Philip’s Garden Blog

The week before Christmas we woke up to the sound of soft rain. Now, most people would pull up the bedcovers and linger over a cup of coffee. That does sound wonderfully cozy, but I could not pull on my hiking boots fast enough. Armed with my coat and camera I set out into the misty rain to one of my favorite gardens in San Francisco: the Native Plant Garden at Strybing Arboretum.

Longfellow writes of “Air sweeter than wine”, and in the park this rainy morning I breathed in the heady ozone: damp, earthy and of green, growing things. I was not a completely solitary visitor to this garden as numerous house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus), golden-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) and other small birds clustered in the shrubbery, their presence made known by droplets of water as they flew from branch to branch, and by the babel of their birdsong. I imagined they were saying “Party over here! Party over there!”

With the arrival of the winter rains in northern California, now is a time to plants seeds of all types, and especially native plant seeds. These native wildflowers are uniquely adapted to this area’s climate of cool, wet winters and long, dry summers.

A few years ago when I first visited the Native Plant Garden at Strybing I thought to myself, ” I know these plants, this place, this feeling. This is the California landscape in which I was born and that I love”. Other parts of the arboretum are quite beautiful, but the trees are too big, the lawns too expansive for me to attempt to re-create in my own garden. I felt this native garden could be a teaching laboratory for me. This last year I planted seeds representing some of the plants shown here to see how they would do in my own garden. Most of the native plants in my December garden are dormant or are just seedlings. In a few months these plants will begin to grow and flower.

 The following pictures are from a visit I took to the Native Plant Garden at Strybing in April of 2008, and assists me with plant selections when planting seeds right now.

Tufted Hairgrass, Deschampsia cespitosa, has grown luxurient in this spot by April. In the arboretum one cannot venture off the path, but imagine sitting in the springy grass with your back nestled in the hollow of a California Buckeye tree, Aesculus californica, just coming into leaf.

The yellow flowers of meadowfoam, (Limnanthes douglasii) are spectacular planted en masse, and to do that economically one must do this by seed. This plant is delightful in flower, but I have learned a few things along the way in its cultivation. Limnanthes in my expeience can be devastated by slugs and snails when tender and young. Also, It is not reliable as a bedding plant. In reviewing again how it grows naturally in its habitat, I can see now that it prefers a natural, dry watercourse. There must be enough moisture deep down for this plant to “live happy and grow”.

I think I will try this again in the descending walk between the upper and lower sections of my own garden. The natural stepping stones could be made to effect a natural watercourse, interplanted with meadowfoam. Let’s see what happens this spring!

Without a doubt, one of the easiest of California wildflowers to plant by seed is the orange flowered California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). I have found to my delight numerous species of this type that have white flowers, yellow flowers, pink and even apricot flowers! The orange is the most common, but withstands a variety of climatic conditions. It can be a perennial in the right conditions, and very happily re-seeds. This time of year I am busily transplanting Eschscholzia sp. from where I feel they should not be (like under the garden table), and to where I think they could be set off best. When planting with seed, thinning the multitude of plants that emerge will allow a few to grow to be quite vigorous and provide a delicious display of blooms for bees …and for you!

The pink flowered Clarkia sp. turned out to be one of my great dicoveries this last season. Shown here intermixed with native grasses, planted alone in my own “test kitchen” in a miniscule plot of my own garden, I was amazed by the vigorous and showy blooms we had from this seed to plant. Clarkia comes in a number of species, some double, some single flowering — all are spectacular.

There is a common misconception that one can simply throw native plant seeds willy-nilly about and expect a flowering garden. My personal experience is that this is simply not the case. Most seeds like good, well-drained amended soil, and do need to be planted in the soil to prevent being eaten by birds.  But I do love birds and I have a birdbath and feeder with good seed for them. Mother nature has many seeds to expend to birds, and the law of averages applies. If you have a limited budget, and wish to plant directly by seed with plants such as Clarkia, plant them carefully in a well prepared bed.

In this type of garden, pure color appears to float like daubs of paint on a green colored ground.

One of the California native irises, Iris longipetala flourishes in great stands in the coastal prairie.

Iris douglasiana produces many different colored flowers. It is instructive for me to see how nature arrays these plants in clumps. Where one Iris in the garden is a jewel-like specimen, a great drift of these flowers provides a spectacular display in the spring. In the background is the yellow flowering tree, Fremontodendron californicum

 Admission is free to visit the native plant garden at Strybing Arboretum http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/

Further information can be found with The California Native Plant Society: www.cnps.org

From their website:
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and how to conserve them and their natural habitats through education, science, advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship

Many seeds and rhizomes of the plants shown here can be purchased online with Larner seeds: www.larnerseeds.com.  I hope to visit Judith Larner Lowry’s demonstation garden on the coastal bluff of Bolinas soon. That will be another garden adventure!

Eleven years ago the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened its doors to visitors from all over the world, and thus ushered in “The Bilbao Effect”. Cities wishing to be considered “world class” and attract those tourist dollars have since constructed remarkable structures to house cultural institutions, from the Getty Center in Los Angeles to the new museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar. These museums put the capital “A” in architecture and I think of them as the cathedrals of our time. The impulse which built the Canterbury cathedral and sent thousands on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela was of course by nature, spiritual. Within that paradigm, however, was also the desire to get out into the world and see something new, to gather together with others and to be inspired.

