A perfect day, Part I

For the past five weeks I’ve been attending a Native Gardens class offered by the San Francisco Botanical Garden and taught by Glenn Keator, field botanist and author of numerous books.

Yesterday’s field trip to the Flemings’ Garden in Berkeley was the culmination of this informative and very interesting class, and it was a day that will make me feel good for weeks. I hadn’t left the city in a long time, too long, and had forgotten how beautiful Berkeley is. The weather was perfect, sunny and breezy, and the Flemings’ home, made of wood and class, sitting in the midst of nature, is the incarnation of my dream home.

If you follow the link above you will learn how for 50 years the Flemings have planted and grown nothing but California natives on their Berkeley property, from redwoods, cedars and ferns to tiny succulent ground covers; even bringing in all the boulders and stones, for ornamental purposes as well as practical reasons, such as soil and moisture retention.

The visit began at the entrance to the driveway where the Flemings have created a redwood forest habitat,

and continued up the driveway, amidst shade and moisture loving plants.

Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) and Alum root (Heuchera micrantha)

False Solomon’s seal (Smilacina racemosa)

Wild ginger (Asarum gaudatum) has the larger hearts, and Redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana) the smaller hearts. Do you think they planted them together on purpose?

Lady fern, redwood sorrel and pretty pink flowers that I imagine belong to a Heuchera or a Tiarella. It wasn’t easy keeping up with group, taking photos and notes, without tripping over my feet.