Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Max and Justin's Oakland garden, the front half

Max and Justin Cannon's garden is one I've dreamed of visiting for a very long time. My dream finally came true last month and it was just as good as I imagined. I took so many photos, I tried to squeeze them all into a single post, but couldn't do it. Today we adventure through the densely planted front garden and into the hidden fern garden along the NE side of the house. On Friday and we'll head into the back garden with it's bromeliad, staghorn, container madness... you won't want to miss it.

Here we're walking up the driveway, on the far left is Acacia iteaphylla, the "aloe" in the middle is an Aloidendron 'Hercules' and the small tree on the far right that looks like an olive was bought labeled as Acacia pendula..

On the left, Banksia praemorsa.

Love love love those flower cones!

Agave, mangave, bromeliad, cactus mash-up! 

So how do I know Max and Justin? I think Max and I originally met through my blog, and he visited my garden several years ago (2014?), he's the creator of the now closed Instagram account @plantymagoo. The 2019 Bromeliad Summit in Santa Barbara was when met his husband Justin, and if you attended last summer's Garden Fling in the Puget Sound area then you probably met them both. Max works in the horticulture industry, Justin is an Episcopal priest, he recently started a blog about the garden transformation he's spearheaded at All Saint's Parish.

The pair frequently visit Marcia Donahue's garden and have many pieces of her artwork in their garden. It was all displayed wonderfully.

Backing Marcia's work is a Yucca rostrata...

And an Aloidendron 'Hercules'

They perfectly anchor the planting area that starts your journey into the front garden.

Dreamy! Am I right?


That Mangave ‘Aztec King’ is compete perfection...

Just a little further in...

There were so many hanging plants and other features that I kept reminding myself to look up, lest I miss any.

The front porch, I think their front door might be the same color as mine?


The hanging metal work is by Mark Bulwinkle. If you're familiar with the original Cistus Nursery logo then you know his work (here's an old blog post of mine with more of it).

A shot of the panel from the driveway side.

The aechmea-filled planter box below.

See what I mean about remembering to look up?

Aechmea recurvata ‘Aztec Gold’

If I remember correctly this is Magnolia ‘Genie’. I covet this tree.

Down into the front garden now...

Mangave ‘Lavender Lady’

Cussonia paniculata

Agave ‘Blue Glow’

Tree ferns ( Cyathea cooperi?) guard the entrance to the fern garden along the side of the house.

Yes, that is a hanging trash can lid. Great minds think alike!

There are so many treasures in this narrow space...





More of Marcia's artwork.

Tiny platycerium.

Those tillandsia are growing on a rusty box-spring.

Massed tillandsia and Marcia Donahue artwork, just tucked into a side garden...



I'm making my way back front out now, excited to head into the back garden and see what wonders there are to discover there.


Come back on Friday for the second part of this visit!

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Monday, April 14, 2025

Seeing tz_garden in person...

Back when Gerhard and I were scheming on what to do during my visit, I suggested a stop at Tracy's in Livermore, CA—even though I knew it was a bit of longshot (significant drive, slim chances she'd be free on a Friday just four days away). However, the garden gods were smiling on us and it all worked out... yay!

I met Tracy in person when she attended the Garden Fling last July in the Puget Sound area, however I'd been following her blog tz_garden long before that. On the drive down Gerhard and I referred to her as a "new" blogger, but couldn't decide when exactly was it that she started blogging. I thought it had been a little over a year. I was wrong. It was February of 2023, over two years now.

Naturally we were snapping photos as soon as we arrived, even before we rang the doorbell. I was excited to see the work she'd recently done in the hellstrips, which looked fantastic. 

Interesting plantings and a protective barrier set back, leaving room for car doors and feet, smart!

Walking up to the front door, I recognized the metal planter and Pseudopanax crassifolius planting.

As well as the happy pyrrosia. It's always fun to see the things in "real life" that you'd previously seen on your computer screen.

After Tracy came out to great us we hung out on the front porch for awhile, which gave me time to admire her collection of mounted ferns, like this aglaomorpha. 

And the to-die-for platyceriums...



Most (if not all?) of these come from Tracy's daughter Sophia's partner Ivan. Lucky lady!

We eventually walked through Tracy's home and out into the back garden, where I my jaw dropped. I mean I've seen photos, but they do not compare to the reality.

Looking to the left and the new lath house (laugh house)...

And to the right and that fantastic covered lounge. Tracy had poured us each a glass of wine for garden touring and I was tempted to walk over and plop down, arrange the pillows and relax! But no, I did the "hard work" of carrying on, snapping photos, and reporting on this gorgeous garden...

This planted nook was to our left after stepping out into the garden. 
Container goodness along the fence...


And looking back to the containers that had been on our right when we stepped out of the house (if I'd moved the camera just a little to the right you'd see the back door).

Via Tracy's blog I'd followed the building of the raised platform deck and lath house, but again the reality was much better then what I'd put together in my head.

Before we explore that though, a quick glance out over the rest of the garden as I begin to understand just how large the space is. According to Gerhard's post her property is 12,000 sf (mine is just a smidge over 5,000).

Then to check out the lath house a little closer.

It's the perfect shady spot for plants that need protection from the nonstop summer sun.

Great detail! Love the chunky hook and the leather strapped plant pot.

I seriously wonder how Tracy gets any work done, I would be tempted to just stare at this beauty all day.
Aren't the Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt' cascading like waterfalls over the pool's edge is a genius touch?

And the varied plantings on the slope draw your eye upwards.

Part of me was surprised there wasn't a pathway along this side of the pool, but of course the gardener in me loved that the plants had this area all to themselves.

As we walked around the pool to the other side of the garden we passed by Dr. Feelgood, who assessed our worthiness and, I fear, found us lacking. Thankfully Tracy didn't ask us to leave.

Looking towards the lathhouse, which you can't see because it's in the shade. Don't you just want to run your fingers through that acacia foliage?

How do you know when a garden is in a climate with mild winter temperatures? When there are multiple Agave attenuata in the ground.

Speaking of multiple, Tracy has the golden barrel cactus thing going on! I predict she'll have a field of barrels that rivals the Huntington Garden's display in no time.

Blooming Kumara plicatilis (Aloe plicatilis)!

Aloe 'Hercules' (Aloidendron ‘Hercules’) acts as a beefy punctuation mark.

A small (but lovely) crevice garden...

And a nice big Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira'.

This! I think it's Berzelia galpinii. I've bought stems at the flower market, it makes a great (if expensive) vase specimen and dries wonderfully. I cannot imagine having it growing in my own back garden.

Those of you who don't follow Tracy's blog probably aren't aware that she used to live in Portland. I really should have asked her how long it took before the ability to grow these plants, in the ground, stopped feeling so freaky. Then again, she raised a family while settling in here and starting to garden so maybe she had the time to shake off the Portland garden vibe. Maybe I'm just projecting as I can't imagine! 

Banksia blechnifolia...

Agave macroacantha

Lophocereus marginatus (aka Mexican fence post cactus), Opuntia robusta, and (maybe?) Agave 'Blue Glow' all look great against the dark fence. Tracy plants for the impact of repeated elements in the garden. The fence post cactus look great now, but will look even more impressive in a few years.

She also includes wide pathways through the plantings, like a professional would recommend.

We're coming to the end of the visit now.

I'm so grateful Tracy made the time for us, and Gerhard (power road-tripper that he is), was up for the drive.

Visiting gardens that belong to blogging friends is the best!

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.