When Marcia plans a veggie garden

Chatting while visiting Ann Nichols' garden, Marcia Donahue and I got to talking about some changes that were happening in Marcia's own garden. She was excited about space she'd recently decided to give over to a veggie garden. Her daughter (who lives on the property) wanted to grow vegetables and there was really only one sunny patch, which had been occupied by Marcia's chicken coup (and I think maybe part of her artisit's studio). I listened, but the idea of a vegetable garden taking up space in Marcia Donahue's garden had me wanting to yell "Oh Hell NO!" please, no! But I didn't yell, I just listened...

Here we are in Marcia's garden. We're about to head down the pathway towards the area where the changes are underway...

I was holding my breath. Worried about what I would see, letting myself be distracted by the details (oh so very easy to do in this garden) rather than look at the big (veggie garden) picture.

Oh, what's that! (squirrel!)

A volunteer Phlebodium growing in a bowling ball finger hole, sweet!

But about that veggie garden, why was I worried?

Obviously Marcia was going to put her own very creative spin on the idea of a vegetable garden...

This is the reworked corner, and a reminder, I was there on March 29th, so the garden was very much still an idea being worked out. The actual plants were yet to come...

Who wouldn't want a rusty scaffolding for the veggies to be trained up?

And a (yet to be built) second level for other plants wanting even more sun? I wish I could have flown back down to Berkeley to take "now" photos to share with you all. I am sure it's become a phenomenal and productive vegetable garden.

Naturally the scaffolding is artistically anchored, and the stepping stones handmade.

The sides of the raised bed aren't just 2x4 lumber either...

Honestly I relished getting to see this area under construction, to see the artist working through the process of implementing a new design...

To the right of the construction area were plants and pots that appeared to be temporarily stored there. It was a fantastic mashup.

So that's my look at the new veggie garden and it's inspiring ingredients.

Believe it or not, there's still more to come before I wrap up my visit to this garden.

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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.