What's Blooming in March?

Spring is officially here, and the San Francisco Bay Area is in full bloom. Lots of rain in January, a balmy February, and more rain in early March have conspired to create a floral masterpiece. Our yard is alive with an assortment of little brown birds, humming birds, bees, butterflies, and squirrels. All of these pollinators are at work in their unique ways.

Pyrus calleryana with white blossoms

In early March, the Pyrus calleryana (ornamental pear) bloomed in a snow flurry of white petals, along with a succession of Magnolia soulange (tulip trees) with their velvety pink and cream petals. Muscari continued blooming from February into March in a lovely progression of purple blossoms.

Blossom from Magnolia soulange

The Ceanothus that I glimpsed from Highway 580 in February, came into full bloom in March. I love how those non-descript freeway shrubs become a mass of deep purple in the spring. Ceanothus is a California native.

The freeways have been golden with Brassica nigra (mustard) and Genista monspessulana (French broom). Neither are native and both are very invasive. They get a brief aesthetic pass for their lacy blooms (but then should be rooted out before they go to seed)!

Field of Brassica nigra

Communities of Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) are also blooming with their cheerful "cup of gold" petals. I spotted planters full of Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise), and Lavandula officinalis (lavender) out in Dublin. The tulips at Mountain View Cemetery put on their spectacular show in Oakland.

This is just a snapshot of what is blooming in March here in the Bay Area. Thanks to El Niño, this is prime time for flower watching. Let me know what is blooming where you are, whether here in the Bay Area, or further afield!

San Francisco Garden Show Highlights – 2016

My aunt and I attended the San Francisco Garden Show last week, and I’m still thinking about the new ideas. I compiled a list of garden designers during the show (my husband and I want to partner with a professional on a renovation plan that retains some of the bones of our garden, but becomes more climate friendly).

Abraxas Crow garden ornaments

Now I’m thinking about some of the details we saw, like these wonderful iron birds from Abraxas Crow, out of Port Townsend, Washington. I’m especially partial to the crows and ravens, but any of these would bring artful whimsy into the garden. I also love some of the hardscaping we saw in the water gardens.

Water basin with ladle

Koi inscription

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Bonsai tree

My aunt I love to see the beautiful bonsai trees showcased by the Bonsai Society San Francisco. Many of the trees have been in training for decades. I’m always torn to see a mighty tree reduced to its miniature version, but they are so beautiful!

Bladderpod - California native	Dahlia's in every color and shape
Thin vase for dramatic appeal	Succulents in coral pink

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The Garden Show is a great place to shop. Many native and hard-to-find plants are available, and many at great prices. Gold Rush Nursery is becoming one of my favorite vendors (but Sunset, and others had wonderful displays of California natives available for sale). We also saw lots of vegetable starters, Dahlias, succulents, accessories and more.

Strike green gold at Gold Rush Nursery

This is the place to purchase Japanese maples, palms, and olive trees as well, or drool over the displays, and purchase at the nurseries.

Japanese maple from Essence of the Tree

It will probably take most of the year to research all the plants, products, and garden design ideas we saw at the show. But I think that is the point – to discover new ideas, and put them to good use!

San Francisco Garden Show 2016

DISCOVERY is the theme of this year’s garden show, which wraps up its five-day run today. What kind of discovery? Discovering how to garden in our climate; discovering new and improved plants; discovering innovative ideas; discovering creative new garden designs. My aunt and I have been attending the show for over 16 years at various locations (now at the San Mateo Convention Center). Each year we look forward to spending time together, and overloading on great ideas.

Replacing your lawn was a big theme this year. The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (Bay Area District) provided information on “Lawn Long Ago – A New Approach to the California Garden” with lots of lawn-free or lawn-improved ideas, and a selected plant list.

Lawn Long Ago (APLD, Bay Area District) - lawn replacement ideas.

Johanna Silver, Senior Garden Editor of Sunset Magazine (now located in Oakland) presented “The New Front Yard.” She advised using layers of thin cardboard, compost, and mulch to kill your lawn (don’t solarize with black visqueen, or you kill the microorganisms in the soil.) She showed slides of beautiful landscapes using lawn alternatives such as pea gravel, flagstone pavers, ornamental grasses, succulents, native plants, and bark. If you really must have some lawn, she recommended Elfin Thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’) or German Chamomile (Matricicaria chamomile); synthetic grass; or one of the drought-tolerant fescues, such as Native Bentgrass™ or Native Mow Free™ (Delta Bluegrass Company).

Urban Oasis (Treeline Designz) - fabulous use of succulents in raised beds.

Succulents were everywhere at the show. They store water in their fleshy leaves and stems, and come in an endless array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Urban Oasis showcased succulents in their garden design; and speaker Debra Lee Baldwin, garden photojournalist and author, showed slides of beautiful succulent gardens in her presentation, “Smart & Lovely Succulent Landscapes.”

