The Art of Beatrix Potter

The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations was written by Emily Zach, and published by Chronicle Books (San Francisco, 2016). Linda Lear, who wrote Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature, wrote the forward. I was thrilled to receive this book as a Christmas gift from my son and daughter-in-law, and finally found time to read it this spring.

The book provides a brief biography of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), including her formative years in London in a comfortable, upper-middle class family. The rest of the book is organized by place, including London, the South Coast, Scotland, the Lake District, and Wales. The Potter family vacationed in most of the places, or visited friends and family, recovered health, or escaped the summer heat of London. They stayed for long stretches of time (often months), so Potter had time to explore each location, observe nature in various seasons, and forge friendships. For each location, Zach shows how it influenced Potter's art and storytelling. Zach includes many sketches, images, photographs, and letters throughout the book.

This is a beautiful and well-written book. While reading I looked up most of the place names on the Internet to learn more about them (you could create a fantastic trip itinerary of Great Britain using even a handful of these places). Surprisingly, many of the estates and homes the Potter family rented are still available as hotels and inns. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Beatrix Potter, art, botany, or travel.

Southern California Montane Botanical Garden

My folks and I recently completed our annual pilgrimage to the Southern California desert, in pursuit of beautiful wildflowers after El Niño rains. They flew in from Southeast Alaska and I flew in from the San Francisco Bay Area for a week of exploring, hiking, and wonderful companionship. We have our favorite places to visit, like Whitewater and Oak Glen Preserves, Skinner Lake, Palm Springs area, Joshua Tree National Park, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We like to compare conditions from year to year, and to try something new!

Apple orchard

Apple blossom

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This year we visited the Southern California Montane Botanical Garden, which is adjacent to Los Rios Rancho (a working apple orchard); and is part of the Oak Glen Preserve, which is managed by The Wildlands Conservancy. The Preserve is located in the San Bernadino Mountains, in a portion of the Transverse Range (oriented east-west, rather than north-south), with an elevation that ranges from 4,900 to 9,300 feet (or 1,493 to 2,835 m). It is a botanically diverse area with close to 1600 plant species.

Early spring visit to the Southern California Montane Botanic Garden

Hummingbird Hill

The botanical garden specializes in plants of the Transverse Range, including many that are endemic to Oak Glen. The garden includes a hummingbird garden, duck pond, pioneer garden with antique farming equipment, forests, and many hiking trails. We visited on a cold misty afternoon in late March (recall two years ago we experienced snow at Los Rios Rancho at this same time of year, see Snow Blossoms)!

Penstemon eatonii (Eaton's firecracker) - Oak Glen Native

Ribes malvaceum (Chaparral currant) - Oak Glen Native

The garden has excellent signage, so we learned about the many species of penstemon and currant species that thrive in the area, and provide nectar to a wide range of pollinators, including hummingbirds, native bees, wasps, and moths.

View of the duck pond

We also enjoyed strolling through the Pioneer garden, and around the duck pond, which is active with wildlife. And yes, we purchased apple turnovers and enjoyed them in the car with the heat cranked up!

Botanical Gardens: University of California, Berkeley

The UC Botanical Garden, which is associated with University of California at Berkeley, has over 13,000 plants from around the world installed in naturalistic settings on 34 acres. The plants are arranged in nine major geographic regions (such as Mediterranean, South Africa, Australasia, the Americas, and California); and in special collections (such as Chinese Medicinal Herb, old roses, cycads and palms, crops of the world, tropical, and carnivorous plants).




Printable version: http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/GardenMapPoster.pdf

My first visit was on a class tour that was led by Dr. Lawrence Lee, one of my professors at Merritt College. Lee had worked at the UC Botanical Garden early in his career, so knew many interesting facts about the plants and history of the garden. The setting is spectacular—high in the Berkeley Hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. I have visited the garden multiple times, in different seasons, and there is always something new and interesting to see.
 

Entrance to UC Botanical Garden, at Berkeley

Palm Collection

I always seem to gravitate to the trees and palms; to the desert plants in Arid House; and to the carnivorous plant collection. The California native plant collection is extensive, and a valuable asset as we all try to learn more about drought tolerant, and low water usage plants for our gardens.

Arid House

One of the many interesting specialty collections

The education program hosts lectures, such as iPhone plant photography, botanical painting, dyeing with plant materials, and native plants. Check their calendar regularly for interesting offerings.

Carnivorous plants	Needle grass
Yucca rostrata	Blueberries from New Zealand

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Docent-led tours are available, or you can explore the garden on your own. The gift store has a great collection of books and garden-related items (gift worthy, if you want to do a little holiday shopping while enjoying a beautiful garden). Their nursery offers many California native plants, and their fall and spring plant sales are legendary.

