In 1902, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands donated to the City of San Francisco a colorful tulip garden, located in the western part of Golden Gate Park
The thousands of tulip bulbs gifted by the Queen were intended to beautify the landscape surrounding the Dutch Windmill, which she also donated as a gift. (excerpt from Google)
I had a lovely walk a few years ago in this small garden at Golden Gate Park. And yes, that is a windmill in the background! Located near the Great Highway, Ocean Beach and The Beach Chalet in San Francisco, this is an easy stop in Spring and less crowded than in summer months.
Nice combination of Yellow Pansies and Red Tulips! Best to Refrigerate Tulip bulbs in fall for 4-6 weeks before planting in late October or early winter. This gives them the winter chill they need.
Grow in pots or in ground. They don’t always grow back or bloom in following years but they are a
fun project anyway. They tend to rot out in the heavy clay soil in most of the San Francisco bay area and the climate is pretty warm for them. You can try digging them up in late summer and repeating chill in the fridge- especially if they are in pots.
Iceland Poppies- a great spring annual and good companion to bulbs.
Super use of contrasting colors here! Pansies were always my daughter’s favorites and now my Granddaughters! They are right at the height to be child friendly. They are edible too plus gorgeous colors. Pretty easy to grow from seed also.
There are so many beautiful public gardens to visit and that’s exactly what I do! Check out the Green Speak Travelogue available through this website- commentary on the themed areas of the gardens, lots of photos, and information on ideas that can be adapted for the home garden. I travel to different areas of the U.S. and abroad writing up more in depth articles than the short blog shown here. Want to enjoy these gorgeous gardens from your arm chair, make a plan on visiting a botanical garden on the future or make suggestions to friends? The Travelogue is a helpful and fun tool for seeing the incredible treasures. I keep adding more all the time!
