Far Out Flora

Gardening in the Outerlands of San Francisco

Santa Cruzin the Arboretum

September 22, 2011 by Megan | 10 Comments

Mimetes cucullates

We’ve been kind of slacking on the blog front lately. It’s been way too nice out. Summer has arrived! It was sunny & 70 degrees at 5PM for three days in a row. The fog’s back, so we’re no longer lounging on the beach tossing the tennis ball for Max until sunset. Way back in mid-July we escaped the fog & hit up the UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum. Chuck B. at My Back 40 (feet) had his act together & posted about his visit within days here (lots of awesome pics).  Mimetes cucullates is so gosh darn rare & difficult to propagate that Annie’s charges $50.00 for a 4″ pot. Sounds like making babies is challenging, but so worth the wait. It’s a South African native.

Acacia pravissima

I usually don’t usually get super excited about Acacias, but this one made a gigantic trailing hedge of blue-green awesomeness.  Maybe I’ve seen it around, but never really noticed it before? It’s not rare or anything, is it?

Grevillea 'Honey Gem'

The bees were going nuts for all the blooming Grevilleas.

Banksia Bloom

The Banksias were in full freakout mode. I don’t think the flower show ever ends here. It was a flower fest last January, too.

Erica fun

Protea repens

Leucospermum burst of sunshine

Fuzzy wuzzy Leucospermum

The Leucospermums were by far the most bloomiferous of the bunch. I somehow managed to compile every picture we’ve ever taken at the arboretum during our two visits in to one giant set labelled July 2011.

Agave explosion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ogling over Gualala Nursery

August 30, 2011 by Matti | 11 Comments

Rusty chicken with plants.

Rusty chicken with plants.

We couldn’t resist pulling over to see what’s up with these rusty sculptures. Turns out it’s the Gualala Nursery found on Hwy 1 right about where Sonoma County ends and Mendocino County begins heading north.

Gualala Nursery & Trading Co.

Gualala Nursery & Trading Co.

Leucospermum?

Leucospermum?

Definitely seem like the go to place nursery for this area of 1900 people. Great ornamental plants inside, lots of eye turning rusty sculptures, and a long garden strip in the front. That’s where this gem of a flower was found. Leucospermum? Or is it a Leucadendron…hum? I get them a little mixed up. Anybody have. Better ID?

Clematis tangutica (Old man's beard clematis)

Clematis tangutica (Old man's beard clematis)

This planting was gorgeous, Clematis tangutica. The common name is even better, Old Man’s Beard Clematis. It blooms mid summer though Autumn, part to full sun, and average water needs. Cute yellow bell shaped flowers with little scent to speak of.

Gualala Nursery

Gualala Nursery

I was impressed how well they used their limited space. Lots of varieties, all well kept, not a dud in sight.

Hipsta Gualala Nursery.

Hipsta Gualala Nursery.

We had a little fun with the hipstamatic and tried to capture their 50 foot long hedge pruned into the words Gualala Nursery. Ok, it’s not really that smiley face shape…sometimes auto stitching does some weird things to the pics.

Rusty triceratops.

Rusty triceratops.

Besides the plants, it was the dozen larger than life rusty dinosaurs that grabbed our attention. I’m a sucker for anything with a great patina. This triceratops was no exception.

Rusty Tyrannosaurus rex.

Rusty Tyrannosaurus rex.

Never figured out who the artist was behind these guys. None the less, adorable aren’t they?

– Far Out Flora