A visit too long delayed (Sherman Gardens)

I knew it'd been awhile since I'd visited Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar but I was surprised when I realized it'd been more than a year.  The garden is small but well maintained and there's always something interesting to see there.  On average, I've paid two visits a year.  A friend now volunteers there every week and, along with two other friends, we reached an arrangement to meet up there, even though we all live in California's South Bay area.  The four of us formerly saw each other once a week or more when we were volunteer docents at South Coast Botanic Garden but the docent role was eliminated as a byproduct of the COVID pandemic and our paths cross far less often.

We arranged to meet at a nearby restaurant for lunch before touring the garden.  Although the distance from my home to Corona Del Mar is only fifty miles, that trip can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half so I allowed myself extra time to get there.  As the traffic gods were with me, I arrived about twenty minutes early and spent some of that time strolling the garden's exterior perimeter.

View of the front of Sherman Library & Gardens where it faces the Pacific Coast Highway

One side of the garden's perimeter is covered by espaliered Calliandra haematocephala shrubs (aka red powder puff), one of the plants I'm eliminating from my garden because it collects dry debris, but then this garden is constantly maintained and also not located in a fire risk area.  I found another, beefier Calliandra, accented by Aloes, on the opposite end of the exterior wall.

Following lunch, we toured the garden with Kay, now a Sherman's docent, pointing out the highlights.  The sun was high in the sky at that point so I offer my apologies in advance for the sharp shade-sun contrasts in many cases.

This is the Central Garden just inside one of the garden's main entrances.  It's replanted on a seasonal basis.  The beds were currently filled with Anemones and Ranunculus.

While my friends checked out the gift shop I admired the bright purple Petrea volubilis, a tropical vine commonly known as queen's wreath, covering an arbor in the Tea Garden

We passed through the Tea Garden on the way to the Succulent Garden.

An assortment of bromeliads and succulents filled this former fountain, turned container.  Also note the small succulents planted in the spaces between the steps on the left.

One densely planted corner, including a container showcasing a blue Cycad (Encephalartos horridus).  A partial list of the plants in the Succulent Garden can be found here.

The edging of this section of the Succulent Garden is elaborately patterned

Another corner of the Succulent Garden, further demonstrating that one can never have enough rock in such areas

I fixated on the massive Agave in the background here (which I can't identify) and its equally massive asparagus-like stalk.  Kay pointed out the huge trunk of a tree-like Euphorbia to its left (for which I also don't have an ID) and I was shocked.  

For comparison, this photo shows what that giant Euphorbia looked like in November 2023.  Apparently, excess water accumulated over the years, causing the plant to gradually rot and the plant was recently cut down.

This area of the Succulent Garden has undergone significant changes since I was last there too.  Again, note the heavy use of rock, as well as the use of numerous containers inserted within the bed.

These are a couple of closeups of the same renovated area

We checked out the Mediterranean Climate Garden next.

The yellow flowers of Leucospermum cordifolium were meant to be combined with Ceanothus 'Dark Star'.  A partial list of the plants in the Mediterranean Garden can be found here.

Leucadendrons and Leucospermum mingle with a white-flowered Ceanothus here

Other occupants of the Mediterranean Garden include: Euphorbia lambii, Lobelia excelsa, Echium wildpretii (with white flowers), Dudleya, and Sonchus palmensis

The Sun Garden was up next.  The plants are changed out regularly to show off seasonal annuals and perennials.

I didn't get a good photo of the garden's mascot, Sherman the otter, on this occasion because people were always in the way but he's holding that umbrella alongside the pond

Closeups of the some of the annuals currently in bloom

We strolled the Formal Garden next.  For a long time, this area focused on roses.  The online description describes it as a knot garden that mixes hedges and herbs but, on this occasion, I was surprised to see that there was a definite emphasis on succulents, especially Mangaves.

The overturned pots and driftwood additions made this area seem far less formal than it used to be

This area incorporated pillars constructed using fencing wire stuffed with moss and soil, with holes filled by small plants and the pillar topped with Mangaves (mostly 'Mission to Mars').  Some of the other plants are identified here.

Moving along, we wandered through the Orchid Collection.

The featured orchids were mostly Dendrobiums and Cymbidiums

Next up was the Bromeliad Garden, which was in the midst of redesign when I last visited Sherman Gardens in late November 2023.

This area is also heavy on rock, presumably to better showcase the individual bromeliads.  A partial plant list can be found here.

I caught a photo of the garden's workshop nearby with its doors open.

