My aunt and I are always on the lookout for interesting
ideas, cool gadgets, and beautiful gardens at the San Francisco Garden Show.
This year was no exception. With our creaky knees, we love finding raised bed
options. Best of Show for us was the new GreenBed™ durable bed kit. You can
purchase 4’x8’ feet of planting space, with either 1’ or 2’ high walls. The
side slabs are made of wood chips and cement, and the kit provides all the
hardware you need to assemble the beds. The 2’ high kit on display was
engineered so the plantings were in easy reach, with no need for bending. This
is ideal for seniors, or anyone with mobility problems.
|
GreenBed raised beds - ready to assemble |
Other interesting hardscaping ideas include these stone and
wire walls. I’ve seen them before in various sizes and shapes, but I’m always
pleased to see variations. This seems like a very practical solution for a stone
wall, when a stone mason is difficult to find or afford. The fence, consisting
of small walls on the diagonal, was also interesting. It provides a hint of
privacy, but is still open and inviting.
|
Stone and wire walls |
|
Fence of diagonal walls |
The Show is a great place to pick up plants, gadgets, and
gardening supplies at great prices. I was taken with this Lee Valley tool
display. My aunt bought a beautiful canvas shopping bag decorated with
California poppies. We found chocolate, too - the salty kind from De Brito Chocolate Factory in Hollister, California. Yum.
|
Tool Appeal - beautiful tools ready for the garden |
The Wanted Weeds display, by Urban Hedgerow, drew us both in. Their premise is
that we should rethink weeds – they can “be virtuous host plants, nectar
sources, and medicinal”. We loved seeing the messages posted on the walls of
this interactive display – “Weeds are weeds too” read one sign, “Weeds give you
something to do” read another, and “Death to Oxalis” read a third.
|
Wanted Weeds - extolling the benefits of weeds. |
Another successful San Francisco Garden Show! We enjoyed a
seminar on green roofs, a cooking demonstration, the Marketplace, and lots of beautiful
gardens. I was pleased to see technology moving in – smart phone users could
access sfgardenshow.com, and Sunset Magazine was advertising their new Western
Gardening Book for the iPhone, iPad, and web (www.sunset.com/wgb). Very cool.
2 comments:
It would be a honor for me to attend this kind of show but I missed this event. I really feel sad about it.
castlerock xeriscape
The show is a great experience - so much to see and learn, and so many inspiring ideas! I really appreciated seeing your portfolio of landscaping - very beautiful and inspiring. Being water wise is so important!
Post a Comment