Reflections on 2012

Another year of gardening comes to an end. Truthfully, I spent more time learning about gardens, than actually gardening! Between my two classes at Merritt College—Tree ID and Plant Diseases; traveling and writing; and the demands of work and life, there was barely time to plant a seed or tend my garden.

In 2012, Eden By The Bay continued to explore gardening in the Bay Area, especially trees! One of the highlights included observing popular street trees through the seasons. It was surprising to see so much seasonal change despite our subtle Bay Area seasons. We explored nature and gardens in multiple climates, including the deserts of Southern California and Spokane, Washington; the coast and tundra of Southcentral Alaska; and the dry and riparian zones in Southern Utah. We visited public and private gardens, including Filoli Gardens, Nishinomiya Japanese Garden at Manito Park, and Overfelt Gardens.

Trees - through the seasons. Labels: nature, seasons, trees	 Nature - let nature inspire garden design. Labels: garden design, nature
   Gardens - visit gardens for ideas. Labels: Filoli, garden design, gardens	 History  - study the gardens of the world. Labels: garden history

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We studied ancient, Japanese, Chinese, and Persian garden history, all of which influence our garden designs today. We continued some of our themes from last year – trellises and green roofs; winter and summer movies that star the plant world; spices that flavor our holiday cooking; and great reference books. We mourned the passing of my mother-in-law—my husband’s mom—as we visited her garden in Spokane; and we celebrated our son’s art show at the Crush Bistro in Anchorage and met his lovely girl friend. It was a full year of friends, family, and gardens!