Secret Garden II: Another Hidden Oasis

Not so long ago, fate and a man named David welcomed us into a hidden garden paradise in the heart of the Haight. A few days later we heard from someone else nearby, who also has an oasis to share.

Robert lives on the hill between the Haight and Cole Valley, and for three years he's been turning the plot of land behind his house into a dense, complex leafy retreat. While the last garden we saw had the proportion and calm of a garden with establishment and long tenure, Robert's plot is fresh, a young space coming into its own balance; it's focused more on California natives and drought-resistant varieties and celebrates the idiosyncratic. It also has the grace and charm of a space that finds itself organically. The garden is arranged thematically by region, theme and texture (California, cloud forest, tiny flowers, drought-resistance): An oldish Hawaiian epiphyte loves its home in a terra cotta pot on a brick grill. The stonework in the garden is impressive; the mosaic and brickwork are all made with found stone (some native to the yard, like that shown below), and the brick (mossy now) is sunken into the back corner and neatly textured. A lichened, rough-hewn wooden bench: Just because you have a garden doesn't mean you can't have potted plants, too. Lots of them! Every garden needs a place for sitting: And that's it, folks. Many, many thanks to Robert for extending us his welcome.