DryStoneGarden

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2010 Miscellany

Indian Paintbrush

As a year-end housekeeping task I’ve been going through all the photos I took this year, and I thought I’d post some of the ones that never made it onto the blog. It’s not exactly the year in review, but it does cover some of the things we did this year.

Playa Ligui, Baja

About a dozen photos are below.

We started the year with a month in Baja. Highlight of the year, best bike tour that we’ve done, one of our favorite places to travel, we’d love to go back.

Cabo Pulmo, Baja

Our Garden

Our veggie garden was rather neglected this year. At one point in the spring when half the veggie garden was dug up by marauding cats and skunks, it seemed like the happiest plant was a mustard volunteer in the sidewalk out front. Chicken wire eventually stopped the animals from digging, and for a while took away my enthusiasm as well, but we had some good harvests later in the year that got me back into it. The rocoto pepper was our biggest success this year. It’s still producing peppers.

Our Sidewalk

Our Sidewalk

The Ruth Bancroft Garden -- Winter Mode

I went to the Ruth Bancroft Garden just before they took down the cold frames for the year. The garden looked better without them a couple of weeks later, but it also had a little less funky mad-garden-scientist charm.

Ruth Bancroft Garden

The Ruth Bancroft Garden -- Summer Mode

The Gardens at Heather Farms

I also went to the Gardens at Heather Farms for the first time.

The Gardens at Heather Farms

The Flower and Garden Show

We went to the flower and garden show again this year. Anita and I both liked the New Orleans courtyard garden the best, but I sometimes find myself telling people about the succulent Borg cube so that one seems to have made the most lasting impression.

The Flower and Garden Show

The Flower and Garden Show

Brazil Building at Tilden

I continued to frequently stop at Tilden on my way to and from job sites. I took a few pictures at the Brazil Building while the cherry trees were blooming.

Brazil Building at Tilden

Tilden Botanic Garden

Tilden’s giant mass of blooming Western Mock Orange was my most fragrant plant experience of the year.

Philadelphus lewisii

Lowes Parking Lot!!!

The wildflower display in the Lowes parking lot in Concord was the most surprising thing I saw all year. More photos are here. It still blows me away.

Elk Mtn. Tumbled Sandstone

This small stone project was down on the peninsula, a low wall made of a tumbled sandstone.

Three Rivers Stone -- Before

This little retaining wall of mostly Three Rivers stone was for a neighbor down the block, just pulling out the choss and restacking the decent stones.

Three Rivers Wall -- After

Lovers Leap

We did a decent amount of climbing and hiking this fall with trips to Lover’s Leap, Smith Rock, Bishop, and Tuolumne. We’re planning a trip to Joshua Tree in another month or two, should be a highlight of the coming year.

Tuolumne Meadows

The High Line

Anita took some photos of the High Line while she was in New York City a couple of weeks ago. It looks cold in her photos, makes me think I shouldn’t complain about the winter we’ve been having here in the Bay Area. The High Line blog has photos of the recent blizzard; I’m glad our snow falls conveniently in the mountains where I don’t have to shovel it.

The High Line

Lots of other things happened, of course, but these are some of the photos that jump out at me. A pretty good year, looking back. I hope everyone else feels the same, and feels the same next year. Cheers.

Calandrinia Flower, Arctostaphylos Foliage

4 Responses to “2010 Miscellany”

  1. January 2nd, 2011 at 1:18 pm

    Gayle Madwin says:

    Very nice job on the Three Rivers wall!

  2. January 2nd, 2011 at 4:17 pm

    lostlandscape (James) says:

    Wow, it makes me feel like I’ve had an especially boring year in 2010…

    The colors of the Cabo Pulmo wall are great, though I could probably do without the pistolero outside the gate. I agree that the High Line looks cold. Being elevated up in the air must really add to the chilling effect, though I’m sure it makes it more amazing during the summer.

    I hope 2011 is at least as exciting!

  3. January 3rd, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    Town Mouse says:

    Well, don’t forget you built that fabulous patio for me! Of course I’ve removed the furniture until it warms up again, but I’m still so happy when I see it.

    Have fun in 2011!

  4. January 3rd, 2011 at 8:48 pm

    ryan says:

    Thanks about the Three Rivers wall. I like the projects where I’m basically just rearranging the wall stones and maybe adding some better backfill. I still have to place a few more stones at the far end when my neighbor decides if the small tree stays or not and what she wants to do in its place. I might take some more photos when the space is totally finished and planted.

    I hear you about the Cabo Pulmo pistolero. A few of my photos of Baja have elements of caricature that I’m not so sure about. I like the wall and the planting, though. It’s actually a good example of what gringoes do when they move down to Baja; the pistolero, too, probably.

    I definitely haven’t forgotten about the patio. I have the photo of you at the stoneyard saved away, but I still need to take a good photo of the finished patio to do your garden justice. I still have a lemon lily for you, also.

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