Our first stop was Sierra Azul Nursery in Watsonville. I first came here in 2007 with some folks from the San Francisco Botanical Garden on a plant-buying expedition. Sierra Azul is wholesale/retail operation. The retail nursery is outstanding and features an extensive sculpture garden. The path through the sculpture garden was muddy and wet due to recent rains. Wear seasonally appropriate footwear.
If you drive down from the Bay Area, I recommend taking Highway 152 over Hecker Pass and making a stop at Mount Madonna for some hiking and a picnic. Sierra Azul is just a couple miles on the other side of the hill.
![IMG_5962](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/6883641026_f6d8f5dabb.jpg)
![IMG_5918](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7029683943_42e4d16965.jpg)
![woven ring by paul cheney](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/6883589148_880ce8116e.jpg)
ADDED: Christopher implemented the bamboo bottle tree in his North Carolina garden, scroll down here.
![IMG_5907](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/7029666563_3831530c53.jpg)
![IMG_5910](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/6883577232_9b3c206740.jpg)
![IMG_5906](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7116/7029669067_0bcf6d78c7.jpg)
![Carole DePalma](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6117/7029707063_d94a12f2c8.jpg)
![Carole DePalma](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/6883593996_52f7c34402.jpg)
The ceramic totems are by a woman named Carole DePalma. I caught a few of the other artists' names. You might see them if you move your cursor over the pictures.
![Carole DePalma](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/6883586344_5eca98f048.jpg)
![IMG_5952](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6883620980_efea79fc6c.jpg)
![Jennifer Hennig](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7278/7029712121_7e3197b55a.jpg)
![IMG_5946](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/6883614586_c4e2b4f371.jpg)
![Kathleen Crocetti](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/7029747331_ab99a4bda3.jpg)
That's a taste of it. There is quite a bit more. The sculpture garden doubles as a demonstration garden, obviously. Spring is just arriving now.
![IMG_5960](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7029736111_8011ba3941.jpg)
![IMG_5959](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7125/6883633558_1c290d5270.jpg)
![IMG_5966](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6043/6883649902_7b23760061.jpg)
![IMG_5925](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6228/6883591648_4108398a3e.jpg)
![IMG_5955](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7130/7029726833_d97dc29e49.jpg)
I bought this black cordyline. It was my one big purchase of the day. Loving me some monocots lately.
![IMG_5954](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/7029724417_0eabf73493.jpg)
The plant selection is all mediterranean-climate stuff, with a lot of nice succulents and California natives.
![IMG_5958](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/7029730841_b424809f81.jpg)
![IMG_5957](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6106/7029728619_d1a6174175.jpg)
Some big Protaceae too, if you're in the market for that.
![IMG_5975](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6112/6883662630_b886c397cb.jpg)
Leucospermum reflexum? I'd never heard of it.
![Leucospermum reflexum](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/7029760491_f21ffdb458.jpg)
![IMG_5971](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/7029758955_87498ac359.jpg)
I could get in to dwarf conifers. Some day...
![IMG_5970](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7117/7029756761_7fe1998239.jpg)
Some day...
6 comments:
Thanks for the tour. I've been wanting to check out that garden for a while now. I saw Leucospermum reflexum in Hawaii. Very cool plant.
I an stealing the bottles on bamboo in a blue barrel idea.
Do it!
Hortenizing. I'm going to have to use that. Soon.
Oh, and the VW hubcap flowers are quite cool, so are the Leucospermum reflexum.
Enjoyed their tiny booth at the SF Garden show, would love to have visited the nursery. Thanks for the tour, suppose it's the next best thing to being there myself, and cheaper.
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