 

Address: 200 Centennial Drive; Berkeley, CA 94720-5045 Web Site: http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu Directions: http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/directions/ For other botanical collections in the San Francisco Bay Area see: http://www.edenbythebay.blogspot.com/2015/02/botanical-collections-of-bay-area.html

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Botanical Gardens: San Francisco Botanical Garden

The San Francisco Botanical Garden (formerly called Strybing) is located in Golden Gate Park. The 55-acre garden specializes in plants of the Mediterranean, South Africa, New Zealand, the Americas, California, and Asia. Special collections include plants from the cloud forests of the world, a moon garden, succulents, and ancient plants. The garden takes advantage of its temperate, foggy location in San Francisco, and grows over 50,000 plants from all over the world.



Printable version: http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/graphics/pdf/04SFBGSA_BW_Map.pdf

I visited the garden for the first time in July. With so much to see, I decided to make a sweep through all the major areas of the garden, and to spend some concentrated time in a few places that were especially appealing.

Main Gate entrance (Friend Gate is a second entrance)

Plenty of space to roam

I visited on a hot and beautiful day. The park was jammed with folks eager to be outdoors after a stretch of cloudy days. A plant sale was in full swing, and a couple of private parties were in progress. Adding to the festivities was the Sunset Piano, Opus IV. Twelve pianos were distributed around the garden, and played by professionals. What a pleasure to stroll around the beautiful grounds and come across small informal concerts with all types of music—jazz, gospel, show tunes, classical. Even with all the extra activity, the garden is large enough to accommodate the crowds.

Piano concert under the trees

I especially liked the groves of mature trees – the redwood grove, the Mesoamerican cloud forest, the Andean cloud forest, and the Southeast Asian cloud forest. They are each populated with native plants from the regions, and dense with vegetation. Signage provides information about the plants and their ecosystems.

Metrosideros excelsa from New Zealand. According to signage, the aerial roots descend to the ground and take root, becoming extra trunks that support heavy horizontal branches.

I stood for quite a while in the Mesoamerican cloud forest listening to the wind in the trees; enjoyed sitting beside the Bamboo Pond in deep shade watching shadow and light play over the water; and ate my lunch in the deep shade of the redwood grove.

Bamboo Pond

Redwood Grove

Docent-lead tours are available, or you can roam freely. The garden offers monthly plant sales (excluding several months), and an annual plant sale in the spring. I recommend this garden for a pleasant outing, or for learning more about plants from around the world. I plan to return to see what all I missed, and to see trees and plants in different seasons.
 

Address: Golden Gate Park; 1199 9th Avenue; San Francisco, CA 94122 Web Site: http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/ Golden Gate Park Directions: http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/visit/directions.html For other botanical collections in the San Francisco Bay Area see: http://www.edenbythebay.blogspot.com/2015/02/botanical-collections-of-bay-area.html

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Botanical Gardens: Conservancy of Flowers

My aunt and I visited the Conservancy of Flowers in Golden Gate Park a few years ago. We saw the dinosaur exhibit – complete with the whimsical dinosaur head punching its way through the roof of the conservatory. The collection is housed in a wonderful, Victorian greenhouse structure that is painted white to provide diffused lighting for the plants.

The conservatory is devoted to subtropical plants of highlands (cool) and lowlands (hot). The building has several distinct areas, including those for special exhibits, potted plants, and aquatic plants, as well as areas for plants of the highlands and lowlands.
 

Entrance to the Conservancy of Flowers in Golden Gate Park

Subtropical potted plants

The plants are well marked with informative signs, making it easy for the botany lover to learn more about new or favorite plants.

Signage also provides interesting information about the plants or ethnobotany

I was especially enamored to see plants for some of the spices we have learned about as part of our holiday cooking series, including ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg; and the giant water lily pads that can support a small animal, or person.

The aquatic plants are especially appealing

A plant sale is held every fall and spring, and the web site list the plants that are currently in bloom.

Cardamom, also used in cooking	Orchids growing midcanapy
Lotus flower	Carnivorous plants

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I recommend this conservatory for finding out more about subtropical plants. The building and the collection brings to mind the Victorian era, when everyone was mad to classify and collect plants. The madness continues – maybe in a different way. Now we want to learn more, to conserve what we have, and to learn all the lessons we can before it is too late.

