Some things you keep putting off and putting off. That said, it
took a drive to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show for me to
finally visit a topiary business that is located in San Martin.
Some things you keep putting off and putting off. That said, it took a drive to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show for me to finally visit a topiary business that is located in San Martin.
Yes, S.K. Topiary, located at 13235 Santa Teresa Boulevard just outside Gilroy, had a booth at the 20th annual garden show in San Francisco. I’ve been meaning to drop by the business, which has dozens of enticing topiaries lined up just off the roadway in San Martin.
There are everything from swans and frogs to a 63-inch-high golfer. You can buy just the topiary frames, or you can buy them already started with climbing plants like ivy, creeping fig, juniper, rosemary and more. You can check them out in person, or find them on the Web at: www.sk703.com.
Nearly 50,000 garden enthusiasts attended the five-day show late last month. If you’ve never been to a large garden show, you’re missing a great opportunity.
There were not only 23 magnificent fully landscaped gardens, but a huge plant sale, orchid show, garden vignettes, free garden seminars and 250 exhibit booths.
The latter was a virtual smorgasbord of available shopping for gardeners. Besides the topiary business already mentioned, I found everything from plantable stationery to “snail jails.” The former is actual stationery with flower seeds embedded into the paper. The latter is a revolutionary snail-collection unit. It’s a modern and humane way to rid your garden of unwanted guests (and we’re not talking about the neighbor kids who always trample your flowers). The product’s Web site is at: www.snailjail.com.
And yet, the landscaped gardens were the big draw. There was wonderful use of flowering annuals, perennials and spring bulbs. There were terraced gardens, water gardens and huge trees. In order to see the gardens at their best, you had to arrive early or late (during the dinner hour is my favorite viewing time.) At peak times, crowds were five and six deep.
The Golden Gate Cup or best-of-show award went to a duo of gardenmakers. Studio Replica of Petaluma and Don Boos Design of Murphys came up with, “The Spirit of Nature’s Dreams.”
It was the largest garden in the show, situated so you can walk around all four sides. A fantasy of elaborate water features and contrasting textures, the garden included a waterfall, rock formations, shifting sands and a parched, cracked riverbed.
Duane Kelly, the producer of the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, told me he was delighted that the San Francisco show has turned into the West Coast’s second-largest show. It is second only to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, which Kelly also produces.
He attributed the popularity of the local show not only to the show gardens, but to the enthusiasm of Bay Area gardeners, who have the benefit of being able to “get their hands dirty” year-round. According to Kelly, the Delaware Valley and New England are the two top hot spots for gardening enthusiasm. The Bay Area and the Northwest are tied for third.
