Thank you .. ‘Dirt du Jour’

for the glowing review! "Go ask Alice ... where all the best vineyard gardens are. She's an erudite charmer; you'll have fun!"
Garden Travel

The Wave Garden

Wave Garden: Point Richmond, CA

Wave Garden Bay View

Vistas of San Francisco Bay, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County enhance the flowing hardscape and knockout plantings of the Wave Garden, an off-the-beaten-path San Francisco Bay Area destination.

Wave Garden © Alice Joyce

Designed by Victor Amador, whose artistry as a third-generation concrete contractor gives the landscape its terraced form, the Wave Garden embraces a hillside setting adorned with a captivating palette of drought tolerant plants:

Aeonium Sunburst © Alice Joyce

Wave Garden Sculpture Concrete Detail  © Alice Joyce

Species from all 5 Mediterranean regions–from California to Mexico and South Africa, Europe to Australia–thrive in the waterside microclimate of Point Richmond, California, where succulent plants serve as stunning accents.

Wave Garden Vista © Alice Joyce

Garden designer Kellee Adams created a plant-scape that pivots upon “the goal of a garden with no trees.” And so, ground covering Sedum ‘Angelina adds golden tones alongside the walkways, with the brilliant rosettes of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ a standout amid rush-like restios. Fleshy, colorfully splashed, spiky leaves of Mangave ‘Macho Mocha,’ an Agave hybrid is representative of the Wave Garden’s trove of eye-catching specimens.

Wave Garden Ironwork

During my visit to the garden, the variegated bracts of Leucadendron salignum present a glowing display, to decorate planting beds and play off the terra-cotta hue of the garden’s curving walls, staircases, and intimate patios.

Amador added sculptural texture by hand, as in an element that suggests waves. Rounding a bend, the expressive lines of hand-forged ironwork railings add a unifying, artful effect to the landscape.

The Wave Garden is open daily, year-round, 8am to 6 pm — 615 Western Drive, Point Richmond.

  

Wave Garden Stairway

Wave Garden Sculpture © Alice Joyce


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Desert Travel

The Desert in Bloom

Fouqueria splendens Anza Borrego © Alice Joyce

                  Beavertail Cactus – Opuntia Basilaris  © Alice Joyce

Known as one of the top U.S. sites for spring wildflower displays, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park did not disappoint. I’d hoped to visit since moving to California, and finally found time for a mid-March getaway.

Anza Borrego Hawk Canyon    © Alice Joyce

Myriad conditions must be in harmony for wildflowers to appear in this magnificent setting: A matter of rain, sun, wind, and temperature: all in harmony during the prior year and the season leading up to Spring proved to be noteworthy, with vast swathes of lupine, dune evening primrose, brittlebush, and ocotillo (Fouqueria splendens), to name but a few.

Borrego Valley Inn © Alice Joyce

Set in the midst of Anza-Borrego State Park is Borrego Springs .. a town that comes to life most vividly during the wildflower season. A small, friendly oasis, Borrego Springs offers a limited number of rooms available in a comfy resorts, motels and no-nonsense hotels, campgrounds, and the lovely Borrego Valley Inn.

Anza Borrego Hawk Canyon and Lupines    © Alice Joyce

My trip began in Palm Springs, where I hiked in Andreas Canyon; one of a group of the Indian Canyons.

Andreas Canyon © Alice Joyce

There are easy hikes of great beauty in each of the canyons, along with more rugged treks: I recommend the foot trail along Andreas Creek, culminating in a lush grove of native fan palms. A peaceful setting of breathtaking beauty that I had hoped to find on this sojourn.

Palm Springs Sunset      © Alice Joyce

Seated on my hotel balcony in Palm Springs, I waited for T. to arrive after the drive down from Northern California. I took a flight directly to Palm Springs, where I watched the sun set just as he was pulling into the hotel’s parking lot.

  A cool topiary outside Michael Mina’s XIV Restaurant in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard (now closed), photographed some years ago.

You’ll notice, I’ve been hopping between cities and towns in Southern California. But I invite you to stay tuned for upcoming features, where I’ll shed light on destinations from Palm Springs to California’s Central Coast. Stunning natural settings to trendy eateries: When my travels include vigorous workouts in rugged terrain, I look forward to indulging my foodie cravings, accompanied by a glass of excellent wine.

Read more .. All the desert sojourn features

12 comments - (Comments are closed)   Desert Travel, Hotels & Inns, Los Angeles, National Parks, Southern California   , , ,  
Garden Travel

San Francisco Gardens

When the Garden Bloggers came to town,

they visited a trove of the Bay Area’s great gardens, all lined up in a stellar itinerary that included Filoli to the iconic landscape of the Ruth Bancroft Garden and The Wave Garden,

Wave Garden Vista View © Alice Joyce

A few more special settings have been highlighted here on Alice’s Garden Travel Buzz. You may want to include them in your itinerary when traveling to the City By The Bay!

Thomas Church-designed pocket park ~ one of San Francisco’s Secret Gardens … Fay Park

Fay Park – Thomas Church Design  © Alice Joyce

Another must-see: the city’s beautiful community effort mosaic work ~ the Tiled Steps … 

San Francisco Tiled Steps © Alice Joyce

Perhaps if you’re reading this and you’ve recently seen Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in the Presidio …

Andy Goldsworthy The Spire  © Alice Joyce

you might leave a comment to tell me how it’s holding up.

That’s all for now.

  The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park: Click Below….

to read my 2004 Garden Walks column, when the Conservatory of Flowers celebrated its 125th birthday!

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