UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley

A trip to the 34-acre UC Botanical Garden is always a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Organized geographically, there are California native plants and naturalistic plantings from many countries and regions of the world. There are newts and newt eggs in natural pools. There are plant conservatories, waterfalls, rock formations, paths and plant sales.

Although many trees were still bare, gigantic azaleas were ablaze with hot color on a recent visit.

Inlaid, inscribed tribute bricks are installed on the Tribute Plaza. Inscriptions commemorate founders, family members and garden donors. There are also horticultural quotes and aphorisms. Two of my favorites:

Savor roots, shoots, fruits and newts.

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.

UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley

Watercolors, Brush pen, InkJoy ballpoint pens

A visit to the University of California Botanical Garden in the Berkeley hills is a joyful experience, especially this spring, in a banner year for blooms.

I didn't get much further into the garden than the entry kiosk, where a riot of color and form drew my attention.

A sucker for the ol' nature/urban interface, I added the utility pole to the sketch. The pole's a sunny perch for hummingbirds and it's covered in a tangle of dead vines. I had a giggle when a passing garden visitor said she liked the drawing but she "would've left the pole out."

UC Botanical Garden

It is always interesting to me the variety of subjects we find and the sketches we make at a shared location. This afternoon our group met at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. Each person found something completely different to sketch! Here is what I found.– Cathy McAuliffe

UC Botanical Garden

While Susan painted the Puya in bloom (see below) I sketched at the Cycas and Palm area and the Japanese Pool which provides an elegant home for many Japanese plant specimens and a thriving population of native newts. When the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island closed in 1939, its Japanese exhibit was donated to the Garden on behalf of the Japanese government. The exhibit was comprised of stone from Japan, including lanterns and a bridge displayed as a Japanese garden and pool. Kaneji Domoto, a prominent landscape architect in the Bay Area, assisted in designing the Japanese gardens at the Exposition. He also designed the reinterpretation of the display and supervised Japanese workmen as they placed about 150 boulders to create the waterfalls and pool in the Garden in 1941. Work on the Japanese garden began in November 1941. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, the stones and lantern were moved to a warehouse for safekeeping and the garden was not completed until after the war ended. —Cathy McAuliffe

Visit to the University of California Botanical Garden

Sketching while listening . . .

San Francisco Symphony Chamber musicians played Dvorak and Shostakovich on a warm, Sunday afternoon. Hated to go indoors on such a fabulous day, but the concert was wonderful.

San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music Series

The U.C. Botanical Garden's Bastille Day concert, performed outdoors in the Redwood Grove amphitheater, WPA-built in the 1930's. Sweet Parisian melodies on a warm summer night.

Rachel Durling & Big Lou of The Baguette Quartette

French Gypsy Jazz performed on stringed instruments as the setting sun peeked thru the redwood trees.

Le Jazz Hot a.k.a. The Hot Club of San Francisco

UC Botanical Garden

The University of California Botanical Garden is a 34 acre garden located on the University of California, Berkeley campus, in Strawberry Canyon. It is one of the most diverse plant collections in the United States, and famous for its large number of rare and endangered species.