Eden By The Bay: December 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Reflections on 2020 (OMG)

Oh my goodness, what a year! It started off pretty well, with distant rumors of a new strain of COVID, but otherwise full of promise and business as usual. Then everything changed. We were confronted with a world-wide pandemic, orders to shelter in place, conflicts over how that should look, unemployment for some and working from home for others, economic upheaval, shortages, extreme weather, social upheaval, and isolation. Everything went online, from church services and family gatherings, to seminars and education, to shopping and events.

For Eden by the Bay, we started off the year with the theme of Vision (to tie into the year "2020"). Our goal was to look to the past for visionary ideas that got us to where we are; live fully into the present moment with the ideas that surround us; and look to the future for great ideas to sustain close to eight billion of us on our beautiful blue planet. Turns out, the future is now.

Clockwise: Chinese garden at The Huntington
Sky of the future
Historical plant dyes
Vertical farming is now

Outings to parks and gardens were curtailed, and the yearly trip to the desert was canceled. My husband and I managed a trip to Southern California and a tour of The Huntington before lockdown, and an outing to Crystal Springs and a short trip to Mendocino when things eased up. We read a lot of books about gardens and landscapes, and traveled back in time to Father Cadfael's medieval healing garden via video. We learned about more plants used to dye fabric, and I continued to hone my movie-making skills with short videos about dyeing with plants, and going "into the landscape":

I think we're all hoping this "new normal" is only temporary, and that we can get back to living our lives. One of the best things of the last year has been seeing how people met the challenge with creativity, humor, and resiliency. I'm grateful that we have each other to face whatever lies ahead (hopefully with more empathy for others and appreciation for whatever we have)!

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Christmas in the Bay Area: 2020

Countdown to Christmas day! Decorations are up, boxes sent, gifts are wrapped, and tasty treats and ingredients procured. It's time to relax, finish up a few last-minute tasks, and enjoy the season. We'll miss family and friends this year, and our usual seasonal gatherings and activities, but we're looking forward to virtual celebrations.

My Example

Glass greenhouse with brown frame and gardening tools

Greenhouse
Ornament
Collection

Glass greenhouse with white frame and gardening tools

Glass greenhouse conservatory with brown frame

As the garden appears to slumber, it's a good time for us to hunker down for a short "hibernation" and change of pace. Stay safe everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Christmas Gifts for Gardeners: Part 2

For the gardener, a gardening-themed gift from a friend or loved one is a real treat. It shows they've taken notice, and appreciate you for who you are. As a gardener, it is also a pleasure to share some of your own gardening passion in gifts you give to others. Two years ago I shared some of the fun gardening-related gifts I've received and given (see Christmas Gifts for Gardeners). Now I'm back with more (not a promotional piece, just real life)!

This planter by Peropon provides a taste of indoor gardening. The planter is self-watering, so could not be easier – just plant and add water periodically. I received this stocking stuffer in December and grew the tiny crop of clover in February while waiting for the days to lengthen and warm. The clover continued to grow and thrive into summer.

Self-watering planter

This beautifully made cloisonne key chain is easy to find when searching through my purse. The leaf is tropical and exotic, which adds interest.

Cloisonne key chain

Books are always welcome. This one about German botanist, Alexander von Humboldt, and his associates is right up my alley – history, exploration, the Americas, and beautiful plants. What more could a gardener want?

Obscure and fantastic

Vases of all sizes, shapes, and kinds are welcome. This glass vase in the form of a sea urchin is perfect for displaying tiny, delicate blossoms.

Sea urchin vase is ideal for displaying a single rhodie blossom

Almost anything floral is a great gift for gardeners. What gardener doesn't like beautiful flowers on almost anything!

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Visit to Mendocino

My husband and I recently took a four-day, socially-distanced trip to Mendocino. We rented a cabin (where the state's COVID-19 guidelines are strictly enforced), ate only in outdoor restaurants that complied with state mandates, and spent most of our time in the great outdoors. We were armed with warm clothes, a collection of face masks and multiple bottles of hand sanitizer.

