Sherman Gardens - Part 2

Wednesday's post covered the Sun Garden, the Central Garden, the Perennial Garden and selected plants at Sherman Gardens, a 2.2 acre botanical garden in Corona del Mar.  While very nice, these were perhaps less interesting than the areas I'll cover in today's post: the Tropical Conservatory, the Shade Garden, and the Succulent Garden.

As you'd expect, the inside of the Tropical Conservatory was very warm and moist.  I felt as if I'd been transported back to Washington DC on the first day of the Garden Bloggers' Fling.

This large Koi pond, surrounded by bromeliads and ferns, set the scene.  I assume the brightly colored balls are part of the glass display that runs from June through October.

This handsome fellow demonstrated just the right touch of attitude

There were lots of massed plant displays like this one

While the flashy pink Cordyline shown here is pretty, I'm head-over-heels about the other variegated Cordyline, C. terminalis 'Miss Andrea', which I've seen in blog postings but not in my local garden centers

There were blooming orchids tucked in here and there throughout the conservatory

I'm not certain but I think I snapped this photo outside the Conservatory although then again it might have been part of the gardens' Palm Collection.  I can't identify the tree at the photo's center but I think it's a palm.

We toured the Specimen Shade Garden next.  This was enclosed in a very large lath house.  The space got me thinking about adding a structure like this, on a far smaller scale of course, to my own garden.  I'd previously asked my husband about building a shed/greenhouse but arguably this is an unnecessary addition to our garden.  I have adequate (if not particularly attractive) space to store my garden tools in our garage and, as our winters are exceptionally mild, I don't actually need a greenhouse to protect seedlings and tender plants.  However, I can definitely use some shade protection.  I miss the fuchsias, begonias, ferns and other shade-loving plants I grew in my former garden.  Luckily for me, my husband has embraced the lath house idea to a greater extent than the shed/greenhouse idea so my fingers are crossed that this plan will get off the ground - eventually.

View of the lath house from the outside

View from the inside with fuchsias in hanging pots as far as the eye can see

A nice massed planting of bromeliads

A healthy clump of variegated Iresine, paired with New Guinea impatiens

A huge staghorn fern (Platycerium) and lots of tuberous begonias in pots positioned on the shelves lining the sides of the lath house

The last area we toured was the Succulent Garden.  Like every other section of Sherman Gardens, it was densely planted.  Parts of it were also more stylized than most succulent gardens I've toured.

The entrance gates were decorated with wreaths, which I didn't notice until I reviewed my photos

A huge Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' anchored one end of the artistically decorated succulent bed

This is the other side of the same bed, bordered by the entrance gate

This area bed was situated on the opposite side of the Succulent Garden

There were glass pieces in this garden too

I think the mounded plant in the center foreground (repeated both to the left and the right) is Deuterocohnia brevifolia (formerly Abromeitiella brevifolia), a bromeliad

These 2 mature specimens of Agave 'Jaws' serve as yet another reminder that I need to move at least one of mine before it gets too big

The largest Rhipsalis baccifera I've ever seen

Perhaps the best example of both the focus on detail and the insistence on making use of every square inch of planting space by Sherman Gardens: succulents planted in the gap between every stair tread

You can find Hoover Boo's posts on our visit to Sherman Gardens at Piece of Eden here, here and here.  The earlier post by Denise that launched our trip can be found at A Growing Obsession here.

That's it for Sherman Gardens.  I won't let a decade or more go by before visiting again.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Visit to Sherman Gardens

I visited Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar late last June and decided May was a good time for another visit.  The property is very small by comparison to most botanic gardens, just over 2 acres in size, but it's packed with horticultural wonders.  I've enjoyed every visit and can't explain why I don't drop in more often, especially as it's within spitting distance of my other favorite Orange County haunt, Roger's Gardens.  (You can find an interactive map of Sherman Gardens here.)

My friend and I both had our cameras out the moment we stepped past the entrance booth.