The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco recently opened its doors to a wildly enthusiastic public. Located on the site of the previous academy which had been damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the new academy designed by Renzo Piano not only houses a stunning collection of exhibits celebrating the natural world, but, in the tradition begun at Bilbao, the building is itself a star attraction. This building, however, takes the next leap by going beyond architectural theatrics. Receiving platinum certification under the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) the academy boasts an impressive list of recycled materials and energy savings. Rather than merely discussing environmental concerns such as climate change and alternative energy, the new academy is an environmental philosophy made real in three dimensions.

One of the things that I particularly wanted to see during my visit to the academy was “The Living Roof”. Green roofs in other applications have shown to reduce the “heat island effect” of higher urban temperatures due to large expanses of black tar roofs and pavement. Green roofs reduce the interior temperatures of buildings reducing energy costs for cooling. The living roof incorporates these qualities with an original and artistic arrangement of undulating hillocks which lies over the domes of the interior rainforest and planetarium. To keep the soil and plants secured on the slopes, an ingenious solution was developed by the firm, Rana Creek. Biodegradable trays with planting mix were placed like tiles over the structure. A collection of native plants knit the whole together.

California native plants thrive in this environment despite months of drought. Floral displays of California aster Aster chilensis delight as well as provide an important nectar source for butterflies and bees.

Upright stands of purple flowering Prunella vulgaris emerge from wild strawberry Fragaria chiloensis.

Numerous plants are yet to emerge. Look for glorious displays this spring of pink flowering Sea Thrift Armeria maritima, yellow and white Tidy Tips Layia platyglossa, and orange california poppies Eschscholzia californica.

The glass roof of the central piazza can be glimpsed from above

The academy’s central piazza is a place for people to relax in an atmosphere of structual lightness and transparancy.

Views of the surrounding park are invited into the museum. The twisting copper tower of the neighboring De Young musuem is enjoyed from the piazza as a kind of monumental sculpture.

I spoke with Larry Reed and John Loomis, landscape architects with the firm SWA Group who designed and implemented the construction of the academy gardens. They described that when the living roof was first installed and before the planting trays had time to set, they came to the central piazza each morning grateful that the plantings had not collapsed into the piazza below! The Living Roof, seen from below, has proven to be a technological success as well as an artistic one.

The living roof is enjoyed by visitors from a viewing platform. This arrangement brings to mind the Karesansui, Japanese viewing gardens. The roof terrain is an abstraction of the hills of San Francisco, contemplated from a set location.

From the viewing platform one can see the band of photovoltaic cells which contributes to the energy needs of the academy.

The living roof affords new vistas into the park. Beyond the concourse is the Japanese Tea garden and the De Young Museum sculpture garden.

Flanking the academy are the east and west gardens. At first glance, I thought these gardens were lacking in much to interest the plantsperson. After being in them for a bit I found that their direct approach with rectangles of expansive grass was the perfect counterpoint to the busy interior. After visiting the busy academy’s exhibits, the gardens are a respite where childeren can run around and people relax.

A hanging sculpture by Maya Lin and carved sculptures of animals by Benny Bufano grace the grounds.

Landscape architects Larry Reed and John Loomis describe the former site of the east garden as a “cesspool of trash cans and concrete. The former academy was a collection of mis-matched buildings. The new academy has a smaller footprint, allowing the creation of the gardens. The new design is also pulled back from the site of the Shakespeare Garden.”

 

“The forests of Golden Gate Park were in decline” according to Reed and Loomis.
“Pine trees were dying, and rather than try to recreate a formal 19th century style garden, SWA group focused on de-selecting pine trees and planting redwoods. Understory plantings of oak and bay laurel were established to impove the park’s forest in a wholistic way”

If you plan to visit the academy, I would recommend becoming a member. It would be less expensive in the long run if you plan to visit more than once and there are times set aside for admittance to members only . The academy is worthy of support not only for the museum itself, but for the important contributions it makes to the field of science.

From the Academy’s website:

The California Academy of Sciences is a multifaceted scientific institution committed to leading-edge research, to educational outreach, and to finding new and innovative ways to engage and inspire the public.

The Academy’s mission - to explore, explain and protect the natural world - extends to all corners of the institution; from a research expedition in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, to a teacher training program in a California classroom, to an interactive game on the museum exhibit floor.

My personal thanks to landscape architects Larry Reed and John Loomis for discussing with me their work on the academy.
http://www.swagroup.com/

For more information of the California Academy of Sciences
http://www.calacademy.org/

Academy Sustainability Statement:

Sustainability is often defined as meeting current human needs without endangering our descendants. There is a broad, scientific consensus that our current environmental demands are unsustainable, causing climate change, degradation of natural habitats, loss of species, and shortages of essential resources.

The California Academy of Sciences’ mission to explore, explain and protect the natural world compels the Academy to engage in scientific research relevant to sustainability, to raise public awareness about these urgent problems, and to minimize its own environmental impact.

The Academy’s green building signifies its commitment to sustainability. The culture and internal practices mirror that commitment in the areas of energy, water, waste management, transportation, purchasing and food. Academy programs highlight the living world and its connection to the changing global environment. Academy research focuses on the origins and maintenance of life’s diversity, and its expeditions roam the world, gathering scientific data to answer the questions, “How has life evolved, and how can it be sustained?”

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?