Early Light in the Bancroft Garden

– Posted in: Garden Photography, Garden Visits

Recently I photographed at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, about an hour from my home, and needed to arrive before dawn. The Bancroft Garden is one of the most iconic gardens in America, full of mature cactus and succulents in a summer-dry climate, a testimonial to Ruth’s plant choices 50 years ago and successful gardening[...]

On Instagram, Nobody Cares About Your Dog

– Posted in: Garden Photography, Miscellaneous

I’m currently celebrating having attained 10,000 Instagram followers by giving away all four of my books! See details. Instagram is pure eye-candy, one luscious photo right after another. Captions tend to be brief or nonexistent. If you have a favorite topic, such as “echeverias,” you can scroll through glorious echeveria photos simply by searching for[...]

Are Plants Art ?

– Posted in: Garden Musings, Garden Photography

“Plants are not art”. So began a provocative Facebook post by Benjamin Vogt. I did not have time to jump into the social media conversation that his post sparked, knowing I would say something too quickly, too passionately, or misunderstood. Benjamin is a friend of mine and a friend of Gardening Gone Wild .  His[...]

California Coastal Bluff at The Sea Ranch

– Posted in: Garden Photography, Garden Travels

In the early 1960’s, ten miles of California’s Sonoma Coast was designated for development, in an era before there was any regulatory agency overseeing coastal development. The Sea Ranch became legendary in the annals of California Coastal development, and as a result, the California Coastal Commission has clamped down on every permit. Yet, despite the hundreds of[...]