Despite 2 people hovering over her, this butterfly continued about her business

Leaving the butterfly to her pursuits, we advanced into the Sun Garden.  It's planted in what I'd describe as a loose parterre style.

The glass sculpture was here during my prior visit but the lupines were new and nicely mirrored the glass

Sherman Garden's mascot, the otter holding a hose at the pond's edge, was still in place.  An employee in the gift shop told me that he's stood in the garden since 1970.

This view of the Sun Garden looks back in the direction of the gift shop and shows off not just the lupines but also the dinosaur kale used to reinforce the parterre structure

My friend and I took different routes from that point but we soon ran into one another in the Tropical Conservatory.  It's always warm in there but it seemed particularly hot and humid on this occasion.  The air was so damp I could feel rain-like droplets and my camera lens fogged up repeatedly but I captured a few decent shots.

The koi were active in the pond but the turtles were not

They were hanging out together in a sunny spot

I loved the mix of foliage here

and here

The pink flowered plant here is Medinilla magnifica.  I occasionally see it for sale locally and I've been tempted despite its price tag but I suspect it needs more humidity than I can give it.

There were several orchids in bloom, including a chocolate-scented Oncidium

Back in the outside air, I noticed that, like last year, the Central Garden was filled with dahlias, all looking terrific.

This year's dahlia display featured fewer varieties but I liked the effect 

These varieties in shades of magenta, orange and pink were repeated throughout the beds

An exhibit of sand sculptures will be on display from June 1st through September but a temporary display had been created at the center of the dahlia beds to commemorate a wedding to be held later in the day

There were a few beds planted with a mix of bromeliads and succulents, one of which caught my attention with the addition of brightly orange flowers.

This display had me thinking that scattering some blooming plants among the Aeonium arboreum planted on my front slope might liven things up a bit.  I think the orange flowers are Arctotis.

As always, I was drawn to the garden's lath house, one of several lath structures.  Sherman Garden's lath house spawned the idea for my own much smaller version.  This was my first visit since my husband competed my shade structure and the visit offered an opportunity to examine the plants Sherman Gardens keeps under cover.  After all, my lath house, while small, is nowhere near full!

In addition to ferns, Sherman's lath house included lots of Iresine, begonias, bromeliads, and even some Alstroemeria.  The pelican sculpture appeared to have been made from driftwood and Spanish moss.

This staghorn fern also drew my eye.  Instead of detracting from the display, the skeletonized leaves on top made it all the more interesting.

This display, prominently featuring Brunfelsia, sat under a tree surrounded by a partial lath structure

This long, narrow lath structure is called the Fern Grotto.  In addition to ferns, there were lots of cycads.

Of course, we couldn't leave Sherman Gardens without touring the Succulent Garden.  Not much has changed there since my last visit but it's always impressive.

This shows just how big a Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta' can grow!  I mistreated mine, moving it from spot to spot, until it finally fell prey to an insect infestation.  Next time I invest in one, I'll find a permanent spot for it before I plant it.

This is Epiphyllum hybrid 'Giant Falls'

Another sand sculpture was under construction in the Succulent Garden

I bought a small Epiphyllum 'Queen of the Night' from the gift shop and my friend and I headed off to lunch.  The Epiphyllum now hangs in my lath house.

Best wishes for a great weekend!


All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Plant Sale!

Don't you love a good plant sale?  While most of our local garden centers remained open even during the height of the pandemic, the special plant sales conducted by many botanic gardens were shelved.  My local botanic garden now has a plant stand near the exit but the offerings can most charitably be described as meager and pedestrian.  Even The Huntington's last plant sale was virtual - people placed orders online and drove to the garden to pick them up but that isn't as much fun as scouring tables of plants to discover specimens you didn't know you "needed."  So, when Sherman Library & Gardens announced it was resurrecting its Plant-o-rama, I had to go.

