The Transplanted Gardener – Matthew Stephens

Matthew Stephens arrived in San Francisco from New York.  With a masters degree in Public Horticulture and years of planting literally a million trees in New York City, you would think he knows a lot about gardening.

Now, as the Horticulture Director of San Francisco Botanical Garden, as well as the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers he has a lot to learn.  And like most smart people he knows it, and is eagerly soaking it all in.

As you will find out in the story he wrote for Pacific Horticulture magazine, “The Transplanted Gardener”, he has quickly learned to appreciate this “new world” where:

“Red maples have turned into redwoods, daylilies turned into phormiums, and creeping junipers turned into creeping ceanothus—along with palm trees, a dizzying array of succulents, evergreen oaks, and many, many more plants.”

The story is a fascinating read, illuminating gardening trends in the West Coast that we take for granted, for instance how we use native plants and his new awareness that our summer-dry climate leads to an emphasis water conservation.

Read the “The Transplanted Gardener” on-line at the Pacific Horticulture Society website.  And while you are there, sign up for the newsletter and join the Society: support making this sort of gardening insight a public asset.

More photos from the story:

The lighting the Conservatory of Flowers:

The Redwood Grove at San Francisco Botanical Garden:

A deciduous magnolia at San Francisco Botanical Garden. (now, in late February they are  peaking )

Photobotanic Galleries: San Francisco Botanical Garden and Conservatory of Flowers