Going Coastal

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 I was out on the coast for just a little more than 24 hours, but managed to fit in the olive bar at Harvest Market, and a visit to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens along with my shopping stop at Digging Dog. Assorted olives, leftover cold BBQ chicken and Pinot Grigio make a nice meal on a road trip, especially when consumed on a little balcony overlooking the pacific. A nice finale for what will likely be the end of my travels for 2011. Unless I get restless.

 Wouldn't it be splendid if every parking lot had plantings like this ? 



Verbena bonariensis  looks fine hanging out with Salvia 'Waverly'



Grasses , Angelica, Salvia ugilinosa and some manner of Coreopsis make a pleasing fall vignette.



Fading Eucomis. Drama with their last gasp.


  I have a crush on the Heather Garden here; it's beautiful in every season-sunny, foggy, raining --doesn't matter. The tufts of Ericas and Callunas meld gracefully like a tapestry of colored muffins. As much as I admire this planting, I have never attempted to grow Heaths in my garden. The further inland the trickier they become, crisping up in the 80 degree heat if situated in full sun, stretching if sited in shade.

 









Comments

  1. DarlaOctober 20, 2011 at 2:25 AM

    Magnificent groupings in this post...I can't seem to get a worpress box to drop down from your "comment as" so this is attached to my old blog. My new blog is http://hundredsofideas.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loree / danger gardenOctober 20, 2011 at 7:14 PM

    You know how to travel!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ksOctober 20, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Darla, I fiddled around with some settings that I hope will fix the comment problem you are having..They do a nice job at this garden without many resources.

    Hoping I'm done with travel for a few months Loree! Time to hit all the local botanic spots for a bit..

    ReplyDelete
  4. DeniseOctober 20, 2011 at 10:09 PM

    What a great bookend trip to quite the year of travel you've had.

    ReplyDelete
  5. GigaOctober 22, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    Wrzosowiska są prześliczne. Pozdrawiam

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hoover BooOctober 25, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Lovely. You do know how to travel!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alice's Garden Travel BuzzOctober 25, 2011 at 8:35 PM

    Wonderful tour!
    Thanks for taking me along. It's been years since the last time I visited the Mendo Botanical Gardens - I think Fall is one of the very best times to see highlights of the plant collections.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bay Area TendrilsOctober 25, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    p.s.
    Added GardenBook to the Bay Area Tendrils
    'Bevy of Blogs' .. sorry it took so long!

    ReplyDelete
  9. MattiOctober 26, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    Ahh...you are at one of my most fav botanical gardens... I believe the only one with coastal access too. What would I give to have some expansive gardens to showcase the heather. Hope to be heading back to that area before the end of the year. Thanks for the post. Matti

    ReplyDelete
  10. ksOctober 26, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    I've been home for 2 weeks Hoover..2 whole weeks !

    Thank you Alice ! Your book is always in the 'nearby' pile -an important reference, as is your website.

    Matti, I try to visit Mendo botanical at least twice a year-if you get the opportunity to visit the east coast be sure to high tail it to Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens..they do have 'quasi' coastal access there too , but that coast is not like this coast--though its way warmer there in summer !

    ReplyDelete

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