Bottle tree @ RBG

I am visiting my brother Scott and his wife Kate in Northern California. They live in Walnut Creek, about 25 miles east of San Francisco and at the foot of Mount Diablo (site of a recent controversy concerning the name “Mt. Devil”, but that’s another story). There is a treasure right down the street from their house, the very first project of the revered Garden Conservancy.  That would be Ruth Bancroft Gardens, dedicated to the  preservation of as fine a collection of water conserving plants as you will find on the planet. Started by it’s eponymous founder in 1971, the 3 acre garden is located on a fruit farm owned by the Bancroft family since the 1880’s. I have always found succulents easy to love for their form, color, ease of propogation and most of all architectural good looks. The succulent and cacti collection @ RBG is thrilling for it’s contrasting textures, forms and colors, especially in the spring.

The bottle tree (Brachychiton Rupestris) shown above is literally a giant succulent. Using it’s trunk for water storage, the Australian native  is slow growing up to 40′ in height; it doesn’t display the bottle shape until 15 years along. The good news is that if you have more money than time the bottle tree can be transplanted very easily.

Ruthbancroftgarden.org

Barrel Cacti in the Desert Garden Photo by Susan Hirsch

Last week I took my visiting family to Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California, one of Socal’s treasures. My first stop is always the Desert Garden, my favorite among the many themed areas. There is some wild stuff going on there right now! This is THE time of year for cacti and succulents to bloom and grow, and put on quite a show. The Huntington Desert Garden is nearly 100 years old, its 10 acres containing almost 5000 species of succulents and desert plants. If you live in Southern California the Huntington is worth a drive; it’s a great place to spend a day looking at art (remember, they have Blue Boy and Pinkie) and gardens (they also have a new Chinese garden).

The following public announcement was placed  in my mailbox recently by the Los Angeles Arboretum and I wanted to pass it on:

Hi Everyone – Marc Hall will teach you everything you wanted to know about berries and how to maximize your crop! Because berries are Marc’s specialty — and passion — he will share recipes and samples of his own homemade goodies made with berries. Marc is a certified nurseryman as well as The Arboretum’s Garden & Gift Shop manager.

BERRY BASICS

When? Saturday, March 27, 10 am — Noon

Where? Oak Room, next to the Organic Vegetable Garden

Instructor: Marc Hall

Fee: $22 members / $25 non-members

Registration: Reservations preferred; please call the Education Department at  626.821.4623, or email jill.berry@arboretum.org

The Arboretum is located at 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

Do you want to learn to grow berries — strawberries, blueberries, and caneberries, to mention just a few?  Then this class is for you! Bring your questions!

What you will learn:

When and where to buy your plants;

Tips for growing abundant crops;

Guidelines for tending and harvesting your berries;

The ideal exposure/sunlight and watering;

The best soil and fertilizer for optimal backyard production;

The ideal watering schedule;

Pruning tips and rotational information on disease prevention and insect/bird control; and

Training and trellising methods.

Another Huntington photo:

Cacti, aloes, agaves and succulents Photo by Susan Hirsch