Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

A month ago, I finally took a trip to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. I had been told that this is the best place in LA to see native plants, and it lived up to the promise. Every few steps, we exclaimed at another amazing plant in flower or with a dramatic form. It was the second week in May and many annuals and perennials were still in bloom, and some trees were as well.

We loved this mass planting of Artemisia tridentata, Great Basin Sagebrush. The soft, silvery foliage is dramatic against the blue sky:

What a creative container garden! These hanging containers were made from chicken wire wrapped around metal hoops. They had nestled groups of 4" pots inside:

Some scruffy palms and a row of native buckwheat. The dry palm "skirts" always remind me of costume you might see in an African dance.

A shady path

Heuchera in bloom, under a native oak tree:

Tongva Park

Tongva Park in Santa Monica opened last year; I finally made a visit two weekends ago.

Santa Monica was crowded that day, but not the park. Perhaps people haven't totally taken ownership of it. I also notice that public space in LA seems to be most active only when it is programmed-- with concerts, food, and other events, making a critical mass of people.


The chasmanthe was in full bloom and looked great backlit.

Chasmanthe and the dancing flower heads of Pennisetum spathiolatum:

The design concept refers to an arroyo, or seasonal stream, that used to exist on this site. The curving, sand-colored forms reminded me mostly of dunes.

One of two overlooks towards the ocean and Santa Monica Pier:

The oceanside entrance-- in the background you can see what must be the busiest corner in Santa Monica, leading to and from the Pier. I thought I'd stroll that way but was totally put off by the human tide!

Ciclavia

This time, the Ciclavia route was 6 miles of Wilshire Blvd, from LACMA east into downtown. I was excited to be so close (2 blocks) from the route, and to see the street scene I know well be completely transformed! LACMA is on the left here:

Heading into MacArthur Park near downtown, and my favorite moment of the ride, coasting downhill through the park

Heading back west

At the La Brea Tar Pits (which I learned translates to "the the tar tar pits")

garden tour

Wow, it's been awhile!

I spent a lovely Saturday morning touring some of the gardens on the Theodore Payne Foundation garden tour weekend. The weather was gorgeous, and I felt kind of like I was at summer camp with a bunch of other native plant enthusiasts. At the peak of bloom, these plants and gardens were inspiring. This first garden, in particular, was clearly the result of great imagination and dedication. I have never seen so many happy bees, feasting on all these native plants! There were also goldfinches mobbing a feeder and on the sages as well.

One of my favorite plants on the tour was this gorgeous hybrid native sage, Salvia 'Desperado'

White sage in bloom

garden in motion

My balcony garden has been continually evolving. When I arrived in LA, I was fascinated by succulents and cacti and also wanted to grow herbs and vegetables. Vegetables didn't thrive (probably not enough sun on my east-facing balcony, with an overhang), so I wanted more flowers. Then I started to get to know the Southern California native plants and wanted to be surrounded by them. In trying to learn what it meant to grow "drought-tolerant' plants, I seem to have under-watered them, and sadly only a few of them survived in my garden.

Right now, I love the silver foliage of both native and non-native plants, and the contrast it creates with greens and dark burgandy-purples.


Cosmos, centaurea, and sage


fuzzy-leaved kalanchoe, from a cutting, dudleya, and aeonium, also from a cutting


This native, silvery-white dudleya may be my favorite plant right now




When I planted a cutting of Blue Chalk Sticks (right) one year ago, it was only about 5" tall. It is about 4 times as big now! These beautiful aeonium also grew from cuttings.

a day at the Getty Villa

The highlight of our short stay in Malibu was a visit to the Getty Villa, which rises high above the coast. The home, and now museum, is modeled after an ancient villa in Herculaneum, outside of Pompeii. The landscape draws links to ancient Mediterranean garden traditions, through terracing, an herb garden, and plants (like Acanthus) that played an important role in ancient art and architecture (the Acanthus leaf, a symbol of everlasting life, adorns the Corinthian column).

Terraces along the entry walk, planted in olive and Italian Cypress:

Gorgeous plantings of prostrate rosemary trailing over concrete walls:

This fountain is designed so that the water falling over wet stones creates a striking pattern:

I love these planters of lavender at the edge of the amphitheater:

The herb garden was not fussy-- simple rectangles were filled with large areas or lines of one plant, creating large brushes of color and texture:

Finally, the sun peaked out-- what an amazing view of the Pacific!

swim, eat, repeat

I had the amazing fortune of spending the weekend with a wonderful group of women in a lovely house in Palm Springs over the weekend. I kept wanting to say I was at the beach, but of course it was the desert, but it was LIKE the beach in that all we had to do was relax-- in the sun, in the shade, in the pool, or eating delicious food that we all chipped in to prepare. With high temperatures above 100, it was about 20 degrees or so hotter than LA, hot enough (and indulgent enough) for an afternoon siesta. Good thing the pool was always there, and so were we...

Mount San Jacinto to the west

The pool was all we needed to get cool, to relax, to meditate, to get exercise, and to socialize.

A beautiful in-ground planting of bougainvillea:

Robust olive trees in a nearby park