Philip’s Garden Blog

This morning I asked a few friends this question:  ” What do you think of when I say the words wild strawberries?“

 ”Pat and Pam both thought of the Ingmar Bergman film of the same name.

 ”It sounds like the name for a girl band”, said John.

Josip and Ulla  said it reminded them of their respective childhoods in Bosnia and Denmark.

Josip collected wild strawberries in an open glade of the woods above his Bosnian home of Banja Luka. Accompanied by his brother, mother and baka (grandmother), they collected vast bounties in a glass jar in the heat of high summer. Once a snake startled them foraging and they avoided that particular patch the next summer!  The wild strawberries served at home were mashed and mixed with whipped cream.

The wild strawberries in Ulla’s Danish childhood summer home in Dragør never made it to the table or in a dessert. They were eaten first thing in the morning with the dew still on them. The intense flavor of the tiny fruit is what she remembers most. Had any wild strawberries been spared these dawn raids, she says they would have been incorporated into a dish of raspberries and red currants called rodgrod med flode.

What got me started thinking about wild strawberries was the discovery yesterday of a crop of tiny delicious gems in the wild strawberry patch we have in our garden in San Francisco. We have two strawberry beds. The bed of the garden strawberry Fragaria ananassa produces a prolific crop of the kind of large strawberries that makes you think of the Fourth of July and strawberry shortcake. The bank of wild strawberries Fragaria vesca produces small fruit of intense flavor. Like Ulla’s Danish garden, we savor these wild strawberries directly off the plant as soon as they ripen.
Growing in open woodland glades, I have tried to create a  situation in my garden which replicates where the wild strawberry grows naturally. The soil is somewhat acidic and well drained. The site has full sun during the day, and dappled shade in the late afternoon. I have planted the wild strawberries next to the garden bench so friends could discover a “taste sensation” as they sit and enjoy.

It is important that one does not plant the mock strawberry Potentilla indica. Invasive in many states, this noxious plant has similar leaves to the true strawberry (fragaria sp.), but not its habits or flavorful fruit.

I love taking hikes along the northern California coast, not only for its natural beauty, but to see native plants that are available in  plant nurseries in their natural situation. The California native beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis does not have very sweet berries, but is an excellent ground cover for the coastal home garden . Shown in the image above growing in its native habitat near the coast in August, one can see that this is an aggressive species. Spreading by a web of interlocking runners, the beach strawberry stabilizes the soil and prevents shifting dunes and erosion. Notice how green this plant is even after months of drought. The coastal fog provides enough moisture for the soil under the dense plant cover. A large area would be wanted if one were to plant this, with full sun and sandy soil.

As with Ulla and Josip the wild strawberry brings back memories for many people of summers past, of childhood innocence and hopes. Psychological associations and emotions of loss and regret are intertwined, too, in a plant that evokes such strong recollections.  In Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film Smultronstallet or Wild Strawberries, an aging professor returns to his old home and in a dreamscape of memory re-lives his young love, Sara, collecting wild strawberries. He watches in dismay as Sara encounters his brother Sigfrid whom she kisses fervently, spilling the wild strawberries in their passion.

Wild strawberries can evoke yearnings for idealized rusticity, for the pastoral. In the 1898 Elizabeth and Her German Garden, Elizabeth Von Arnim describes her fastasy cottage in a glade of the Hirschwald:

I know the exact spot where it should stand, facing south-east, so that we could get all the cheerfullness of the morning, and close to the stream that we may wash our plates. Sometimes, when in the mood for society, we would invite the remaining babies to tea and entertain them with wild strawberries on horse-chestnut leaves. But no one less innocent or easily pleased as a baby would be permitted to darken the effulgence of our cottage- indeed I don’t suppose anyone wiser would care to come. Wise people want so many things before they can enjoy themselves, and I feel perpetually apologetic when I am with them for only being able to offer them that which I love best myself- apologetic, and ashamed of being so easily contented.

 The 1904 essay, Strawberries by John Burroughs captures the delight of this plant, and its nostalgic appeal:

Lives the country boy who does not like wild strawberries and milk,-yea, prefer it to any known dish? I am not thinking about a dessert of strawberries and cream, but bread and milk with the addition of wild strawberries is perculiarly a country dish, and is to the taste what wild birdsong is to the ear. When I was a lad and went afield with my hoe or with the cows during the strawberry season, I was sure to return at mealtime with a lining of berries on the top of my straw hat. They were my daily food and I could taste the liquid gurgling notes of the Bobolink in every spoonful of them; and to this day to make a dinner or supper of a bowl of milk with bread and strawberries-plenty of strawberries, well is as near to being a boy again as I ever expect to come.

What comes to your mind when you think of wild strawberries?

I just de-activated the “math question” which was needed to post a comment on my site. Others had mentioned this, but I could not imagine what they meant.

My twin brother Patrick took me to task and told me how annoying this was. I logged out and discovered that a person had to perform mathematics to post! Good grief! If I had to do this when I wanted to say hi, or I like your garden etc. I would kick the bucket!

