San Francisco Botanical Garden and Japanese Garden

   Welcome to day two! Our time was filled with two tours and a quick walk around Fisherman's Warf. The first tour of the day was at San Francisco Botanical Garden with two super knowledgeable horticulturists, Jason Martinez and Dolores Gamez (Lolita). SFBG was opened to the public 1940, stretches for 55 acres, and is cared for by 11 horticulturists with just over 5 acres a piece. For so few staff, the collections were super impressive and the displays unique and beautiful. Honestly, words cannot express what we saw today. Here are some photos:

Left to right: Anna, Betty, Vladimir, Jason, Lolita

Cupressus macrocarpa

Cupressus macrocarpa

Sandy soil substrate = perpetual watering

Cyathea cooperi

Staghorn fern

Metrosideros excelsa

Dacrydium cupressinum

Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly'

Checking out stinkhorn fungus

Stinkhorn fungus

x Chiranthofremontia lenzii

Lotus jacobaeus

Rhododendron 'Fragrantis-simum Improved'

Rhododendron 'Mysterious Maddenii'

   Our second tour was with Steven Pitsenbarger, who is a horticulturist at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. This garden is 5 acres and was established in 1894 by landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara. Makoto and his family lived on the property and tended the landscape until 1942, when most Japanese Americans were forced into internment camps. Before leaving their home, Makoto entrusted his family's bonsai with friend and fellow architect, Samuel Newsom. When the Hagiwara family was finally released from internment, they were not allowed to return to their home. In order to obtain money to start over, the bonsai collection was sold to Hugh and Audrey Fraser, who later (as a request of their will) returned the bonsai to the grounds of the Japanese Tea Garden. Most of the original bonsai are planted on the hill pictured below:

Hillside with former bonsai returned to the grounds

Entrance to Japanese Tea Garden

Left to right: Vladimir, Steven, and Mikhail

Pinus radiata

Cryptomeria sp.

Dry garden

   My apologies for the brevity of this blog entry. The day ran long and Dave and I are typing this up fairly late at night. Please enjoy the gorgeous photos and please ask any questions in the comment section.

View of Alcatraz from Fisherman's Warf

Sea rats in the great blue