Alice's Garden Travel Buzz » Culinary Gardens

B&Q Chelsea 2011: Horizontal Meets Vertical Gardening

Alice Joyce — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:48:51 +0000

An ambitious design emphasizing edible gardening and sustainability set apart the B&Q Garden at the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show

The B & Q Garden - Photo © Alice Joyce

Designed by Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins and winner of Gold, the garden boasted the tallest form to appear at Chelsea: A 27-foot high tower representing one of the garden’s 5 demonstration zones, with plants comprising edible selections – either entirely so, or species chosen for their edible stems, roots, leafs, buds or fruit.

B & Q Garden - Vertical Planting Photo © Alice Joyce

The tower’s vertical surface displayed an alluring pattern in hues from chartreuse to mossy to pea green, complemented by colorful blooms as accents cascading from balconies. The horizontal plane came alive with beds of delectable leafy vegetables, fragrant herbs and roses.

: B&Q – Vegetable Plots to Tower Photo © Alice Joyce

Below left: Insect hotels of recycled materials, created by young people from UK Youth.

Right: Allée of lime trees yielding flowers that can be used to make tea.

B&Q Garden insect hotels / Allée of lime trees - Photo © Alice Joyce

Zone 3: A rain harvesting system with water butt and water tower to provide water year-round.

Rain Harvesting System Photo © Alice Joyce

B&Q Garden - water tower Photo © Alice Joyce

B&Q Garden herbs/roses Photo © Alice Joyce

Chelsea-goers new to the idea of edible, sustainable gardens, and for all of us who long ago caught the Grow Your Own wave, the B&G garden’s bounty presented pleasing juxtapositions, bringing to the fore wild strawberries and borage, chamomile and chives, rosemary and pinks, violets and lavender, together with a trove of veggies and those inventive insect hotels. An all-round delight for beneficial insects, birds and London wildlife. As an educational model, the garden presented plenty of ideas to mull over.

Blooming Borders Conjure the Scene at Kendall-Jackson Winery

Alice Joyce — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:40:36 +0000

Kendall-Jackson: (Alice Joyce photo)

Surely the winter season is apropos to conjuring up the scents and sounds of summer! Wine tasting, of course, is an activity enjoyed year-round at the Wine Center at Kendall-Jackson, in Fulton near Santa Rosa.

: K-J Fountain (Alice Joyce photo)

Below: A long view of the Blooms of Bressingham borders on a summer’s day, with bees abuzz, flitting among the bountiful blooms at the Kendall-Jackson Winery gardens.

: Bressingham Borders

Shrubs and trees add year-round interest to the winery’s perennial borders, designed by British horticulturist Adrian Bloom: The son of famed plantsman, Alan Bloom, and the author of numerous gardening books featuring Foggy Bottom, Adrian Bloom’s personal garden in Norfolk.

Bloom-designed Borders (Alice Joyce photo)

To find the Bloom borders, amble from the formal parterre garden fronting the main chateau, and continue around the side of the building. A signpost heralds the Blooms of Bressingham garden, where drifts of plants meld together in what Bloom calls “macro and micro views.”

Kendall-Jackson Winery Chateau (Alice Joyce photo)

Kendall-Jackson Winery - Reflecting Bloom’s refined style, the garden plan revolves upon artful combinations of conifers, flowering perennials, ornamental grasses and shrubs. The tall, vertical shapes of evergreen Italian cypresses draw the eye, and as Bloom shared, “give you a bit of structure… whichever way you’re looking.. on either side of the pathway to take the eye through,” calling attention to the surrounding plant combinations.

K-J Bressingham Borders (Alice Joyce photo)

: K-J Pergola (Alice Joyce photo)

A 2 1/2 -acre culinary garden provides herbs & produce for Kendall-Jackson’s … Wine & Food Pairings

Chicalotes – Prickle poppy (Alice Joyce photo)

You’ll want to stroll through the K-J International Cuisine gardens, and the Viticultural Demonstration plantings, too, which provide an informative look at arrays of grape varieties.

DeLoach Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: Organic .. Biodynamic

Alice Joyce — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:05:00 +0000

DeLoach Organic Culinary Garden

(Alice Joyce photo)

DeLoach Locavore Lunch (Alice Joyce photo)

DeLoach Vinyard's Jean-Charles Boisset (Alice Joyce photo)

Light rain could not dampen the delights of a DeLoach Winery vineyard tour, wine tasting & locavore lunch, in the company of our host,

President Jean-Charles Boisset.

