Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach
photo:Rendy Lai Photography
We (Matti and Megan) live in San Francisco next to Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park, a half block from the N-Judah turnaround. We’re plant nerds. Succulents, bromeliads, carnivores and other weirdo plants are our faves. Both of us graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with art degrees. Originally from the great state of Wisconsin, we lived in Madison off of Willy Street for many years before moving to San Francisco about four years ago. Our favorite gardening quote by J.C. Raulston: “If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener.”
Chilling with the Echium
Matti in our friend's sweet Outer Sunset garden
Matti ripping out an Agave
February 8, 2010 at 11:54 pm
hey thanks for comment – can you come back and expand?http://gardenbeet.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/the-role-of-social-media-in-serious-thinkingarden-discussions/
February 21, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Thank you for your note re: SF Flower and Garden show. Love your website, AWESOME! Get down to the nursery when you can. Lots of nice beaches in the neighborhood.
Happy Spring.
Robin
April 15, 2010 at 8:35 am
Matti, thanks for visiting my blog and for your comments. I have a Nikon D50. The lens for the close-ups is a 50mm Nikon lens -here it is on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005LEN4/ref=oss_product
Phillip
April 15, 2010 at 8:38 am
Sweet. We are using the Nikon D40…but with the standard lens. I think we may have to check out the 50mm lens. Matti
May 7, 2010 at 1:12 am
Hi Matti and Megan,
Congratulations for your wonderful garden and your nice blog !
My name is Claire, I live in south France in Marseille and I am a joung garden designer, specialy for little spaces like balconies or terraces.
We (me and my friend Lionel, a gardener too) would like to live in Californie as you because it looks amazing with plants we can’t keep in France, even in south…
I have a web site (http://www.slowgarden.fr/) and a blog (http://lejardindeclaire.blogs.marieclairemaison.com/) where I show my work and share my green discovers. I wrote a note about you, please take a look and say me if I’m wrong or if you want to add or skip something.
Please follow this way : http://lejardindeclaire.blogs.marieclairemaison.com/archive/2010/05/07/far-out-flora.html
Thank you for your nice blog !
I’m waitting for your next note
Claire.
May 7, 2010 at 5:41 am
Bonjour Claire, merci pour les compliments. Le blog paraît grand. Nous devons beaucoup au beaucoup de jardin localisé dans San Francisco. C’est une ville magnifique. Je ne l’ai pas fait à Marseille avant, mais j’ai fait un voyage de vélo de solo de Paris à Espagne va le littoral atlantique. Sites merveilleux et gens. Matti
May 7, 2010 at 5:48 am
Merci de ta réponse !
Marseille est une très belle ville. Si un jour vous venez dans le sud de la France, nous aimerions beaucoup vous accueillir et vous montrer notre terrasse (http://lejardindeclaire.blogs.marieclairemaison.com/album/_la_nouvelle_terrasse_/)
Bonne continuation sur votre blog et dans votre jardin !
Claire.
May 20, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Hi – I just discovered your blog and have been catching up with what you’ve been up to. I was wondering if I could use your air layering post and photos on http://www.gardenology.org (the gardening wiki and plant encyclopedia). Or, since it’s a wiki, you could add it yourself. Your help in general would be much appreciated, and if you could tell your classmates, too, and add a link from your blog, even better! Like Wikipedia, the site thrives on volunteer editing, and so the more horticulture folks that know about it, the better!!
Thanks, I hope to hear from you soon… -Raffi
May 20, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Hey Raffi, that sounds like a great idea. Let me know what you need. or email me at msalomaki at gmail.com Matti
June 16, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Love what you do and wanted you to know, we love you too.
Robin Stockwell, Succulent Gardens
June 16, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Awe shucks! Now that we know where you are, we’ll be stopping by a couple times a year
July 14, 2010 at 3:23 pm
i fucking love u two. youre soooo cute.
