Subscriber Comments for
Art City Ventura

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

GREENTOO	2010-06-19 11:23 AM
Billy, I was wondering when and if you would venture to Ventura (ha!). Great stuff about Art City Ventura, a new destination for me, and good pictures. How about an article about native/sustainable garden projects and resources in your new areas. Starting point: There is a beautifull little native plant nursery on the right curve of the Telephone Rd. exit of 101 southbound. (enter off Main St.)
BILLY GOODNICK	2010-06-19 01:19 PM
GreenToo: Nice to see that my article caught your eyeballs! I just heard about that nursery yesterday and have added it to my list. Hope to run across a few like-minded designers too. If you hear of or see any gardens that turn your head, lemme know. Thanks!
SEEDLADY	2010-06-20 10:22 AM
Hey Billy Up here in Ess-Elle-Oh county, we've got some horticultural greatness going on, by way of sustainable and interesting garden design; the little-known botanical jewel, Leaning Tree Arboretum at Cal Poly, the mostly yet-to-be-developed San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, and several very good retail nurseries full of Mediterranean garden plants, color, and large stocks of bare root fruit and shade trees. While we don't have opulent public display gardens like Santa Barbara, the preview garden at the Botanical Garden is maturing, and we do have many private ones that are open during home and garden tours. One of the best tours is the Montessori School tour in Cambria each May. North County also has a great tour as well. Because we have such a varying array of climate zones, there are designers based in each. Most all are moving to, if not already firmly entrenched in, Mediterranean-style low water use sustainable gardens. Almost all of the local water companies have educational programs designed to help homeowners move towards totally sustainable landscapes. Although we don't have a large Food Not Lawns group here, I hope to see it develop in the near future as many of our coastal communites which rely on ground water are in 'water trouble' already. Some of my favorite designers are Rick Mathews of Madrone Landscapes, Atascadero; Patricia Cullinan of Cayucos, the team at Sage Ecogardens in Los Osos; and Jeffery Gordon Smith. One exciting event we have in April is the Central Coast Greenhouse Open House Tour where the wholesalers throw open their doors so the public can buy plants at a discount, sales going to provide horticultural scholarships to local high schoolers. Everything from fancy tropicals to lush color bedding to native plants is availble for purchase. We also have our share of butchered plants--I see them every day and think "Billy would have a field day with that one!" Mow and Blow is alive and well in SLO.
COMMENT 83911	2010-06-20 12:27 PM
Landscape as art failed rather badly at Upper Bohnett Park on San Andres Street, where no one seems to know how to use the little art park. Sadly underused and under-appreciated bit of green in this densly populated area. But at least no one has badly vandalized this unique little place either ...yet. Art does soothe the wild beast.
COMMENT 83940	2010-06-20 04:56 PM
@83911 Westside Locos claim Bohnett Park for kickin'.... chllin'. We're not into landscapin'
COMMENT 83911	2010-06-20 05:13 PM
If you were a real Westie, you would know that be Lokos, not Locos. You see it written around here enough already if you were really from here.
COMMENT 83940	2010-06-20 06:52 PM
As in Lokitos?
IRISROSE	2010-06-20 07:18 PM
Billy - Schools out now, but in the fall, check out the many school gardens that we have here in SB. Tahara at Art From Scrap is the green schools educator and has power point of all the schools' amazing gardens! It's encouraging to see how much gardening the kids are being exposed to! Art from Scraps school educators are available to guide, advise, donate plants, etc to schools for their gardens. Check it out! And #83940 - why can't you chill around living rather than dying plants?
COMMENT 84033	2010-06-21 12:07 PM
Check out Quail Springs in Cuyama / Maricopa Quail Springs is a permaculture and sustainability demonstration and education farm that serves the communities of Central and Southern California, and people from around the nation and the world.
BILLY GOODNICK	2010-06-21 02:44 PM
Great comments coming in and a lot of interesting resources. I'm familiar with Quail Springs but haven't visited. Regarding school gardens, that's big on my list, here in my home town and around the Tri-counties. Owen Dell and I have been working on a TV segment about them for our show. I'm a Cal Poly grad and know my way around, but the leads for the Lone Pine and SLO botanic gardens make me want to jump in my car right now. As for Bohnett Park, I'll have to respectfully disagree. Yes, it's getting its share of abuse and disrepect (sometimes I wonder if the people "claming" and hammering on parks realize they're taking way from their own brothers, sisters, cousins and family) but I see it being used respectfully and serving as the only green space a lot of people have. Thanks for all the input... Keep it coming.
BILLY GOODNICK	2010-06-21 02:45 PM
Sorry - make that Leaning Tree arboretum. How'd I come up with Lone Pine. Sheeesh!
COMMENT 83940	2010-06-22 10:27 AM
@ Irisrose....when we Westie's are chillin' in our park, go ahead and engage us about plants......

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