HO M E
+
G A R D E N
D E S i G N ANNIE SPIEGELMAN
Fresh Made Daily
Fair Trade Organic Coffee & Espresso Drinks
Buy 1 Piroshki, Get 1 FREE! or Get 20% off your purchase!
with this ad
454-8692 811 4th St. San Rafael
At former Royal Frankfurter Location
find us on (search for PacificSun.com)
XL %RRYEP (S[RXS[R 7ER 6EJEIP
inter ;;onderland
Parade of Lights
Anyone can be part of the Parade of Lights! Join in for fre e! Parade staging begin s at 5pm at Fourth and E Streets.
Friday November 27th
Fourth Street - A Street to Lootens Downtown San Rafael “The Heart of Marin” = Free Snow Sledding & Kids Activities on A Street between Fourth Street & Fifth Avenue noon - 4pm & 6:30 - 8pm = Parade of Lights & Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony 5:30pm = Holiday Market 3pm - 8pm = Window Displays all season long = Entertainment & Musical Performances 4pm - 8pm
Saturday November 28th Free Snow Sledding & Kids Activities continue!
9am - until the snow melts! www.cityofsanrafael.org s www.downtownsanrafael.org s www.SRESproductions.com s (800) 310-6563
22 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 13 – NOVEMBER 19, 2009
‘The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree’—Psalm 92:12.
< 19 The not-so-secret-garden fornia since they ask for so little attention or water and our gardens have just survived three years of drought. But I learned that “palms” are milking their 15 minutes of fame these days as well. “We’re a design-focused nursery and palms are a natural for our Mediterranean climate here in the Bay Area. They’re beautiful, versatile and easy to grow,” says Grubb. Palms were introduced by the Spanish and popularized by San Franciscans in the Victorian era. Palm trees are diverse enough to be used in varied planting styles such as bamboo substitutes, hedges, container plants and naturalistic groves as well as the traditional entrance and alley pair. Grubb recommends the blue Moroccan Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis var. argentea), which can easily match the drought tolerance of a succulent. For architectural drama and durability, she suggests the Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis) or the True Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera ‘Zahidi’). “The lovely Guadalupe Palm (Brahea edulis) naturally grows in its native habitat with many of our own familiar natives, like Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), pink-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) and sword fern (Polystichum munitum),” shares Grubb. When at the nursery don’t miss the unusual and awe-inspiring “vertical succulent garden” on the interior wall. There are a few
vertical succulent gardens on-site that involve professional construction techniques and infrastructure, and are commissioned for a specific space. Now if you’re the crafty type you may want to try the “Woolly Pockets” system, which is created for home gardeners. Try it or buy it as a holiday gift for someone who is artsy and has a green thumb and patience. The directions say all you need are some “basic tools” and “commonsense,” which immediately excludes many of us...No worries. We’ll stick to painting clay pots. What’s the best part of running such a divine nursery? “What’s most challenging right now is juggling all of the projects that I’m so excited about; projects here at the nursery and design projects in the community and for private clients,” says Grubb. “What’s most fun is actually creating gardens and realizing new projects here at the store. And, our Thanksgiving Open House! It’s become a tradition and is now our favorite event of the year.” Bring your friends, family and out-of-town guests to this sanctuary. They’ll thank you for taking them to this Bay Area tropical paradise. Be warned though: Make room for a palm tree in your car in advance. < Visit Annie at www.dirtdiva.com
See our online Real Estate section at ›› pacificsun.com