Thank you to all who ever posted in the past. I sincerely appreciate it. Now, I hope you will say hello in the future without feeling you are taking a math test!!!

Very warm regards,

Philip

Last Sunday, on a foggy morning in August, I took a walk through Crissy Field in the Presidio National Park. This year is the tenth anniversary of this parks restoration from abandoned airfield to the ecological treasure it is today. I knew before I went that the spectacular burst of spring wildflowers had long passed, and that I was between the migratory seasons of birds and waterfowl. What I found was that this park had treasures  to be discovered any time of the year.

Situated in the northeast corner of the San Francisco peninsula, Crissy Field is like a platform  placed before one of the world’s most beautiful settings:  on the rugged and sparsely populated northern California coast, the coastal mountains part to reveal one of the greatest of natural harbors, the San Francisco Bay. The “Golden Gate” is not just a bridge, but a natural portal to the one of the world’s most dynamic regions.  In looking at this park today it is hard to imagine that this is a restored urban landscape. Imagine this place a flat airfield, abandoned and derelict. Covered in concrete, asphalt, hazardous waste and studded with weeds, Crissy Field and its views were off limits to visitors.

Because of its stategic location, the Presidio was one of the nation’s preeminent military bases. Crissy Field, named in honor of Major Dana Crissy, was the military’s first Air Coast Defense Station on the Pacific coast. The end of the cold war led to a re-evaluation of the nation’s military locatiions. In October 1994, the U.S. Army lowered its flag for the last time, and the Presidio was transferred to the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Beginning in 1998, tons of asphalt and rubble was removed. A new kind of park was concieved which balanced both ecological habitat restoration  and recreation. A legion of volunteers planted over 100,000 native plant species. Ten years later Crissy field thrives for both nature and people.

The fragrance hits you first: imagine the smell of sage and the astringent quality of artemisia. Combine that with a woody note like sandalwood and you are there.  These are the aromas of the coastal scrub which takes me right back to my childhood growing up on the wild California coast.

This place was once the village called Pentlenuc. It was the winter seasonal home of the Yelamu tribe, associated with the larger Ohlone American Indian tribe which populated the  Bay Area. With only about 200 members, the Yelamu divided their time here and with the eastern parts of  the peninsula.  In June of 1776, Spanish missionaries established the Mission San Francisco de Asisi; the tribe was quickly incorporated into the mission and the Yelamu’s traditional way of life was lost. Today Crissy field remains a spiritual place for the native Ohlone people.

 
Plants and grasses knit together with an incredible diversity. This also helps to conserve moisture in the soil during the long dry season.

The California Aster, Aster chilensis, is a perennial which provides nectar for butterflies and the over 60 species of bees which inhabit The Presidio. It has a long summer bloom despite the fact that it must rely on months of drought. Native to salt marches and grasslands, it has found the perfect habitat at Crissy field and flourishes here.

Striking stands of Wrights Paintbrush, Castilleja weightii, flourish in the coastal scrub. The brilliant red color (also seen in red and gold) is produced not by flowers, but by bracts. Paintbrush cannot live alone as it is a partial parasitic. Sending sneaky projections from its roots called haustoria, it takes nutrients from its favorite hosts such as bunchgrass and wild buckwheat.  The green mounding shrubs are Coyote Brush, Baccaris pilularis. An important element to the coastal scrub, the plants roots secure the soil and emerges when native grassland is spared grazing.

The sticky Monkey flower, mimulus aurantiacus, has a complex relationship with the specialist butterfly Ephydryas Chalcedona. This butterfly lays its larvae on the leaves of this plant in the spring when the nutrients and the sticky resin which coats the leaves are at their highest levels. The high nutrients act to feed the larvae, but the sticky resin prevents the plant from being consumed completely!  When the larvae no longer feed on the leaves in the early summer, the Sticky Monkey Flower converts energy from the production of resin to flowers, producing the glorious displays you see here.

Yellow bush lupine, Lupinus arboreus, begins to produce seedheads in the late summer. When the tidal marsh was being restored, remnants of a historic Yelamu shellmound was discovered. Seeds of yellow bush lupine found at the 400 year level of the shellmound proved that the species was native to the area, and not introduced at the time of the Mexican and American settlements.

The restored tidal marsh is a central feature of the park. Once buried in hazardous waste covered in asphalt, the marsh re-creates the one which once existed behind the coastal dunes.

The Presidio is visited by an astonishing 200 species of birds, more that any urban park in the world. Located on the Pacific flyway, the marsh at Crissy field is visited by 9o% of all the migratory birds who pass through this area from the Northern Arctic to the tip of South America. The restored saltwater marsh is home to 17 fish species.

The restoration of Crissy Field included a balance of natural restoration, historic preservation and recreational use. Large grassy lawns recall the original grass airfield. The distinctive red and white structures include the historic Presidio Coast Guard Station. shown above. It is now the home of the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center.
Native plants have been emphasized in the park, but the tall palms have been retained as they help tell the story of the park’s history.

