Sonoma Garden Tour

Thai Koi
Originally uploaded by DJ Dylema.

My best bud Christian was in town from LA, dropping off half of his stuff because he is moving here in two weeks! Yay! Since Christian is a Landscape Designer, whenever he is around I get to wander around gardens in the area. I always keep my little digi Canon ready. This weekend was the perfect time to be outdoors. We visited Sonoma Horticultural Nursery, California Carnivores, Pond & Garden Nursery, and Empire Nursery.

Sonoma Horticultural Nursery boasts of hundreds of rhododendron and azalea species. There is also a huge garden with a large pond lined with gunneras (also called dinosaur food due to their gnarly spiny stems and huge spans of leaves. The paths take you inward... I have been three times and I always get lost in there. There are rows and rows of clematis vines, abutilons, and irises everywhere.

Next stop, California Carnivores, where all the plants eat bugs. They had many species of pitcher plants, other strangely alien-like plants, and bromeliads. These plants had intricate spot patterns or dark crimson patches everywhere.

Pond & Garden is where my roommate Jarid works. They have lots of cool koi fish & turtles, as well as waterlilies, bromeliads, japanese maples, fountains & other various water features. This place is relaxing and beautiful!

Empire Nursery has a large koi pond with bridges and gazebos overlooking it, a Japanese Maple house, and several oversized buddhas.

Sonoma County truly is the perfect place to grow almost any kind of plant! I enjoyed myself immensely just seeing the many brilliant forms plants have evolved into, their sharp bright colors and amazingly unique design.