DeLoach Vineyards Insectary (Alice Joyce photo)

The DeLoach property–on Olivet Road in Santa Rosa–boasts organic culinary gardens that reflect the quality and commitment of the vineyard to organically-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay cloned grapes: Farming practices that have earned DeLoach CCOF certification.

Organic viticulture is integrated with the biodynamic farming employed not only at DeLoach, but among the Maisons & Domaines of the Boisset Family of wineries, reaching from California to France, Italy to Québec. (In 2009 the DeLoach estate vineyards received biodynamic certification from Demeter.)

DeLoach - Repurposed Wood for Redesign (Alice Joyce photo)

DeLoach Vineyards Garden Fountain (Alice Joyce photo)

One comes away from a visit to DeLoach with the awareness of an overall governing philosophy of sustainability.

DeLoach Winery: Biodynamic Gardens (Alice Joyce photo)

Working with Quantum Builders during the estate’s remodel a few years ago, there were doors, windows and tiles repurposed, while reclaimed wood from old wine vats found new life as handsome cabinets for the interior.

: DeLoach Chardonnay Hawk Hill Vineyard (Alice Joyce photo)

Hawk Hill Vineyard Soil Sample DeLoach (Alice Joyce photo)

: DeLoach Wine Tasting (Alice Joyce photo)

Another DeLoach standout: a Mendocino County biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir designate from the Masut Vineyard.

DeLoach Vineyards Vista, Sonoma (Alice Joyce photo)

The 2006 Masut vintage received accolades for its subtle yet complex melding of cherry, currant, raspberry and chocolate flavors, with a lingering oaky vanilla finish. The appellation-designated 2007 DeLoach Russian River Valley Pinot Noir won praise as One of the Year’s Best from Wine & Spirits.

DeLoach Vineyards Gardens (Alice Joyce photo)

DeLoach Vineyards Organic Garden (Alice Joyce photo)

Harvest Season In Sonoma .. Stone Edge Farm and Vineyards

Alice Joyce — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:13:37 +0000

Borders of Edibles & Ornamentals: (Alice Joyce photo)

: Stone Edge Farm (Alice Joyce photo)

Stone Edge Farm

Blooms and Basil

Abundant organic gardens and vineyards grace the artful surroundings and stunning architecture at Stone Edge Farm in Sonoma, where fine artisanal wines are produced along with “extra virgin” olive oil. The beautifully designed private estate–featured widely in national and local publications–may be toured by appointment only by emailing Culinary Director, John McReynolds.

Join the Mailing List to receive invitations to special events, and to learn of special offerings on Stone Edge wines.

Having tasted the soon-to-be-released 2007 vintage of Stone Edge ‘Surround,‘ I’m won over by the wine’s big, jammy, full-flavored blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, lingering delectably on the palate.

: Stone Edge Farm Landscape (Alice Joyce photo)

The web site currently has a tempting offer on ‘Surround’ … a special 3-pack. It’s clear the farm’s organic horticulture, cultivation of heirloom crops, sustainable practices, and biodiversity enhance the grapes produced by the small winery. Stroll the grounds and you’ll come upon a testament to the rocky, porous soil: a form constructed from stones gathered from the site.

Stone Edge Farm Pyramid (Alice Joyce photo)

The inaugural release of Stone Edge Farm Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a rich complexity, garnering a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition: This 2006 vintage is blended exclusively from the estate’s certified organic Stone Edge Farm and Mount Pisgah vineyard, in French oak barrels.

: Stone Edge Farm – Ron Mann Sculpture

Patterned Moss Walkway (Alice Joyce photo)

Harvest Season: Log onto the Stone Edge FARM BLOG to see what’s happening in the kitchen. A burst of activity includes canning, dehydrating, pickling and juicing. Look for recipes, too. And check the web site for Stone Edge Farm Olive Oil availability. Retail outlets include: We Olive – the Oxbow Market in Napa — & the Olive Press Tasting Room at Jacuzzi Winery.

: Stone Edge Willow Fence (Alice Joyce photo)

: Stone Edge Farm Roses (Alice Joyce photo)

: Stone Edge Farm Arbor (Alice Joyce photo)

Culinary Banquet Up on the Roof .. Herb Garden at Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

Alice Joyce — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:22:20 +0000

Fairmont Waterfront Hotel – Vancouver, British Columbia

Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver - In the Garden Facing Hotel

On a long-awaited visit to Vancouver, British Columbia, I reveled in a blissful stay at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. The room’s comfortable, contemporary decor and great views were a welcome prequel to my tour of the Fairmont’s rooftop culinary garden. Installed around 1991, the hotel’s rooftop array had been on my radar for some time. At 2,100 square feet, the 3rd floor green oasis holds a place as one of the first living roofs in a city that now boasts the largest green roof in Canada, the nearby 6-acre Vancouver Convention Centre.

