FROM THE BORDER
By Hilary Gordon

Fog City Gardener, July 2009. "By choosing plants suited to our maritime climate, grouping them wisely, watering them deeply but infrequently, and creating a robust sequence of bloom in the garden, you can begin to look forward to summer gardening in San Francisco, even if you have to wear a parka to do it!..."

Nostalgia and the Transplanted Gardener, June 2009. "By translating the spirit of my grandmother’s garden into the language and palette of California climate appropriate plants, I can have my memories and still do what she did; grow a healthy and sustainable garden with love and respect for nature..."

Spring Blooming Bulbs for Bay Area Climate Zones, May 2009. "Fairy wand, Harlequin flower, Bugle lily, who wouldn’t want to see flowers with such magical names? They are all blooming right now at the Garden For the Environment, a public, educational garden located at 7th Avenue and Lawton..."

What's in a Name?, April 2009."What's in a name?... In the well-known play by Shakespeare, young Juliet gives her opinion that a name doesn’t matter. Her opinion matches that of many people who are beginning to learn about gardening. Why do we need to learn all those stupid Latin names for plants? ... "

California Natives Show Off Their Winter Colors, March 2009. "In the final days of January, the buds were swelling on the purple plum trees that grace San Francisco streets. The tiny new moon heralded the Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of another growing season. By the time this newsletter reaches its readers, the plum trees will be in full bloom, as clouds of pink blossoms assert Mother Nature’s confidence..."

A New Gardening Year, February 2009. "In the final days of January, the buds were swelling on the purple plum trees that grace San Francisco streets. The tiny new moon heralded the Chinese New Year, marking the beginning of another growing season. By the time this newsletter reaches its readers, the plum trees will be in full bloom, as clouds of pink blossoms assert Mother Nature’s confidence..."

Blessing of Rain, January 2009. "This year brings change, and not just on Inauguration Day. During the end of the twentieth century, drought in California was news. ... Water rationing is (now) beginning to look like a semi-permanent situation. Many of us will need to “retool” our gardens for a new reality. One of the most important tools in our toolbox is called ‘hydrozoning”.

Gardens with Good Bones, December 2008. "The garden in winter should feel just like this; graceful, healthy, promising, lovely in its own way although the blush of spring is long gone. ... When a garden looks wonderful in midwinter, gardeners everywhere nod and say “that garden has good bones”."

It's November, November 2008. "It’s November, and our warm sunny days give way to the first predictions of rain. In the 24 years I have been gardening in San Francisco, many Halloween pumpkins, ripened in the heat of October, have ended their Jack-o-Lantern lives in cold rainstorms. For gardeners, this is a time for action..."

On Borders, September 2008. "Our borders provide the threshold between our garden and the creatures of the wild, natural world..."

Hilary Gordon is Perennial Plants Collection Manager at the GFE.  A life-long gardener, trained at the City College Horticulture program, she has worked as a professional landscape gardener from 1984 until the present. Each month we will feature a gardening column in a column titled, “From the Border”, in which Hilary shares her wealth of gardening experience and knowledge.

Have a question for Hilary? Meet her in the garden Wednesdays 10-2 and Saturdays 10-4.