The new parking garden and other side-garden delights at Marcia Donahue's

The next stop during my Bay Area Garden Extravaganza in late March (see here and here for previous garden visits that day) was Marcia Donahue's Berkeley garden. This was my third visit to Marcia's, the last was in December of 2018. She's made many changes since then, the first one I noticed was the clay beaded necklace she added to the gorgeous eucalyptus in the hellstrip. It's perfect and proudly announces "Marcia lives here!" to anyone who knows her work.

Hellstrip loquat with lots of fruit.

Looking back at the eucalyptus.

And behold...the new parking garden and a most stunning Brugmansia.

I should clarify, "parking garden" is what I'm calling it, not what Marcia called it. I'm not sure she had a name for this area.

Those round bits...

There were many of them. If I am remembering correctly (and I may not be, I really should make notes), Marcia bought the lot and had them shipped home from Japan. 

I don't think Marcia new exactly what the stone shapes were in their previous life. But she recognizes fabulous when she sees it.

I have no idea which tree fern this is (I wanna guess Sphaeropteris cooperi) but I love it... look at those huge fiddle heads!

Walking back into the shady area beyond the parking space you discover this...

The wood shown on the right is a gate that opens into the back garden. I won't go thru it here, but we'll revisit it in my last post from the garden, on Friday.

Sculptural chain links and Marcia's bamboo segments. 

Moving past the Brugmansia now, along the sidewalk and the narrow front garden to the south-ish side-garden.

Where there's a ginormous bromeliad and more of Marcia's work...

There are changes on this side of the garden as well, although I'd be hard-pressed to point out exactly what they are.

I think when I first visited all of the bowling ball shapes on the staircase were actual bowling balls.

Not anymore.

Pow! Flower power.

Bowling ball mulch.

And thru the gate we go...

Papaya!

I find every inch of this garden so very inspiring...

Marcia's plant choices and her design sense aligned with her artistic craft create a place like no other.

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

Visiting the Mardi Gras Gardener

I've shared several photos of my friend Alan's garden on my Instagram page, but I could not find any record of having written about his Portland garden here on the blog. So, in case I haven't, well, now I am.

Alan recently had an open garden for HPSO members, and then an after hours party for his friends.

I wasn't able to stay long, but I did manage to take 30-some pictures. Alan's garden is extremely photographable... gorgeous flowers, plants, and vignettes everywhere.

Alan's Instagram handle is the Mardi Gras Gardener, as he hails from New Orleans and loves a good party.

As you'll see, Eryngiums are kind of Alan's thing. There is an amazing number of them in his garden, all grown well.

The somewhat serene entry to the house doesn't fully prepare you for the plant chaos that lies beyond.

It's wall to wall plants!

With so many sexy blooms passersby have done not nice things...

I think this is Kniphofia thomsonii?

Working my way along the long border...

More Eryngium...

An Oleander with a Tetrapanax backer.

The Verbena were off the charts, mixing and mingling with all the plants.

Oh ya... Agave ovatifolia looking glamourous.

More Verbena.

Another Eryngium, maybe a nice tall Eryngium yuccifolium?

More Kniphofia...

How long has it been since you've seen a free-standing mail box? It's been awhile for me.

Eryngium agavifolium

Clematis florida var. sieboldiana (damn!)

Definitely a Rhododendron, perhaps R. makinoi?

Oh ya, I love me a good stump planting...

And what's that...

Look at that foliage!

Turns out this is very much a danger garden plant! Aralia spinosa aka the devil's walking stick. So named named for the sharp, spiny bits that cover its trunk, branches, and even the petioles and leaf midribs. And of course for the fact it kind of "walks" around the garden, popping up here and there.

I'm hoping Alan will share one of those babies with me, when the time comes to dig them.

It's a gorgeous plant! (and garden)

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