This is the neatest plant workshop I've ever seen!

The last area we toured was the Tropical Conservatory.  This is one of my favorite parts of the garden but, in contrast to the relatively cool outdoor temperature, it was very warm and humid on this occasion and I discovered that the majority of photos I took were foggy.

This photo of the koi pond was the best one I managed, probably because I snapped it immediately after I entered the enclosed space

Highlights in this area include: the resident turtle, a noID bromeliad, what may be an orchid, Pavonia multiflora, and another bromeliad

That's a wrap for my garden activities this week.  I'm scheduled to attend a Hands Off! protest with a friend at the Torrance Civic Center on Saturday.  That should be altogether different!  Have a good weekend, however you intend to spend it.

All material © 2012-2025 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Sherman Gardens in late November

As mentioned in my last post, I met blogger friend Hoover Boo of Piece of Eden at Sherman Library & Gardens earlier this week.  This botanic garden sits alongside the busy Pacific Coast Highway in Corona del Mar.  It's just two and a half acres in size but the staff swaps out plants on a regular basis so there's usually something new to see with every visit.  However, the something new on this occasion consisted of holiday decorations, including preparations for a light show.  As  workers were in the early stages of their installations, it felt somewhat chaotic.  While I expect the local community will enjoy the light show, it wasn't what I had in mind, although I still found plenty of plants to focus my camera on.  You can find my accounts of other visits at different times of the year here if you're interested.

I'll spare you most of the holiday installation activity as it was nowhere near finished.  Both HB and I took note of a colorful display of paper umbrellas near the front entrance.  I'm not sure they had anything to do with the holiday displays, which had a "Candy Land" theme.

The colors of some of the umbrellas echoed the poinsettias in pots below

But let me take you outside to enter via the front entrance.

The beds surrounding the front and sides of buildings facing PCH were filled with begonias, ornamental kale, snapdragons, and pansies, among other things

The walkway from the front entrance was lined with poinsettias.  Small beds surrounding posts along the same walkway were filled with Heucheras in a variety of colors like those shown on the right.

The flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta) hanging over the arbor at the front entrance was just starting to flower.  The photo on the left was taken from the exterior of the garden and the one on the right was taken from inside facing the Sun Garden.

The Tea Garden nearby was strewn with materials for a "Candy Carnival" so I tarried only briefly to check out the plants for sale outside the gift shop while awaiting HB's arrival.

Lots of lovely plants but nothing that looked like a deal to me, although all plant prices seem sky high these days so perhaps I'm not being realistic

The Sun Garden was in the process of being decorated (hence the gumdrop-like lights).  I was pleased to see that Sherman, the garden's otter mascot, has been provided with an umbrella to hold.   The hose he used to hold disappeared long ago.

I was surprised to find a number of orchids in full bloom.  Three are Cymbidiums and the other may be an Epimedium.

HB joined me in the Tropical conservatory.  It was filled with schoolchildren when she arrived but the kids moved on to survey other areas of the garden soon afterwards.

Who needs flowers when they have beautiful mixes of foliage like this?  The plants on the right are mostly from the Maranta genus.  Sherman has a Fantastic Flora webpage that identifies some (but not all) of the plants in each area of the garden.

Clockwise from the upper left are: Etlingera elatior (aka torch ginger), the remnants of a Heliconia flower, what may be an unopened Tillandsia flower, and one of the resident turtles.  One of the schoolchildren pointed out the koi fish to me (twice!) because he was so excited about them.  I thought that was sweet.

Although the foliage was nice, so was the variety of orchids in the Conservatory

The last time I visited Sherman Gardens, the bromeliad area was undergoing renovation.  It's coming into its own now.

I liked the Tillandsias mounted above the bromeliad bed, although I think they'd make a bigger impact if there were more of them and they were closely massed together.  Whether the Tillandsia sitting atop the bromeliad on the lower right fell or was put there deliberately, it was a nice touch.

The Succulent Garden was untouched by holiday decorations and devoid of schoolchildren.  We spent a lot of our time there.  Unfortunately, the light was very contrast-y so my photos aren't as clear as I'd have liked.

This is the most artistically arranged section of the Succulent Garden.  I didn't get a good wide shot but I collected a lot of closeups.

Bromeliad Androlepis skinneri is on the left.  HB identified the aloe on the right for me but I can't remember what she she said.  My phone's plant ID app, often unreliable, says it's Aloe claviflora.