 

Address: Golden Gate Park; 100 John F. Kennedy Drive; San Francisco, CA 94118 Web Site: http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/ Golden Gate Park Map (scroll down): http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/visit/directions/ For other botanical collections in the San Francisco Bay Area see: http://www.edenbythebay.blogspot.com/2015/02/botanical-collections-of-bay-area.html

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Tram Adventure

A group of us took the Goldbelt Tram from dock-side in downtown Juneau to the tram stop at the tree line, practically straight up the mountain. In our youth we hiked up the mountain, starting at the trail head close to Basin Road, through thick conifers, to the tree line at around 1,760 feet.

The tram car, named Raven, arrives at the tram terminal

Raven arrives at the Mount Roberts tram terminal. Here is a view of the powerful cable works, and Nature Center.

 

Now it is enjoyable to zip up the mountain in just a few minutes, watching the cruise ships and downtown Juneau fall away below, and the vistas down channel open up. The Visitor Center provides information about indigenous history and culture, and offers a restaurant and gift shop.

The miniature conifers of the elfin forest are pruned and sculpted by the elements.

A blind bald eagle on display at the nature center.

A native American raven is carved into a tree.

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A short hike takes you out of the elfin forest and into the alpine meadow. June is a great time to see wildflowers. The plants take advantage of the brief season to grow and propagate. We enjoyed the fabulous vistas in all directions.

Beautiful view down channel at Father Brown's cross.

The alpine meadow is being restored. Meadows are easily trampled, and restore slowly in the short growing season.

I learned from signage at the top that the rise in elevation from water’s edge to mountain top comprises multiple plant communities, including conifer groves, elfinwood, rock gardens, lush meadows, deciduous thickets, snow beds, and heath. This provides a great opportunity for botanical observation.

Blue berries are just starting to ripen.	Salmon berry blossoms with snow in the background.
Violets	Wild geraniums

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We finished the day at El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant for a delicious dinner with our extended family, and lively conversation.

Botanical Gardens: Tilden Regional Park

The Tilden Regional Parks Botanical Garden is another great botanical garden in the San Francisco Bay area. The park is located in Wildcat Canyon in the North Berkeley hills, and covers ten acres. I visited in March for the first time.



The garden is devoted to plants of California. The park is divided into ten sections that represent ten distinctive natural regions of California (Southern California, Valley Foothill, Santa Lucia, Channel Islands, Franciscan, Pacific Rain Forest, Sierran, Redwood, Sea Bluff, and Shasta-Klamath); and three subsections (aquatic plants, coastal dune plants, and the Antioch Dunes of Contra Costa county). Plant specimens are planted in sections corresponding to their origin by region. Regions are color coded on the map, and garden beds are systematically numbered and associated with each region.

James B. Roof Visitor Center

 In addition to this great organization is the fantastic, color-coded signage for each section and planting bed. Signs provide Latin and common names, county of origin, a catalog number, and indication of whether the plant is rare or endangered, or native to this region.

Color-coded signage (blue for Sierran region)

A docent lead tour is hosted every Saturday at 2:00, or you can follow the color coded map. Garden tours can be arranged for groups. I chose to wander the garden paths, sit at my leisure under the Redwoods, observe the plants, and take pictures.

Path through the manzanita

The ceanothus was abuzz with bees

When I visited, the redbud, ceanothus, and trilliums were in full bloom, along with many other plants. You can visit every month of the year and see something different in bloom.

Wake Robin (trillium)	California Pipevine
  Giant Wake Robin (trillium)	Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry

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 Once a year the park holds a plant sale, which is open to amateur gardeners and professionals. The plant list is available online prior to the event. The plants are grown in numerous greenhouses scattered throughout the grounds.

Several greenhouses used to populate plants for the garden and annual plant sale

I recommend this botanical garden to learn more about the incredibly diverse native plants from California. I was excited to find examples of plants from my research for our yard—ground covers, grasses, and vines—and to be able to compare native variations from different regions in the state. For example, I found the ground cover Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) from multiple regions. Below are four - a local native, and three others from San Mateo, Sonoma, and Mono Counties.  The local native version would be ideal, if I could find it at a native plant sale, but the others could work if I found the right environment in our garden.

Trailing Bearberry (local native)	Trailing Sand Berry
Kinnikinnick	Convict Lake Manzanita

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This botanical garden is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to see plants in situ with other members of its plant community and similar terrain. It is also great for anyone who just wants to spend a few hours in a beautiful place. Benches and shade abound for rest and reflection, and a creek runs through it.

Address: Wildcat Canyon Road and South Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park Berkeley, CA Web Site: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden/botanic_garden For other botanical collections in the San Francisco Bay Area see: http://www.edenbythebay.blogspot.com/2015/02/botanical-collections-of-bay-area.html