July 15, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Hi there! I must say that I just fffriggin’ adore your blog! LOVE IT! Y’all be rockin’ that garden! I love your photos and commentaries, and it always leaves me in awe! Simply AMAZING! Thank you for doing what you do; for sharing that far out flora passion and inspiring the rest of us! I’m in the SF Bay area too! My focus is mostly carnivorous plants in the genus Sarracenia (www.thepitcherplantproject.wordpress.com), and I was pretty stoked to see some carnivore posts on your site! Dude. That’s awesome! I grow pretty much everything else that can grow here and looking over your blog makes me want to get out of the office right now even more so and go to my garden! Again, I LOVE what you are doing, keep it up and continue to inspire us! I hope to see you guys around!! -Rob
July 16, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Thanks for the good word Rob! Your blog is looking really sweet too. Great photographs! Our first carnivore was a little sarracenia root ball in a plastic baggy, we picked up free on craigslist.
August 7, 2010 at 6:56 am
Fun blog! I like it.
September 5, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Excited to see folks exotifying Sunset gardens! The potential is huge — imagine Outside Lands gardens with Protea, Leucadendron, Banksia, etc. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm.
Jason Dewees
December 22, 2010 at 5:42 am
Hi Matt, love your writings here. You are a fun loving couple with a fun blog..
If you have time, drop by my gardening blog and leave a comment. Cheers!
http://aedig.com
December 22, 2010 at 5:56 am
You got it. Matti
March 9, 2011 at 8:20 am
Hello!
I am the garden blog editor for Horticulture Magazine and would like to talk to you about your blog. Please drop me a note with your email at your earliest convenience.
gardenjen70@yahoo.com
Thank you,
Jenny
April 14, 2011 at 8:17 am
your photos are amazing! i’m curious if you’d like to share what kind of camera/cameras you use primarily… i’m about to go camera shopping and i’d love some advice.
thanks for posting such beautiful work!
April 14, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Thanks Rae! We bought ourselves a basic Nikon D40 about a year and a half ago. We don’t have any fancy lenses or anything. I’m usually all photoshopped out from work to bother adjusting any of the images we take.
April 20, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Very, very nice site! I just wanted to send a compliment from a fellow Wisconsin Finlander (Douglas County) living in San Francisco (26 years). I came upon your site because I was looking to answer my visiting mother’s many questions about local plant life — I was embarrassed to be so ignorant! I guess you CAN take the Wisconsin out of the girl — some of it, anyway!
Again, very nice site!
Deanna
April 20, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Hey Deanna, glad you like the site. It’s been a huge learning curve for us understanding the plants out here in SF, but a lot fun. Crazy…the Finn side of my family is from Douglas Cty from a little town called Maple off hwy 2. I remember there’s a big population up there with Finnish ties. Gorgeous area there.
Hope your mother has a great visit. First place I would head in SF is Stybing. Matti
April 20, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I know Maple! My family settled in that area (Poplar) fresh from the boat. Maybe we’re related.
My husband and I have a furniture store/art gallery in Hayes Valley — please stop in and say hello if you are ever in the neighborhood (insidemodern.com)!
Deanna
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May 13, 2011 at 7:42 am
We moved from Milwaukee in my teens – to hot, lovable, livable Lodi (36 miles south of Sacrament0); in frequent return visits to relatives in WI, I envied the peonies, humongous hostas, other plants which got the cold shock they need; you appear to be having an absolutely fabulous time in your new gardening life; I am a master gardener from santa clara county, and people with your enthusiasm is what we love to see; there is an MG program in SF City/County. Continued success to you. L. Fraboni
June 6, 2011 at 8:17 am
Hey it was so cool to run into you guys at the Sunset Wkend. Your
table was so great we loved it. Your on to something big ! Love your
blog its the best of the bay. Can’t wait to visit your place and all he
great garden places. Looking forward to all your great blogs.
Cheers and happy summertime in the city, Lynn
June 9, 2011 at 7:39 am
Hey Lynn, it was great to finally see you in person too. Megan and I love doing what we do and glad that there I such a large group of fun gardeners here in the Bay Area. Certain that we will see you soon. Matti
June 8, 2011 at 10:35 am
Hi Megan,
I love your WEB page, garden pictures and Max. So nice, makes me want to move to the west coast. I’m starting a sempervivum collection and they would look so good in your rock planters. Can you please send me the directions on how to make them. They’re wonderful.
thanks, Heidi
Happy gardening!
June 9, 2011 at 7:50 am
We didn’t make the rock part of the planted containers. We found somebody (in the biz?) that we were able to score about 40 of them. They’re clay or ceramic. The planting part. Use a loose soil, and we just planted mostly succulent cutting into them. Rooted plant would be just fine too.