Executive Chef Patrick Dore at the Herb Garden Gates Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Vancouver, B.C.

The plantings were refreshed in 2006, and fifteen cubic yards of compost later, the garden layout boasts box hedging that effectively defines the planting beds. Espaliered apples and bay trees add beauty and structure to the design. Not surprisingly, organic gardening practices are employed in these productive gardens, where the Fairmont chefs harvest such delicacies as alpine strawberries, rose blossoms, lovage and calendulas, for the tasty fare at Herons Restaurant. May through September you can tour the garden, or book to see Bee Hive demonstrations: the honeybees are the latest addition to the gardens. Phone or check the web site for tour times. Tours of the Herb Garden can also be arranged along with a lunch reservation in Herons.

Garden Plan - Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Roof Garden Vancouver, B.C.

As you might imagine, these organic gardens are a haven for many species of birds. Here’s a gardening tip revealed on my tour of the garden: Orange pekoe tea with a little bit of soap added is used at times for aphid control.

A Birds Eye View .. Fairmont Waterfront Hotel Roof Garden Plan: The hotel offers guest rooms with views of the garden’s herbs and flowers; also Terrace Rooms featuring private patios that lead to the garden.

Green Roofs Thrive in Eco-Friendly Portland

Alice Joyce — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:28:21 +0000

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon is on top of the Green Scene. Visitors to ‘PDX’ (that’s how most Portlanders refer to their city) discover wildflowers and organic veggies cultivated on the Multnomah County Building: Covering 12,000 square feet, this landmark demonstration eco-roof features amenities such as a stone terrace and educational signage, while the produce grown here is donated.

Enjoy your own up-close look at the Multnomah Building’s eco-roof at 501 S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard in Portland: Open to the public during regular business hours – take the elevator to the 5th floor. For an overview of the project, link to Carlton Hart Architecture.

Portland’s Central Library, the Multnomah County Library Eco-Roof is located downtown at 801 S.W. 10th Avenue. A high point of my Portland foray was touring the garden with John Cabrera, Facilities Supervisor.

Completed in September, 2008, the structure utilizes 24″ x 24″ pallets, which added to the ease of installation. The 4″ deep soil blends organic and inorganic materials, mixed with Zebra, a water-retentive product made from natural cornstarch.

: Portland Library Roof Detail

The benefits of the roof are numerous. Plantings help to capture the majority of stormwater runoff, cut down on the cost of electricity for heating and cooling, and absorb UV rays.

The roof features some 17,000 plants; drought-tolerant sedums and grasses that create a wildlife habitat, and reduce air pollution. An eco-roof is believed to filter the air, actually removing airborne particles, as it absorbs carbon dioxide. The roof’s aesthetic allure comprises a rich textural carpet knit of an abstract pattern that changes with the seasons. The summer scene pictured features peachy pink tones melded with brick red & mahogany hues alongside pale blue-grey & shades of green, with yellow blooms and feathery inflorescences!

: Central Library Eco-Roof (Alice Joyce)

Click for information on touring: Portland’s Central Library Eco-Roof

Portlanders know how to enjoy life!

PDX is not only a most hospitable city, it’s a haven for foodies, wine lovers, and beer connoisseurs. Open 7 nights a week, Noble Rot is a popular wine bar with its own rooftop Culinary garden. The restaurant on East Burnside occupies the 4th floor of an LEED platinum building with an underground aquifer for pure water; the eco-roof factors into the rating.

The 3000-square-foot kitchen garden is presided over by Chef Leather Storrs. The Chef allowed me to nibble my way through the aisles, and explore the various planting methods, including 50 shallow kiddie pools, with 3 inches of soil and a layer of perlite on the bottom. Chef Leather grows peppers, horseradish, various basils, as well as lettuces, herbs & flowers for his ‘roof greens salad.’ I sampled strawberries, sweet tender cucumbers, a lemony form of cilantro, nasturtium bloom, and the delectable Tromboncino squash.

: Noble Rot roof garden (Alice Joyce photo)

It’s a chemical free garden, with a system for composting, and raised planters. Patrons enjoy a great view of the downtown skyline from Noble Rot’s outdoor terrace, situated below the corner of the garden where the eco-roof is planted with herbs and Mediterranean low-water species.