Wide shot of the opposite side of the Succulent Garden

This is the same area viewed from the other side

Clockwise from the upper left, agaves in that bed include: Agave americana , A. potatorum 'Kissho Kan', A. 'Sun Glow', and A. victoriae-reginae

Clockwise from the upper left, other plants in the bed include: a tree-sized Euphorbia I can't identify, Dudleyas, Encephalartoas horridus (aka blue cycad), and Fenestaria rhopalophylla

Before we left for lunch, we checked out the Fern Grotto.

Beautifully mounted staghorn ferns, reminding me that I need to get mine out of a pot and properly mounted

I'll leave you with a view of the back entrance/exit.

The poinsettias are rapidly displacing the pumpkins

Best wishes for an enjoyable weekend.

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Stopping in at Sherman Gardens

The trip a friend and I took to the South Coast Plaza Spring Garden Show last weekend was disappointing and we spent far less time there than we have in the past.  So, after an early lunch, we headed to Sherman Library & Gardens in nearby Corona del Mar.  It was a beautiful day with perfect weather, although the garden was very crowded.  We were lucky to find a parking spot on the street.

I've visited the gardens many times before.  Here's what drew my attention this time.

The Central Garden is replanted several times a year so there's almost always something new to see.  This time the beds surrounding the  middle of the display included a relatively monochromatic mix of Nemesia, Gerbera daisies, and foxgloves.  The Hippeastrum on the podium looked like 'Luna' to me but I didn't try to verify that. 

These plants were featured in the Mediterranean Garden.  The plant on the upper right is Sonchus palmensis, a giant relative of the humble dandelion.  Mine didn't bloom last year but it's looking promising this year.  The 2 Leucospermums shown in the bottom row attracted a lot of attention from visitors.

The Bromeliad Garden looked far sparser than I remember and I'm guessing that it was undergoing renovation

The Sun Garden was planted with lots of poppies this April

The statues, previously part of the Sun Garden, are currently part of the Formal Garden.  The way the pedestals were placed, some with plants hanging from their mid-sections, suggested ancient ruins.

The orchid display drew my attention.  All but one in this group were Cymbidiums.  I couldn't identify the one on the left in the middle row.

I'm in love with this rock orchid, which a friend who volunteers at this garden identified for me as Dendrobium speciosum.  I haven't found it in stock anywhere yet but I've put it on my wish list with one orchid grower.  If I find it, its cost may put it out of bounds but we shall see.

The Tropical Conservatory was especially hot and humid on this visit but the koi fish and turtles in the pond weren't bothered

The Tillandsia-covered flamingo stood just outside the entrance to the conservatory, which sported Medinella magnifica (lower left), as well as a variety of orchids

These shots were taken in the Specimen Shade Garden.  I was attracted to the pretty yellow Azalea.  There was a tag but I didn't catch the name.  It may be Rhododendron atlanticum x austrinum.  The begonias were looking a little sad but, due to the cooler temperatures we've had, that's true of many of mine as well.

While I saw only 2 of the mannequins dressed in flowers and greenery I'd expected at the South Coast Plaza Garden show, I was surprised to run into this one in Sherman's Tea Garden.  I expect the majority of the mannequins are displayed in the fashion-focused segment of South Coast Plaza, across the street from the mall area that hosted the garden show.

These photos were taken in the Succulent Garden, as were those in the next 3 collages

Plant IDs for many of the plants in this and other areas of the garden can now be found in the Fantastic Flora section of Sherman Garden's website

Agave attentuata 'Variegata' (left) and A. 'Sun Glow' (right)

I immediately fixated on this Agave in the late stages of its bloom/death cycle.  Its base had declined to the point that I can't ID it, although it looks like a larger version of the Agave below it, which I believe is Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan' (aka dwarf butterfly agave).  Instead of bulbils (plantlets), it's developed large seedpods.  I suppose it could be a Mangave of some kind but, if so, it's not one I recognize.

These are shots of plants I noticed that didn't fit neatly into any of the named garden areas.  Clockwise from the upper left: Abutilon, Hippeastrum, and 2 Japanese maples.

 

It's interesting to see how this garden changes from one visit to the next.  As it happens, I published a post on Sherman Gardens almost exactly a year ago.  If you're interested in drawing your own comparisons, you can view that post here.

That's it from me this week.  I'm struggling to keep up with my own garden as the weather warms.  The morning marine layer returned this week so we haven't had temperatures as hot as those we experienced last Friday but it's been warm enough to prompt more blooms and more weeds just as most of the bulb blooms head for the exit.  It's keeping me busy!

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party