My understanding is that this event hasn't been held for many years.  It's stated purpose is to support local plant societies and to provide members of the surrounding community with access to plants they wouldn't normally find in local garden centers. 

My friend and I arrived almost an hour before the garden opened to ensure we could find parking.  As the parking lots quickly filled and people lined up at the entrance, we took a spin around the perimeter of the garden, something we don't usually take time to do.

This Agave 'Blue Glow' and its companions were planted atop a brick wall surrounding the back parking lot

The back area of the property had lots of Agaves and Mangaves

The plants out front along the busy Pacific Coast Highway were more colorful

I can't identify this Restio but I thought it looked great with the Phormiums

 

The volunteers and staff expedited entrance to the garden once it opened and the sale tables were quickly swamped.

The Hibiscus Society booth had the biggest crowd.  The plants were good-sized but at $40-60 dollars, I took a pass.  I've already got one Hibiscus in a pot I'm struggling to get to bloom.

The Orchid Society tables seemed relatively bare so I brushed by after a quick look

I focused on the bromeliad offerings.  Great prices but the booth was crowded.

I really should have spent more time on Sherman's own offerings outside the gift shop.  They had a little bit of everything, including a nice selection of begonias, pollinator-friendly plants, edibles and even Mangaves.  There was a fern society booth too but given our water concerns, I gave that a pass.

After I'd made my purchases, I joined my friend in perusing the garden itself.  The garden has a special exhibit going on but I'll cover that in a separate post later this week.   For now, I'll focus on other highlights of our visit, starting with my favorite area, the Tropical Conservatory.

Sherman changes out its plants on a regular basis so there's always something new to see.  I noticed Tillandsias mixed in with orchids this time.

Bloomed-out orchids are regularly swapped for varieties in full flower

I don't remember seeing this chair inside the conservatory before.  It looked like a great spot to take photos.

Closeups of a few things that caught my eye, including the resident turtles

There was an aviary in the conservatory too.  I had some difficulty determining the identity of the birds inside until I noticed the sign describing them as "fancy pigeons."  The two Yellow English Trumpeters were the most unusual.  My friend managed to get a good shot of one of these (upper right) by aiming her camera lens between the bars of the cage.

The Tropical Conservatory wasn't the only area deserving of notice.

How many times have you seen bromeliads like this lining a path?

The Dykcias that used to be in this section have been replaced by a red-flowered Mimulus, adding a fresh punch of color.  I noticed that there was a lot of red and other hot colors in the Sherman Gardens beds at the moment.

A simple but effective combination of Coprosma and Gazania outside the garden's office area (with begonias tucked into a corner)

More red flowers mixed with fresh green plants, including palms and Farfugium (syn. Ligularia)

There were butterflies, including Monarchs, flitting about

And of course no visit to Sherman Gardens would be complete without spending at least a little time in the Succulent Garden.

The Succulent Garden changes less than other areas but I noticed new pots on display

As impressed as I always am by the Aloes, Agaves and barrel cactus, the backlit bromeliad stole the show in this photo in my opinion, making me wish I'd looked for an Aechmea blanchetiana when I was shopping the bromeliad sale booth

I'll come back to Sherman Gardens later this week with highlights of their greenHOUSE exhibit.  As I know some of you will ask, I bought only a couple of plants at the Plant-o-Rama but I'll happily attend again if they hold the event next year.  My friend and I also made a stop at Roger's Gardens nearby as I had a gift card burning a hole in my pocket so I'll wrap up this post with photos of the day's purchases.

At the Plant-o-rama, at a total cost of $10, I purchased a noID Tillandsia and a more unusual Orthophytum 'Gurkenii'.  The latter is a terrestrial bromeliad from Brazil.  The foliage can have zebra stripes but this one is the "snake skin" type.  It produces a bright green florescence with white flowers

At Roger's Gardens, I used my gift card to buy Mangave 'Night Owl' and Dahlia 'Mystic Illusion'

All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party