June 9, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Love our enthusiasm and your garden. I, too, am a lover of plants and gardens but do not do it for a living. A treasured avocation! Live not too far from you ie Alamo Square. http://www.flickr.com/photos/frothydelight/sets/72157625384360536/
June 11, 2011 at 8:35 am
Awesome flickr pics. I remember my first trip to SF and getting inspired by the planted boots in Alamo Square. Not sure if they are still there anymore, but super cool.
July 4, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Hello from North Carolina! We are obsessed with succulents also & are planning a visit out your way in October. What are the MOST succulent-filled places to visit? Thank you so much & your garden is stunning!
July 6, 2011 at 7:35 am
The 3 places I would send you in no particular order are: Ruth Bancroft in Walnut Creek http://www.faroutflora.com/2011/06/22/ruth-bancroft-garden-rocks/; UC Berkeley Botanical Garden http://faroutflora.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/south-africa-in-berkeley/; and Strybing in SF http://www.faroutflora.com/2010/10/16/strybing-9-pack/. There are lots of other pockets around the city, and these are the easiest to find on a quick trip to get your succulents on. Matti
July 14, 2011 at 11:58 am
Just discovered your blog – love your yard! I live just on the other side of GG Park (Fulton and La Playa). I was wondering if you offer succulent cuttings for sale or trade?
July 16, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Hi, you left a comment in April asking if you could use my pic of Lilium lancifolium flore pleno. I’m afraid I don’t own that one but my plant has just bloomed and I would happily send you a selection if you still want one? They’re not as good, but they are in focus etc!
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August 1, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Hey guys!
I’m from just outside of Vancouver BC and recently have fallen in love with succulents. I have had a “subtropical-ish” thing going for a few years, but nothing comes close to my recent obsession with my little succulent friends. Needless to say, when I came across this blog I was AMAZED! I absolutely love what you guys have done! (being a plant geek it also brings bundles of joy to find people with as much passion as you guys!) Honestly I can’t get enough of your garden, keep the pics rolling!!!
August 4, 2011 at 7:05 am
Thanks for sharing the information. I just about live outside, so here are some things you ought to consider. Wood wears and comes apart eventually. You need to treat it yearly, which is no fun. And you must treat every nook and cranny of each piece, since water will find a way in. Resin will stain and have to be bleached to clean, but it’s inexpensive. It can be kind of uncomfortable. The durable garden furniture is wrought iron. And when you get a quality set, it’s worth the money. I’m a long time reader and first time commenter!
August 16, 2011 at 2:27 pm
I thought of your garden when I came across these very cool upside down planters.
Here’s a link in case you’re interested.
http://loveadorned.com/?p=1586
August 16, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Oh yes, the upside down planter. I’ve seen a couple of those on town here with Tillys and Rhipsalis in them. Pretty cool. Matti
August 28, 2011 at 7:56 pm
I really love your blog! I recently started my own: http://blog.terrabellalandscape.com/
Keep up the cool posts!
August 31, 2011 at 7:57 am
Just check out your blog. Nice work. Love those Gabions.
September 3, 2011 at 2:04 am
Whats up friend ..
I recently began to get my green thumb.
I adore my garden. It is absolutely relaxing. I need this hobby. =)
September 10, 2011 at 9:34 am
hi,
your new site looks amazing. i have not seen any other blog pop like yours!! amazing design and colors! anyway, just wanted to make sure you guys saw this generous endorsement of your blog:
http://blog.designworkshop.com/
September 15, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Hi, my name’s Jordan, and I stumbled onto your blog sometime around 8 last night. I think I got a few pages in (oh about a dozen) before I finally realized, crap I have to go to work tomorrow! Your blog is fantastic; your love for plants really shines and it’s something I can relate too. Oh, and if you visit my blog please don’t think much of it, it was a pet project that I abandoned because of computer issues at the time and I haven’t had the time or energy to reboot it. Someday. I just wanted to ask something; how DO you guys do so well with your succulents? Seriously? I love them. All kinds. Sedums, cacti, and oh the agave. How I love agave, even though I’m up here in Southern Oregon in a zone 7 that shuns all but some sedums and sempervivum, but that hasn’t stopped me from searching nurseries near and far to get my succulent fix. But I can’t seem to get them to thrive like you. I’ve tried in ground, I’ve tried containers. I can understand them not liking are usually clay-like soil that’s saturated and chilly all winter, but my containers always take a long downward slope until I have to compost the poor things out of guilt. I want a garden like you have. If you have any tips, anything, thank you. I’ll continue reading your guys awesome blog!
