Report on Gardening Under Mediterranean Skies

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• Subject: Report on Gardening Under Mediterranean Skies
• From: Nan Sterman n*@plantsoup.com
• Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 11:23:36 -0700

• David Fross  (founder of a  Native Sons Nursery www.nativesons.com) and our list's own Olivier Fillippi (Pepiniere Filippi, www.jardin-sec.com) presented a dueling slide show that dueled in several respects.  They used two screens to compare the habitats of California and France.  The presentation showed habitats side-by-side, from coast to mountains.  There were also some native areas from other parts of the Mediterranean used for comparisons.  The two men alternated, each describing a habitat based on its soils, climates,  characteristic plants, etc.  It was one of the best slide shows I've seen in years -- made even better by Olivier's wonderful sense of humor and Dave's willingness to play the foil.

• Later in the symposium, the two did a back to back presentation where Dave reviewed the tremendous variety of ceanothus available in the trade.  Olivier followed with cistus hybrids that will do well without escaping and becoming pests in California.

• Another highlight for me was a panel discussion on garden design featuring Nancy Goslee Powers from Los Angeles, Susan Van Atta from Santa Barbara and Bernard Trainor from the Bay Area.  The three designers each did a slide presentation showing significant designs of their own and then participated in a short panel discussion.  I loved all of their gardens.  The color, the movement, the attention to detail, the variety, and of course, the appropriateness to our climate were just so impressive!

• I was most delighted to see that Susan Van Atta is doing so much work in the name of garden design that incorporates what I consider to be "green design" i.e. sustainable design practices in both public and private gardens.  Having come up in the 70s when we were steeped in what we then called "appropriate technology," I am tickled to see  practices that were considered so radical then, creeping into the mainstream now.

• The symposium ended with a slideshow by Jan Smithen who through this list, has become a great friend of mine.  Jan did the wrap-up entitled "The Evolving Mediterranean Garden" (or something close to that).   As always, Jan presented a talk that was worthy of  college credit.  She wove together all of the influences, both ancient and modern, that have lead Mediterranean garden design to where it is today.  Plants, designs, embellishments, lifestyle, color are all components of this movement.  Her slides were wonderful.  Her delivery was warm and encompassing.  At the end, we all stood and applaudedn.  As one of the other attendees commented to me on the way out, I almost wish we had started with Jan as it would have been as wonderful a kick-off as it was a wrap-up.

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