GardenBook

 Way back in June I made a Mendocino county loop that featured three Garden Conservacy open days , among them was  Digging Dog Nursery. Though they are open for visitors often throughout the summer, in my experience their private garden has only been open in conjunction with the Open Days program. I try not to miss the opportunity, and this garden as a whole remains my favorite California garden.  As with any garden that is frequently visited, changes are noted and pending changes are looked forward to. This summer, an area that had long been enticingly viewed in the distance  over a barrier  of caution tape for the last few years was open at last.  The abundant borders were in their summer best- the tail end of the 'green times' here in summer-dry Northern California. The nursery is in our coastal Redwood belt, and only a couple of miles inland from the Pacific, so summer temperatures are moderate.  Sanguisorba (which one ?) hangs out with N...

 In March , I blogged about the Northwest corner of my garden; an area that I purged over winter and fall, more than ready for a do-over . There has been progress, though slow primarily due to plant availability. I decided what I wanted here and for once I didn't waver from my design (term used loosely) due to gardeners impatience syndrome-a condition for which there is no cure but which can be managed with the all-natural medication known as Discipline.Discipline is readily available but often unpalatable. So, I ordered and waited. Mail order plants that come in spring can be small, but this was my expectation and the important thing was the vigor of the root system. No disappointment on that front.   Here is the area this evening..The most growth from the newbies has been  Passiflora caerulea which is on the redwood trellis. I may live to regret this purchase, but I promised myself to be diligent in monitoring it's activity and taking action (up to and includin...

 I always try to make it out to the coast to attend the annual fall sale at Digging Dog Nursery in Albion-it's just as much about an escape to the coast as it is about buying plants. October is typically an ideal time to visit the Mendocino County coast..dry and sunny unlike the often cold, miserable, and foggy weather in summertime.  I lucked out in a big way on the weather  and spent a pleasant  3 days driving around taking photos, walking state park trails , and nursery crawling.  At Digging Dog, the west facing borders show off the grasses .    The vegetable garden area is a work in progress , and here the hornbeam pillars punctuate. The evolution of this section of the gardens has been fascinating to observe over the last few years. I wish I had taken more photos ...next year !  A lone hornbeam pillar across the drainage pond.   Grasses and seedheads are left to create fall interest . This garden (and ...

 Ordered in late March and planted in April , 'Symphytum 'Axminister Gold' has already made a statement in the mid spring garden. Though the blooms are not the main attraction here , they are an appreciated bonus. How clever I am to have had the presence of mind to buy two of them. If there are any left (doubtful) when I pay an in-person visit to Digging Dog for the first ever Garden Conservancy Mendocino County Open Garden Day next weekend , I will surely buy another one.  Seen here with with Achellia 'Moonshine' , Phygelius Croftway Purple Prince' and yet to bloom Trachelium .