September 16, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Hi Jordan!
Glad you found us! Succulents rock where we live because our backyard was a sand dune in its previous life. We pretty much have perfect drainage. It’s rare for it to get frosty in our parts, too which helps. We’re pretty spoiled with all the ridiculously cool stuff we can grow in SF because of the fog. It’s never too hot, or too cold. Great blog, you should start it up again!
September 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Hey there,
I thought you might be interested in an event that AIA SF is having in a few days at Flora Grubb Gardens as part of our annual Architecture and the City festival. We’ve asked Boor Bridges Architecture and Flora Grubb to co-host an interactive workshop on September 23 from 3:00-5:00 that looks at ways of using landscape design to transform mood and space. Attendees will also have the chance to design their own model planting arrangement (this is a very hands-on workshop) and present it to the group. You can find more information on the program at http://www.aiasf.org/archandcity.
September 23, 2011 at 9:01 am
hiya -
I am not sure if you are interested in Wildflowers, but we will soon publish two Wildflowers books. Please email me at jessica_pellien@press.princeton.edu for more information.
Thank you,
Jessica Pellien
November 18, 2011 at 7:39 am
Living in Southern California where is hardly rains and where it’s actually a superficially urbanized, cacti and succulents make a whole lot more sense than any other flora. So for the past several years we’ve been replacing existing plants with a variety of succulents which look terrific and are thriving.
Hey Megan, I think I’ve mentioned this before but I’m going to repeat myself here again. I really like your blog with its great postings and photos and so I visit it quite often. Because I believe it to be a good resource for my visitors, I added your link on my OrchidCare.org website. Would you kindly help me out by adding my link to your Plant Links section?
Thanks a million.
Hanna
http://orchidcare.org/
January 5, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Hi, I just discovered your website ( via my store on Etsy … studiogardias ) and I like what you do (… a lot ) . Nice website and garden!
Margot
January 6, 2012 at 7:38 pm
Thanks Margot, we love doing it.
January 16, 2012 at 7:48 am
I am glad I found you! I write a blog mostly in reference to flower bulbs, and am a flower freak. I like to read & look at pictures of flowers from all over the US.
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February 3, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Hi Matti & Megan,
LOVE your guys’ blog! I work (and blog) for Habitat Design, and want to invite you guys to an event we’re hosting. It’s called “Building Communities through Social Media: A Panel Discussion” and I know you guys are really into social media so it would be AWESOME if you joined us. You can get more info & RSVP here: http://is.gd/010hW5
Thanks and hope you can make it!
Sarah
February 5, 2012 at 9:30 am
Hey Sarah, we will see how the timing looks that week. Sounds pretty awesome. Matti
March 11, 2012 at 9:40 pm
I think you two (and others will appreciate this woman’s work:
http://www.ted.com/talks/natalie_jeremijenko_the_art_of_the_eco_mindshift.html
March 16, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Love your page ! I live in South Alabama and would so love if you guys could help me with an article sometime of a succulent garden design for those of us who live in mild climates but who do freeze . Is there any hope for lush succulent gardens for those of us who don’t live in freeze free zones?
March 16, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Heck yeah! There are tons of great succulent options for freezing zones. Check out this nursery in Northern Wisconsin: https://www.simplysucculents.com/ (everything they sell is hardy to zone 3) Arrowhead Alpines out of Michigan is a great resource for cold hardy succulents, too: http://www.arrowheadshopping.com/ Another good source is: http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/ You’ll be surprised when you see how many cold hardy options are out there. Another good resource is the North American Rock Garden Society: http://www.nargs.org/ I think quite a few of non-succulent alpines are pretty darn cute, too
Saxifrags are one of my new obsessions.
March 25, 2012 at 2:24 pm
I want to do this, but I live in Montana. Would that be a bad idea? I actually have a wagon ready to go!
March 25, 2012 at 8:02 pm
If you’re talking about planting a wagon…I think a great idea. Just pick out some plants that would work in your area.