Hidden Messages in Water (The Waterfall Guy) - lovely water elements.

I was glad to see water elements in several garden designs—fountains, waterfalls, and pools—all using recirculating pumps. The sound of water is very soothing, and its presence attracts birds, insects, and wildlife (important in drought).

Modern Ancient (Jake Moss Design) - Gold Medal Winner and someone to watch!

Backyard Bohemian (McKenna Landscape) - great place to relax with friends, or curl up with a book.

Most of the garden designs featured outdoor living – spending time out in the landscape and garden. The idea of outdoor rooms for dining, lounging, and playing is very appealing.

The Garden at Villa Bella Corte (Outdoor Environments) - this bocce ball court takes care of the lawn problem.

Living in Harmony with our Mother Earth (Clearwater Design) - loved the spacious Ti Pi.

My aunt and I did some DISCOVERY shopping as well. This year I found Jelly Bean white monkey flower (Mimulus 'Jelly Bean White') at Gold Rush Nursery, and purchased a scarf designed by Kavita Singh (this time in vibrant spring green, purple, and rust silk). We both purchased silicone stretch lids from S.C. Chang, Inc. to replace our petroleum-based plastic wrap, and then hunted down exquisite DeBrito chocolates, and toffees from Terri Sue’s Toffee. Fortified with our goodies, we escaped the gigantic mechanical Praying Mantis on the way out, and drove back to the East Bay!

The mechanical Praying Mantis caused a stir for kids and adults as it reared up from its garden display!

Indoor Hanging Garden

Several years ago, my husband and I vacationed in Zion and Bryce National Parks in beautiful Southern Utah. We love to travel in fall, and visited in late October when deciduous trees were either bare, or sporting red and gold leaves; and only a few fall flowers were in bloom. It is difficult to beat the golden fall light, the warm days and crisp nights, and the stars.

I was especially struck with the beautiful Weeping Rock in Zion National Park. I loved how the water seeped over the rock face and dripped off overhangs; and how moss, algae, and aquatic plants clung to rocks, and were bathed in the water. At the time, I thought what a great idea it would be to emulate this hanging garden in a home or public garden (see: Hanging Gardens).

Hanging garden at a restaurant in Bend, Oregon

Last summer I saw a hanging garden in a restaurant in Bend, Oregon, that could have been inspired by Weeping Rock. Smaller scale, of course, but it captured some of the elements of the Zion National Park. I love this idea of bringing a bit of nature in doors!

Innovative Irrigation

This vertical garden caught my eye at Persimmon Place, which is a new shopping center that opened in 2015. It is located close to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, and across the street from the Hacienda Crossings center.

Vertical garden at Persimmon Place in Dublin, CA

Several store fronts, including HomeGoods, sport substantial trellises on which containers are mounted. A drip irrigation system waters the plants, using Dublin’s gray water system. This is a really innovative idea, and quite attractive.

Containers are mounted on the trellis

I wonder how well the container plants will do in the hot, inland climate, and how much maintenance the drip irrigation system will require (speaking as one who periodically replaces emitters in my own drip system). The containers provide an attractive green cover, while vines start growing from below. I’ll check on progress periodically, and let you know how sustainable this hanging garden idea is.

Gray water is delivered to containers via drip irrigation

Birds and Bees – Pollinators

Without the ability to move about freely, plants are presented with a courtship challenge. Luckily, they are equipped with some clever strategies to ensure pollination. These strategies involve relying on creatures that have locomotion – enter the birds and the bees (and a host of flies, butterflies, beetles as well).

Plants employ various tactics to attract their pollinators. Some use brilliant blossoms with visual cues such as colors, patterns, or ultraviolet wave lengths. Others use fragrances ranging from intoxicatingly sweet to those that resemble dung or rotting flesh.

Pollination of a Dandelion by a bee, carrying pollen on its body. Photo by: Guérin Nicolas

Pollinators respond to these enticements, and are rewarded with nectar. As pollinators crawl around the plant feeding on nectar, or probe for nectar, they drop off pollen collected from a previous plant, and pick up new pollen, ensuring cross pollination. Some pollinators are general – they visit many plant species. Other are very specific, such as some humming birds or butterflies that visit only a certain type of plant.

Rufous Hummingbird (''Selasphorus rufus''). Photo by: Dean E. Biggins (Fish and Wildlife Service)

Even the elements are involved in pollination. Plants, such as the oak, are pollinated via pollen born on the wind; other plants via pollen riding on liquid. This symbiotic relationship between plant and pollinator is key to the success of both.

Learn More:

• Botany for Gardeners, by Brian Capon (Timber Press 2005). See Part V Reproduction, Chapter 9, “From Flowers to Fruits”.
• Pollination and Fertilization, derived from Pollination and Fertilization, by Robert Bear and David Rintoul, for Open Stax, Rice University (Creative Commons).