Sf Kelly's urban retreat garden

Created on Wednesday, 28 Nov 07

I moved into this house a year ago, and there was a beautiful, established garden. I’ve gardened before, mostly in containers or in shared housing, so this is the first time I’ve had my own. Much is the way I found it, but I’ve moved, deleted, and added a few things here and there.

For San Francisco, this garden gets a lot of sun — or at least half of it does. I’m able to grow tomatoes and lavender and basil, which is not guaranteed in SF. But the other side is shaded by some tall trees and is much cooler.

Trying to be organic, but losing my battle with the ever-present oxalis in the lawn and everywhere else!

Organic Garden

Garden Type: Backyard | Sun: Partial Sun | Soil: Combination

6 faves

Day 195

Basil

Ocimum basilicum

Once again, I bought a potted basil plant from Trader Joe's and pop...

Planted on 11 May 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Day 226

Tomato 'Sweet Million'

Solanum lycopersicum

I grew this last year and loved them. So tiny! So tasty! But they w...

Planted on 10 Apr 08
- 3 journals
- 1 faves
- 0 comments
Day 226

Tomato 'Early Girl'

Solanum lycopersicum

double-dug beds, organic fertilizer & compost, automator tray, wire...

Planted on 10 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 226

Tomato 'Caspian Pink'

Solanum lycopersicum

double-dug beds, organic fertilizer & compost, automator tray, wire...

Planted on 10 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
Day 234

Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

bought a transplant.

Planted on 02 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Day 234

Swiss Chard 'Rhubarb Chard'

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

I got sick of waiting for the ones I grew from seed, so I bought a ...

Planted on 02 Apr 08
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 234

Curly Parsley

Petroselinum crispum

The flatleaf parsley seems to be munched on fairly often, so I'm tr...

Planted on 02 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Day 235

Yellow Pepper

Capsicum annuum

growing very slowly. It may be too cold in San Franciso for peppers.

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Neutral
Day 235

Baby's Tears

Soleirolia Soleirolii

Trying to find some shade-loving plants that will survive under the...

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 235

Sweet Woodruff

Galium odoratum

Trying to find some shade-loving plants that will survive under the...

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 235

Hosta

Hosta

Trying to find some shade-loving plants that will survive under the...

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 235

Viola

Viola

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 235

Stock

Matthiola incana

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 235

Ranunculus

Ranunculus

so cheerful!

Planted on 01 Apr 08
- 1 journals
- 1 faves
- 2 comments
Day 285

Swiss Chard 'Rhubarb Chard'

Beta vulgaris var. cicla

Just planted it in a container.

Planted on 11 Feb 08
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 2 comments
Day 325

Negronne Fig

Ficus carica

I got this fig tree for Christmas from my brother-in-law. Right now...

Planted on 02 Jan 08
- 5 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Day 347

Breath of Heaven

coleonema pulchrum

Despite being saddled with a cheesy name (Pink Breath of Heaven!), ...

Planted on 11 Dec 07
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Lantana

Lantana

I bought these to go in the front of the house, but then the hummin...

Planted in Aug 2007
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Gladiolus

Gladiolus x hortulanus

Planted in May 2007
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Dahlia

Dahlia

Slug magnet!

Planted on 04 May 07
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Oregano

Origanum vulgare

Planted in Apr 2007
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
pink marguerite

Argyranthemum frutescens

Planted in Apr 2007
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Sage

Salvia officinalis

Planted in Apr 2007
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Azalea

Rhododendron

Planted in Mar 2007
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

Planted in Feb 2007
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Garlic Chives

Allium tuberosum

Planted on 09 Nov 06
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Planted in Oct 2006
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Lemon 'Eureka'

Citrus x limon

I've had this plant for years in a small container, and it only pro...

Planted in 1997
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum

This is really the centerpiece of the garden. It must be quite old,...
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Lemon 'Meyer'

Citrus x meyeri

This is an amazingly productive tree that was in the garden when I ...
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
Golden Delicious Apple

Malus domestica

This tree is quite large and bears heavily.
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
Fuji Apple

Malus domestica

A much smaller tree than the other apple, but the fruit is deliciou...
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Honeywort

Cerinthe major

This unusual plant self-sows quite a bit, but it is easy to pull up...
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Melianthus

Melianthus major

This foliage plant gets a bit leggy but has beautiful leaves. Smell...
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Tree Dahlia

Dahlia imperialis

This thing is incredible! It dies back every winter, but in early s...
- 5 journals
- 1 faves
- 0 comments
Cymbidium Orchid

Cymbidium

This blooms outdoors.
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Japanese Anemone 'Honore Joubert'

Anemone hupehensis
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Rose campion

Lychnis coronaria

This is a great plant. Also self-sows a lot, but is almost constant...
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

This was nearly killed by a frost last winter, but has slowly grown...
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Parrot Lily 'Sweet Laura' white

Alstroemeria
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Flowering Maple

Abutilon

This plant was overrun with ants and very damaged, so I cut it back...
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Jasmine

Pandorea Jasminoides

love the smell of this. There are two plants in the garden.
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Clematis

Clematis
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Cherry

Prunus avium
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Calla Lily

Zantedeschia aethiopica
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Cineraria

Cineraria

This plant is a local weed, but it has beautiful spicy-smelling flo...
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
white Wisteria

Wisteria

this one is the white wisteria.
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
purple Wisteria

Wisteria

This purple one always blooms before the white one does.
- 2 journals
- 1 faves
- 0 comments
Matilija poppy

Romneya coulteri

this thing is huge!
- 5 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Plum

Prunus domestica

These are really disappointing -- tiny and not very tasty.
- 4 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica

they just come up. try to stop them!
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
pink roses

Rosa

pink ones.
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
red rose

Rosa

red ones
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Penstemon

Penstemon gloxinoides
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Lavender (pink)

Lavandula angustifolia

one of the several kinds
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

a third kind
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 1 comments
Rose (pinkish-orange)

Rosa

the more orange-y pink roses
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Ivy Geranium

Pelargonium peltatum
- 2 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Peppermint

Mentha × piperita
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Aloe Nobilis

Aloe nobilis

It has big white thorns, and flowered with a long stalk with orange...
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 2 comments
- Very Happy
Scented Geranium

Pelargonium odoratissimum
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
African iris

Dietes iridioides

These were planted here when I moved in. They don't flower much, so...
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Flat-leaf parsley

Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum

it's really done well.
- 0 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Red Dahlias

Dahlia

These red dahlias come up every year, in wild profusion. But they g...
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Happy
Hydrangea

Hydrangea

Last year these didn't fully open. I have high hopes for this year,...
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
- Unhappy
Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

Very hardy, even in winter.
- 1 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments
Grape Hyacinth

Muscari armeniacum

keeps coming up every spring.
- 3 journals
- 0 faves
- 0 comments

	Name	Added	Garden	Swaps Available
	Crocosmia 'Lucifer' Crocosmia	29 Nov 07	urban retreat Garden	Lucifer (1) Crocosmia (1)

Want to comment?

Glittertrash wrote:
I used to live in San Francisco- don’t think I ever saw a garden as lovely as this the whole time I was there! It looks beautiful.

Posted on 03 Dec 07 (about 12 months ago)
Annet wrote:
How exciting to now have your own garden! I know the feeling :) I got my very own garden two years ago, when we bought our current house, and I am loving it. Your garden looks great, enjoy myfolia!

Posted on 07 Dec 07 (about 12 months ago)