Highway 128

The Andiron near Mendocino

From the San Francisco Bay Area, we followed the winding path of Highway 128 through oak forest and then majestic redwoods to the coast. We shared the road with only a handful of cars (one of the perks of the pandemic), and then checked into the Andiron Seaside Inn and Cabins (located about four miles from Mendocino). Our cabin (named "Curious") was filled with science-based games and activities, two telescopes, and binoculars. We ate a delicious dinner at the Trillium Cafe (in the garden, under a tent decorated with white lights, warmed by propane heaters, and socially distanced from other diners).

Contactless check in at The Andiron

Trillium Cafe for dinner in the garden

Mendocino is a charming Victorian era town of about 1,000 people (in its logging heydey, it boasted 20,000 inhabitants). The architecture is lovely, as is its situation on the Mendocino headlands, overlooking the ocean. A short walk across the headlands to the cliff-edge yields beautiful views of the rugged coastline. We found excellent menus at Flow Restaurant and Good Life Cafe & Bakery, and enjoyed watching wildlife in the evening, followed by fires in the wood stove, and episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.

Mendocino on the headlands

Mendocino coast line

View of the ocean

Curious (the cabin)

Russian Gulch State Park is just up the road, north of Mendocino. We snapped pictures of the Russian Gulch bridge glowing in late afternoon sun from the lower parking lot, then again from the Headlands Trail. The winter light intensifies the yellow sediment of the cliffs and illuminates the dense vegetation that covers the headlands. The crashing of the waves and turning of the tide is so therapeutic.

Russian Gulch Bridge

The caves at Russian Gulch State Park

Dramatic skies at Russian Gulch

One day we ate a late lunch in Fort Bragg (a bustling city of about 7,000 people) at Silver's at the Wharf with the sun on our backs, and then headed for the Point Cabrillo Light Station. We saw the charming lighthouse and more of the coastline, with everything bathed in that golden, late afternoon light. The tide surged into the fjords that cut into the coast, and birds and sea lions foraged for food.

Lunch in Fort Bragg

Fjord at Point Cabrillo

Light station at Point Cabrillo

Rugged coastline (definite need for a lighthouse)

Golden sunset

We spent our last afternoon exploring Mendocino, and visiting the shops (I felt a serious obligation to stimulate the local economy)! Shopping has changed - hand sanitizer at the door, 20-minute stays in the store, limited number of shoppers at any one time. The Mendocino Presbyterian church on Main street was constructed of redwood and dedicated in 1868, and now operates a food pantry and conducts online services. Multiple water towers are scattered throughout the town. Shops are tucked into Victorian buildings that are well maintained and all painted up. We enjoyed a hot toddy and corn dog at Patterson's Pub.

Mendocino Presbyterian Church

One of the water towers in Mendocino

Bead shop along the wooden boardwalk

View from Flow Restaurant waiting for to-go order

Back at the Andiron, watching the deer graze at dusk

We returned home via Highway 128 feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Even with all the restrictions and precautions, we had a great time exploring the beautiful Northern California coast!

Nature therapy

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Vision: Wrap Up

This has been a year like no other! Together we have faced a world-wide pandemic (and ourselves). Following our theme of vision, we looked to the past for visionary ideas that got us to where we are, lived fully into the present ideas that surround us, and look to the future for great ideas to come.

Urban hubs of the future
Image copyright by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

The Future is Now: COVID-19

The pandemic brought the future into the present (climate change, wealth disparity, supply chain disruption, working at home, disease, travel restrictions). Welcome to the new normal.

My Example

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show - Canceled!

Trip to the Desert - Canceled!

Filoli, Gardens, and Tours - Canceled!

Farmer's Markets - Open (Six Foot Rule)!

Regional Park Trails - Open (Six Foot Rule)!

Bring Back the Natives - Open (via Zoom)!