still another had hanging maidenhair ferns,

and birdcages decorated with ivy.

Silks and dried flowers were not so abundant but this display of trees covered with fake moss caught my eye (but not my pocket book).

Looking and buying at the Market is easy. You select bunches and they are wrapped in newspaper for you, and you are off to the next vendor.

But go early because by 10:30 the men were loading up the carts and putting the flowers away in the refrigerators.

I like to go as early as they will let me in (8 AM Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 6 AM Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday), browse the entire place, and then go back and buy what I want. You can park fairly close to the Market for $5/day and if you have a helper he can truck the bunches to the car while you keep buying. The prices in the Market may be a little better than in the small shops around but you have to pay the entrance fee to the Market ($2 most days, $1 on Saturday). If you have a California resale certificate you can join the market for $30 and go in much earlier, have free parking, and free admissions. If you just like flowers it is a fun experience.