Apartment Garden Blues (Blog): The Gardens of Alcatraz

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Published on Friday, May 31 2013 17:39

Written by Alexandra Martin

I mentioned that I took a quick weekend trip to San Francisco recently, and I definitely picked the right time to go. In May the weather is perfect (no fog!), and the flowers are all in bloom. At one of the most visited sites in San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, I was surprised by how beautifully landscaped “The Rock” was. Not only is it the site of a former federal penitentiary, but it is literally a rock. Before it was settled in the mid-1800s as an army fortress, the island only had a thin layer of soil that could only support native grasses and shrubs.

The gardens of Alcatraz all began in 1865 when the military brought soil over from Angel Island and the Presidio and started planting Victorian-style gardens. In 1933, when Alcatraz became a federal prison, a man named Fred Reichel, the secretary to the warden, began caring for the gardens left by the army. He convinced the warden to allow prisoners to care for the gardens. The children of the prison guards who lived on the island also tended to their own gardens, including vegetable gardens.

After the prison closed in 1963, the gardens were abandoned. Because no one maintained the gardens, some plants thrived, and others died out. But in 2003, the Garden Conservancy, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service partnered up to preserve, rebuild, and maintain the gardens created by those who lived on the island during its military and prison eras, and interpret their history, horticulture, and cultural significance for visitors.

If you haven’t been to Alcatraz Island, or haven’t visited since 2003, make sure to visit again. Not only will you experience the poignant audio tour narrated by former Alcatraz prisoners and guards, but the island’s gardens will also leave a lasting impression.

Learn more at AlcatrazGardens.org.

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Alexandra Martin is a professional writer from Southern California who grows vegetables, herbs, lots of aloe vera and one giant Boston fern in her balcony garden. She also grows dracaena, pothos and English ivy indoors. She loves traveling and birdwatching in addition to gardening.

Apartment Garden Blues (Blog): Pier 39’s Double-Duty Planter

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Published on Friday, May 24 2013 17:25

Written by Alexandra Martin

I love everything that is double-duty. When you live in a small urban apartment, you tend to appreciate saving any space you can. I love my end table that serves as a filing cabinet, the drawer on my coffee table and my IKEA bookcases with doors that hide all my DVDs and books, while also serving as a blank canvas for me to display photos or interesting wallpaper (check them out on the IKEA website).

I recently took a quick weekend trip to San Francisco and saw a great double duty planter at the entrance to Pier 39: a giant crab sculpture planted with succulent plants (see the picture on the right).

Not only is this an interesting piece of art, it’s a dynamic planter. The plants can be changed out depending on the season (poinsettia plants at Christmas, flowers in springtime, etc.), but it is always a recognizable piece that welcomes visitors to Pier 39.

Check back next week for more about the plants and gardens I saw in San Francisco!

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Alexandra Martin is a professional writer from Southern California who grows vegetables, herbs, lots of aloe vera and one giant Boston fern in her balcony garden. She also grows dracaena, pothos and English ivy indoors. She loves traveling and birdwatching in addition to gardening.

Apartment Garden Blues (Blog): The County Fair

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Published on Friday, May 17 2013 17:33

Written by Alexandra Martin

In last week's blog, I talked about a neighbor winning first prize in cherry tomatoes at the fair a couple of years ago. Well, I’m excited that the fair is just a couple months away! The Orange County Fair is one of my favorite summer activities (in addition to the Huntington Beach Fourth of July parade, battling seaweed at Laguna Beach while swimming and watching a movie “on the lawn” at the OC Great Park in Irvine). The OC Fairgrounds year-round Centennial Farm is in full-swing once the fair rolls around, and during the fair the farm boasts lots of delicious food plants in their prime, information booths, gardening workshops, hands-on activities for kids (the ever-popular worm bin), a bonsai room, row after row of prize-winning vegetables from OC gardens and beautiful cut blooms and flower displays in the refreshingly air-conditioned bungalow next to the farm.

I attend the fair every year, and the gardening area is always my favorite. I always feel a bit jealous, though, when I see fantastic zinnias that I would never be able to grow because of my dark balcony garden conditions.

What’s your favorite thing to see at your local county fair?

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Alexandra Martin is a professional writer from Southern California who grows vegetables, herbs, lots of aloe vera and one giant Boston fern in her balcony garden. She also grows dracaena, pothos and English ivy indoors. She loves traveling and birdwatching in addition to gardening.