Reflections on 2013

Another year of gardening comes to a close. Last year I spent more time learning about gardens than gardening, so this year I tried to get a little more dirt under my nails! My vegetable garden was a bust; I realize that I have a deer problem that needs some creative attention. My tomato plants were especially targeted by my four-legged friends, but any fresh green sprout was fair game.

In 2013, Eden By The Bay continued exploring gardening in the Bay Area, with special focus on plant diseases. We looked at plant diseases in every major group (bacteria, plant parasites, water molds, nematodes, fungi), as well as viruses. After delving into how much can go wrong, it is amazing that anything grows at all! Thankfully, there is a built-in arms race between predator and prey, enabling each side to combat the other.

We explored gardens throughout the seasons – appreciating plants as they move through their seasonal cycles, and the hardscaping that provides the infrastructure. We visited public and private gardens, including the Ruth Bancroft garden, the Lakeside Park on Lake Merritt, Capitol Park and the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, a secret garden in Berkeley, and the gardens of the Madonna Inn and Hearst Castle. We also went further afield to enjoy the tamed and natural places of the Presidio, Clear Lake in the Lake Counties, the deserts of Southern California and Bend, Oregon, and Duncan Garden at Manito Park in Spokane, Washington.

Diseases: oak gall Labels: plant diseases	 Nature: Presidio dunes Labels: nature, coastal dune
Gardens: Hearst Castle Labels: gardens, garden design, hardscaping	 History: Renaissance influence Labels: garden history, movie star plants

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We continued our study of garden history – focusing on European gardens (including Medieval gardens, Italian Renaissance gardens, and interpretations of Renaissance gardens throughout Europe). We continued looking for interesting garden elements, such as raised beds, roof gardens, and trellises; enjoying winter and summer movies that star the plant world; and cooking with holiday spices from all over the globe. Best of all, we celebrated family, friends, and gardens of the world!