Hi all, Palo Alto, California is just about what is considered the Northern end of Silicon Valley on the Peninsula side of SF Bay. Real Estate along Page Mill Road has the distinction of having once been the most expensive in the entire United States, topping Manhattan for a brief time toward the end of the 90s, just before the economic tech boom came to an end. For gardeners, the area has some wonderful places to go. The Elizabeth F. Gamble Home and Garden is located in the City of Palo Alto, at the corner of Embarcadero and Waverly. It is a working garden as there are several beds which are planted with a large variety of plants. The home itself is apparently a museum and the folks at Gamble provide classes on Gardening. The Gamble Gardens are a nice way for folks to see those flowers that bloom in Winter ( now ) and later, in the other seasons. The photos here should help to answer some of those questions about which plants flower right now, like this Iris ... Here's a shot of the Gamble Home, 'The Carriage House' ... Also in Palo Alto, is prestegious Stanford University which has a sprawling well landscaped campus and ... The Cantor Center for Visual Arts. The Canter Center hosts an Auguste Rodin Sculpture Garden, a Garden of Stone. Often, one of the things that makes or breaks a garden is not the plants, but the trappings, walls, figurines, a trellis, etc. While touring the garden spots in the Palo Alto and Woodside area, choose to visit the Rodin Sculpture Gardens and Stanford's excellent Visual Arts Museum. It's a treat. And inside the Cantor Arts Center ... And now for a formal garden ... The Filoli Center in Woodside, located just of the 280 and sitting for all intents, right on top of the San Andreas fault, is a huge estate which is a California Landmark. Like the Hearst Castle, the grounds and mansion are open to the public. Filoli has special events throughout the year when they feature floral and garden displays that must really be something to take part in. Inside the mansion ... Back outside again ... Well after that, I feel like Italian food. There's a place in San Jose called Santana Row. It's new and is right across the street from the famous Winchester Mystery House. I saw this place recently and had to try it ... A street scene from Santana Row is included and notice how happy the staff from Maggiano's is to see me? Ciao! BTW: Did you see the Humming Bird in the Filoli Garden pictures? Little guys are hard to photograph, but I froze one in time. The Gamble Gardens are a nice way for folks to see those flowers that bloom in Winter ( now ) and later, in the other seasons. The photos here should help to answer some of those questions about which plants flower right now, like this Iris ... Here's a shot of the Gamble Home, 'The Carriage House' ... Also in Palo Alto, is prestegious Stanford University which has a sprawling well landscaped campus and ... The Cantor Center for Visual Arts. The Canter Center hosts an Auguste Rodin Sculpture Garden, a Garden of Stone. Often, one of the things that makes or breaks a garden is not the plants, but the trappings, walls, figurines, a trellis, etc. While touring the garden spots in the Palo Alto and Woodside area, choose to visit the Rodin Sculpture Gardens and Stanford's excellent Visual Arts Museum. It's a treat. And inside the Cantor Arts Center ... And now for a formal garden ... The Filoli Center in Woodside, located just of the 280 and sitting for all intents, right on top of the San Andreas fault, is a huge estate which is a California Landmark. Like the Hearst Castle, the grounds and mansion are open to the public. Filoli has special events throughout the year when they feature floral and garden displays that must really be something to take part in. Inside the mansion ... Back outside again ... Well after that, I feel like Italian food. There's a place in San Jose called Santana Row. It's new and is right across the street from the famous Winchester Mystery House. I saw this place recently and had to try it ... A street scene from Santana Row is included and notice how happy the staff from Maggiano's is to see me? Ciao! BTW: Did you see the Humming Bird in the Filoli Garden pictures? Little guys are hard to photograph, but I froze one in time.

Plymouth (MA) Garden Club. Our plant sale is this Saturday May 21 from 9 to noon at the Chiltonville Congregational Church 6 River St Plymouth MA. We have very nice plants both divisions and starts carefully tagged and packed, as well as kitchen treats, attic treasures and boutique items. Come early for best selection. Benefits scholarships and civic beautification projects in our town. Thanks NH Babs for this thread.

When the owner was asked by another visitor if she would be open again next year, she grimaced about the amount of work but I have a feeling her gardens are that spectacular every year (and weed free). She said she bought the property across the road and was planning an apple orchard. I feel lucky to have gone this year. She recommended Christopher Lloyd's book on succession gardening. Danielle's sister's garden in Nashua used to be on Open Days several years ago although I visited when it was on the local garden tour to raise money for the symphony. She was at Danielle's when I visited. Said her garden had a lot of vole and rabbit damage this year so she has lost a lot of plants. She had already started downsizing her tropical collection she planted in pots and next year when her husband retires, they plan to do a lot of traveling. I don't think her garden will ever be open to the public again which is a shame because she gardens on a small suburban neighborhood lot with a steep backyard slope that's shady. No professional landscape designer but she did need some gardening help. Lucky you to have visited the Epsom garden 10 years ago so to know how much it has changed. Funny thing, I didn't notice the pollinators but I did notice how well the red in the red and cream sunflowers along the side of the garage marched the paint color. Comments were made that the dark red was a great back drop for all the colors. It was painted three years ago ... I wonder how the painters dealt with all the plants? Maybe it was fall.

Yes maackia, I posted recently, I think you even responded. I've been around these forums for a long time and in the past posted numerous pics of my Wheeler garden. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6478539/a-visit-to-a-former-garden#n=16 I now garden just across the Nehalem River, in Nehalem. Not long ago I shared my Nehalem garden. https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6449463/my-nehalem-conifers#n=10