SF Flower and Garden Show

So this last weekend I went to the SF Flower and Garden Show. Last year my friends collaborated with another gardener to design a garden in the show. This year, instead of being a helper, I went as a casual observer. Some of the designs are great and inspiring, others more for people with loads of cash and the desire to have their yard look like a magazine. I did like that quite a few of the gardens had California native plants or other low-water use plants. Though there were far too many water (wasting) features for my taste.

These 2 pics are from the garden designed by mariposa gardening (see link above). The left shows a habitat planting full of natives like iris, chinese houses, purple needlegrass, as well as some non-natives and edibles. As you can see from the pic on the right, not everyone was as excited as me to be at the show. This arch was part of a beautiful dry-stack wall. More pics at drystonegarden.

This last pic is from a garden I really liked. They only used California natives. I was quite taken with this lawn alternative of carex pansa with some wildflowers (buttercups and shooting stars among others) thrown in for good measure. Many people here are trying to get rid of their lawns . Unfortunately, it looks like carex pansa is not a good candidate to replace your lawn. Fortunately, I prefer gardens to lawn anyday, unless I'm playing soccer. Trees in back are Western Incense Cedars.