In the Rear View Mirror, Part Four

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 I will begin with an an objectivity disclaimer ; I leave it in the parking lot when I visit  here. This is my dream garden, the garden I would have if I was transported from the postage stamp to a huge manila envelope, the garden that fulfills 90% of my botanical  fantasies. This is Digging Dog Nursery, a few miles inland from the Mendocino coastline. It is remote, surrounded on all sides by Redwood, transitional and mixed conifer forest . The primary business is mail order - and in my experience the customer will receive healthy well-rooted plants. In summer and fall the nursery is open to the public on specific dates and times; see their website for details. I made 3 visits in 2010; most of these photographs are from my fall visit .

  No surprise, the judicious use of grasses keeps the fall  interest dynamic . Seed heads are left to punctuate .










 These planted steps are a clever design element used by proprietor Gary Ratway again for his wonderful gardens at Belvedere Winery, now Donatiello Vineyards in Sonoma County.



 The plant combinations are uncontrived, almost subtle;beautiful in the way that nature is . The line from the garden to the forest or the open meadow is never jarring





 



The fabulous Lobelia tupa

Comments

  1. danger gardenJanuary 8, 2011 at 3:10 PM

    Hey did you put that last picture in just for me? ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ksJanuary 10, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Loree, maybe I should post the other bazillion pics I took of L. tupa ! The had some growing in a semi shady spot too--the drama !

    ReplyDelete

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