Wildly Successful in Pacific Grove

We're taking a few days off in Pacific Grove, CA. It is a small city west of Monterey. When we have been here in the winter I have been charmed by the many tree aloes in bloom in a park that runs along the Monterey Bay. They are huge plants, with spikes of orange flowers on top. At this time of year, they are out of bloom, but I am seeing many other Wildly Successful plants here. There are Watsonias in many gardens, in pink, white, and coral. There are 'Brilliant' scented geraniums and many kinds of old regal geraniums. There are 'Rose of Castille Improved' fuchsias, an English variety from the 1800s that survived the Fuchsia gall mite. And Pride of Madiera, foxglove, Mexican sage, calla, agapanthus...

In fact, there are so many of the plants featured in my book, that I have, in previous visits, sought a bookstore or other store that might want to carry my book here, but, though there are several used bookstores, I haven't found a new bookstore, nursery or other outlet in town that would be appropriate. I'd love to come down and give a talk about the plants in the book. Does anyone have a connection that might lead to that?

I am seeing many lovely gardens here. And there are old coast live oaks in the neighborhoods, hanging with moss (lichens). I even saw an edible fig tree draped in moss today, a startling sight!

Being near the sea, we are near to wild nature. We walked along the sea yesterday, where there is much restored dune native plant life that is very beautiful. We watched gulls and cormorants along the coast, and rocks that came to life when the seals that were on them flicked a tail. (The seals are about the same color as the rocks, so you have to look carefully to see them.) While we were sitting outside this afternoon we listened to owls calling and responding in the tall trees. There are deer all over the west end of town, too, but they don't seem to bother the more inland gardens.

Comments

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Pam, are the aloe trees A. dichotoma or another species? (Forgive me if it's in the book, I'm still studying your first book).