On a bright sunny Sunday in early October several S.F. based horticultural clubs joined together to tour Alameda, Berkeley and Oakland to see and be inspired by the landscape design work of David Feix.
The enthusiastic group was large and most of the gardens were compact in size. Combine those factors along with a very bright sunny day and you can guess how difficult it was to capture a decent photograph.
Regardless, here are a few images of David’s work from this day, enjoy :
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| From david's garden photos |
Welcome, come on down and enjoy the view
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| From david's garden photos |
The colorful entry border to the front door - bromeliads, ferns, clivia and annuals
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| From david's garden photos |
The front entry portico ‘
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| From david's garden photos |
The stairway down to the back yard
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| From david's garden photos |
Look closely at the vines growing on the upper balcony railing - stunning color combo
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| From david's garden photos |
The view from the balcony
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| From david's garden photos |
Not to be overshadowed by the view of the water feature beyond.
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| From david's garden photos |
Closer up. - Beautifully designed and integrated into the landscape . An extention of the architecture.
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| From david's garden photos |
A cluster of pots on the upper balcony
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| From david's garden photos |
Begonias to beg for.
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| From david's garden photos |
Architectural details
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| From david's garden photos |
The next few gardens were in very bright full sun. Apologies in advance for the harsh contrasts.
A nice seating area in a compact garden
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| From david's garden photos |
A nice combo of echiverias, aeoniums and astelias
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| From david's garden photos |
Big pots flank the entry to a swimming pool area
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| From david's garden photos |
An entry garden in the hills
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| From david's garden photos |
I’ve been to this garden before when the light was more condusive to photography.
Here is the picture I took that day and another picture I took a year ago
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| From david's garden photos |
same place
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| From david's garden photos |
Quite a difference.
Here is a detail shot on the sunny day :
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| From david's garden photos |
Thanks for taking this virtual tour of David Feix’s Garden Retrospective Oct. 2010.
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9 comments:
Oh wow, very nice color combos and compositions! I'm definitely sharing this. If only terracotta tiles were a reality in the humid south, since even concrete pavers around here get black and cruddy with the moisture.
What magical spaces! Thanks for letting us tag along on the tour... I would have never thought to put Papyrus in with Agave attenuata- but it looks like they're both pretty happy.
Rain forest : Share away ! I think David's Design Work is one of the best kept secrets of the bay area.
He never markets or advertises so he work is rarely revealed to the outside public.
I think he has a unique style , one that merits viewing.
Christine,
His combos are always surprising but they work. It's his use of succulents , subtropicals and bromeliads that make his work inspirational.
Thanks for the tour, Michelle! I'm embarrassed to say I'm not familiar with his work, so I'm so thankful you've introduced him to me. What a fantastic designer - beautiful and inspiring plant combinations!
Michelle,
You're always posting such wonderful glimpses into secret Bay Area gardens! What hort group hosted this tour? The SF bromeliad society? I'd love to know so I can join!
Rebecca,
I introduced Michelle Gervais to David and she seemed to really enjoy his gardens.
Since that time David has produced several more fantastic gardens. Next time Michelle is out here to visit you let me know and I will arrange for a tour for you both to see his new work.
You'll often see David's name at special lecture events at the Mediter. Society, Ruth Bancroft gardens, Cal Hort and the Bromeliad society.
Robin,
This tour was announced to the members of Cal Hort, the Bromeliad Society , and The Hortisexuals.
If you want to join in with some really knock out garden tours then join the Hortisexuals. I heard that our next big out of state tour is to Borneo. There is also Thailand on the radar.
Next year for local tours we are going up to Vancouver as well as the other local Cal. tours.
PS. did you see the post I did on the APLD san francisco tour that I was graciously invited to go on several weeks.
I had a great time !
good gardening to all !
Michelle,Thanks for posting the photos, they tuout better than you apologized for! It might be worth mentioning that the seemingly incongruous plant combinations are on separate irrigation lines tailored to their needs, and the Papyrus is in a pot. The succulent is actually an Aloe striata, not an Agave. It was fun sharing the gardens with the group...
David, I was just introduced to your work today via and Annie's Annuals email...WOW!!!
Each photo is breathtaking! The garden is stunning! Was that an album of one garden? How do you prevent pests and disease when the abundant number of plants are growing so close to each other? And in which direction is this backyard facing? or How much sunlight do these plants get? It's obvious the equation is just perfect because they all look like they're thriving!
I'm in Huntington Beach, CA. 1/4 mile from the sand, and created a low water garden last summer. It seems some plants have struggled to thrive possibly due to the dampness.
Hello Anonymous,
I can't answer your questions cuz I'm not David Feix .
I'm just a friend and admirer.
David doesn't have a website yet but hopefully you can make it to Annies Annuals on Nov. 13 for the talk he is giving.
He'll be able to address your questions then.
He's a very generous person !
Thanks for stopping in and I'm sorry that I couldn't answer your questions to David for you.
Michelle
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