April 2, 2012 at 8:37 am
Glad to hear plans of your Midwest return! Can’t wait to hear about your succulent selections for zone 5
Best of luck on the move
Andy S.
Ann Arbor, MI
April 14, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Hi guys!
I’d love to talk to you about the possibility of writing for the gardening magazine I work for. Please email me if you’re interested! Thanks! molly@wilderquarterly.com
April 26, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Hi Matti & Megan,
As a succulent enthusiast, I’m quite jealous of the succulent planter in that you just posted. Recently we created a Urban Agriculture Infographic for city dwellers that are looking to start their 1st rooftop or balcony garden. I thought that you might like it. It’s specifically for the DC area but we’d love to hear what you think.
Best,
Amanda R.
Online Community Engagement
May 2, 2012 at 5:02 pm
I really enjoy your blog!! I am also a Wisconsinite in Madison at UW and I cannot wait to read about your adventures planting in Madison. I am hoping to start a succulent garden this summer and am hoping to look to you for good plants to add to my garden.
May 18, 2012 at 7:48 am
I love all of your succulents they are beautiful! I saw in one of your pictures rocks that look like they have been hollowed out. Did you guys make them or what? Another question do you guys use a special dirt mix? I live in Arkansas & would love to start a garden like that here. Any advice that you can give me would be appreciated! Thanks, Brandy
June 9, 2012 at 10:28 am
HI Megan–
You are NOT going to believe this–I couldn’t find an email address for you, so I am posting here…Do you remember me, from that horrible work/resort place in Egg Harbor? Peeling onions for what seemed hours…. I JUST found a letter from you dated 1997! So then I FB’d you, and then I Googled you, and then I saw you were in SF. Guess where I live? Marin. And now you’ve gone back to WI. WHHHAAAATTT?
Anyway, email me sometime, would you? So nice to see all your beautiful work online! Wished I’d found that letter sooner–I couldn’t ever remember your last name!
Kelly
July 23, 2012 at 9:33 am
Im looking for a short large bright pot of succulents for a glass outdoor covered table. I want to buy it already planted and ready to go. I live in tx and I’m having a hard time finding it. Any idea where I could get that and am willing to pay shipping etc…
Thanks!
July 30, 2012 at 10:10 am
Hello out there, is there anyone that could please mail to me a few cuttings of Fuchsia vulcanica André also known as Fuchsia Hitchcockii. I have a customer wanting this but am unable to find up here in the Pacific Northwest.
thanks, Don
September 11, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Hi Matti and Megan,
What a wonderful blog you have! I’ve just started gardening this year, and am finding that blogs like yours are the best way for me to learn quickly (and find answers to my questions!).
I’m writing today on behalf of Tuli Fisher, of Fisher Blacksmithing. Tuli hand-makes beautiful gardening tools, and has been fortunate enough to earn a spot in the finals of Martha Stewart’s American Made Contest. This is a huge honor and privilege! The final step of this contest is largely decided by a public vote – which is what I’m writing to you about today. Our thought is that the gardening community around the country is going to be our best source for gaining votes. We’re reaching out to our favorite gardening blogs for help, since we think your audience will be our best supporters. Any help you can give, be it a tweet, Facebook mention, or really anything, would be greatly appreciated!
Each person is allowed one vote PER DAY until September 24. We can get a lot of votes by then! The link is below.
http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/tuli-fisher-2931
Thanks again for your consideration – we’re really excited about the possibility of winning this contest!
October 15, 2012 at 12:57 am
that flower in the botanical garden you didn’t catch the name of: Globba
October 27, 2012 at 9:03 am
Hi Matti and Megan,
I’m a local San Franciscan, who passes by your area every week for my weekly voice lesson. I just discovered your blog and love it. I have a garden blog, jessegarden.com, where I posted many garden related subjects. So I love to drop you a few lines to say hello &connect with my local fellas.
January 22, 2013 at 10:17 am
I am really inspired by your blog and great pictures having had just stumbled upon it! Thank you for keeping the love for plants vibrant and educating along the way!
Miriana
April 29, 2013 at 7:52 am
If you’re looking for a Melianthus Purple in my backyard here in South Georgia. Monrovia in Washington propagates them, from cuttings I think. You can get seed from TM Seed.