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Strybing, Arboretum, San Francisco
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Banners and signs marked the entrance. In addition to the
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum, the lower sign
said that the "Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture" was also
located inside.
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In May of this
year, the Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to impose a $US 7.00 entry fee for non-residents.
Note that when a similar non-resident entry was charged for the Japanese Tea Garden,
a mere year later, everyone was charged, residents and non-residents alike. Will the same
thing happen to this Arboretum? If the Botanical Garden has its own way it will. In the first
three months of 2010 the San Francisco Botanical Gardens paid $US 30,000.00 to lobbyist
Samuel Lauter
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The main entry into the Botanical Gardens. To the left out of frame was the
Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture
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Just inside the main entry was the gift shop and information center.
Outside of it, packages of seeds were for sale, but maps and brochures were
free. In the foreground were fake California poppies atop a donation bin.
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Ahead upon entry was the wide, main grassy area. This lovely park was the
only park in the City free of dog pooh because dogs were prohibited.
However the park was still occasionally noisy
from kids. But when transformed into a world class facility, crowds of tourists and
litter may become problems.
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Just to the left near the entrance was a quiet seating area. The area
was decorated in a southwestern desert theme. There was a mixture of
wooden benches and stone benches. Beyond could be seen the lush paths
leading into and through the Botanical Garden.
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The sign read:
In remote parts of the tropics, forests on high mountain slopes are kept moist
by an almost constant cycle of fog and drizzle. From central Mexico to Bolivia,
cloud forests occur at cool elevations between 5500 and 10,000 feet [1,524 and 3,048 meters].
Temperatures there
are similar to those in this part of San Francisco, typically from 50° to 70°
F [from 10° to 21° C] with occasional light frost.
Shrubs and perennials from the cloud forest are remarkable for their intense colors
and broad velvety leaves. They need shade, moisture, and mild winters. You are standing
near one of the most reliably frost-free parts of the Botanical Garden.
Gardeners are beginning to experiment with cloud forest plants in mild and foggy areas along
the Central California coast. The requirements for success include part shade, rich and
moist soil, and regular watering during dry spells. The Garden's plants sales are good
sources for advice and for species that are not generally available.
Other cloud forest plants are sold by specialized nurseries. The most promising candidates
for home gardens include tree dahlias, tree daisies, and unusual fuchsia and salvia species.
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Once into the interior paths of the Botanical Garden, wildlife was there to be
discovered. Here was a curious squirrel. Birds were also abundant.
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Many of the paths through the denser parts of the Botanical Garden
were unpaved. It felt almost as if trekking through a remote jungle somewhere.
The Botanical Garden provided moments of pleasant abandon within a city.
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This printed sign only has sway over those who can see, those that are literate,
those that speak English, those that can comprehend the request, and those that
choose to obey the request.
A female mallard duck was observed just off the path.
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Despite the excellent signs identifying plants, sometimes the signs
were ambiguous or missing. Thus, this lovely yellow flower was unidentified.
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All paths were clearly laid out and some were bordered. Here, for example, the path
was lined by logs.
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Those plants with clear signs were easy to identify. Here was
one of several large Bartlettina Sordida
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A marble bench was dedicated to the memory of the founders. The text
engraved on the back of the bench read:
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The park included a man-made pond labeled, but not named, the Wildfowl Pond.
This pond was a good place to see mallard ducks.
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The pond was surrounded by areas of lawn where folks could
just hang out or even have a picnic. Every lawn in the arboretum
was surrounded by scenic backgrounds.
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The Ancient Plant Garden was a looping walkway past plants
that have survived since prehistoric times.
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A zig-zag path lead through the Ancient Plant Garden.
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A map on a stand showed what was where in the Ancient Plant Garden.
Note the five prehistoric epochs shown: The Eocene
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