Crissy field now has a popular sandy beach which is popular with children, strollers and dogs. This is not a swimming beach as there are terrific underwater currents, great white sharks and frigid water!

Looking east the skyline of San Francisco emerges from the morning fog.

Another component in the natural restoration of the park is the re-creation of the dune swale habitat which originally existed here. Located between the bay and the tidal marsh, endangered plants which are native to San Francisco are preserved here.

The Beach Evening Primrose, Camissonia cheiranthifolia, has a large root system which secures the dunes from shifting.

Native to the San Francisco dunes, the Dune Tansey, Tanacetum camphoratum, is greatly endangered due to habitat loss. It is thrilling to see this plant in person and to know it has been saved from extinction.

Crissy field needs your help! Volunteer and become a Presidio Park Steward.

From the Golden Gate National parks conservancy website:

Help enhance rare native plant habitat and create important wildlife corridors in the Presidio of San Francisco. Learn about dune and serpentine systems while working in our scrub, grassland, woodland, wetland, and bluff habitats. Our activities will include invasive plant removal during the summer dry season and native revegetation during the winter rainy season. Habitat restoration is a proactive way to participate in environmental healing while removing invasive plants and revegetating with natives. Come learn about local plants and animals and be a habitat hero!

For  more information contact:
PresidioParkStewards@parksconservancy.org
 

The panorama of Rome includes a melange of roof terraces enlivened by rustic pergolas with trailing vines, potted shrubbery and modern antennae; the roofscape is as though the traditional orti (market gardens) of the region has been raised on high above the city. Interspersed in this landscape of tiled roofs and terraces are domes, bell towers, obelisks and monuments, many of which are flood-lit at night.

Rome benefits from a mild Mediterranean climate, and the enjoyment of al fresco living is enhanced by the western breezes off the sea, known in Rome as Er Ponentino. Arriving in the Roman spring and extending into summer, these gentle winds cool the city and its citizens. Romans have for centuries climbed to their rooftop terraces to catch the breeze and enjoy a siesta ( from Latin sexta or sixth hour), partaking of a leisurely midday meal and rest.  Er Ponentino and the roof terrace are inextricable to the rythyms of the city.  Henry James  wrote of spring in Rome:  “There are days when the beauty of the climate of Rome alone suffices for happiness.”

Such reverie is forgotten in the days of the Sirocco, where Rome is subjected to the hot dry winds which carry from its origin the gritty bite of the Sahara.

Saint Ambrose (340-397 CE) in his advice to Saint Augustine wrote:  “Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more…” (when you are in Rome live in the Roman style…)

In the many visits I have made to Rome, our best experiences have been when we have heeded this advice ourselves. In the image above the great dome of the Pantheon looms over our roof terrace.The Pantheon, constructed in 125 CE by the Emperor Hadrian is the best preserved of the ancient Roman monuments, and is considered one of the most influential structures in the history of western architecture. I think of the Pantheon as the hub of Rome’s Centro Storico, that historic district of old Rome which incorporates the Piazza di Popolo to the north, the Spanish steps to the East and Piazza Navona and neighborhoods to the West. It is a place of pedestrian only streets and surprising piazzas where the theatre of la passeggiata takes place:  Romans of all ages descend from their apartments and roof terraces to stroll in the cool of the evening in the convivial atmosphere.

Russell Page (1906-1985), the influential 20th century garden designer wrote of the Roman roof garden in his book, The Education of A Gardener, “…only in Rome does a miscellaneous pot-grown greenery seem to fit, perhaps because in this hilly town the flowery roof-top of one house is often the terrace of the one above.”

Viewed from the roof terrace Rome’s famed quality of light appears dense with diffused atmosphere; the city basking in an amber luminosity. The chiarascuro of light and shadow on the ochre colored walls gives the city a theatricality as though staged for an opera.

Above the pedestrian-only streets of the Centro Storico, the traffic and noise of Rome seems far away . The cadence of footfall, the passing of a flock of pigeons, low snippets of Italian conversation echo up from the cobbled streets below the terrace. Without automobiles, the sound of the city is like a kind of music; this I felt, was the way Rome sounded for centuries.

Rome has about 400 churches, each possessing at least one if not dozens of bells. This combined with schools, convents and other institutions with a bell or two, means that at nearly all hours of the day there is a bell ringing in Rome. On the roof terrace one can hear them from great distances; bells for the hour, for the quarter and the half, bells for the Angelus, bells that caused Francoise Rabelais to call Rome L’Isle Sonnante, The Ringing Island.

One does not need to rent an apartment with a roof terrace to enjoy this uniquely Roman experience. In the Centro Storico  there are a few rooftop restaurants where one can enjoy a Campari and soda or a leisurely meal. I was recently asked to describe my most memorable meal, ever. I immediatly thought of a lunch in Rome shown in the above image. In heat of the afternoon, the city surrounded us in a somnolant haze; the  gentle breeze and the distant sound of bells was our accompaniment on a rooftop terrace overlooking the eternal city, Rome.