CHANGES IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OVER TIME August 2019
PREHISTORY
well it’s been twenty four years
since I first stepped in the Strybing Arboretum and botanical gardens
and started weedin the area known as cape province south africa
its been twenty four years
since I was hired to work alongside
master Don Mahoney in the nursery
taking out the trash, cleaning the corrugated roofs of algae with a long brush
driving the loaded electric cart up and down, watering the plants
its been twenty four years
since I planted the shrubs and trees in the childrens garden out back
with little kids alongside digging
while the red tailed hawk tore apart a gopher on the pine tree overhead
kids screaming and full of excitement
its been twenty four years
since general King Sip took me on as an intern
and encouraged me in my horticultural pursuits
twenty four years
since I met my wife working in the garden
marrying in the garden
weeding and planting in the garden
twenty four years later
i am still here, doing the same ol thing
volunteering to
pulling out long vines of blackberry
sweeping the pathways clean
weeding the basin of prized specimens
amending the poor sandy soil
keeping the love alive
for plants
for people
BACK IN THE DAY
the curator was a botanist
the curator knew their plants and families
this is
very important for a botanical garden
botany, plant identification, an eye for the flowers
back in the day
there was a gentleman named Bian Tan
f _ _ _ing amazing that is how I can describe his skills
he be there in the office, going about his business, smiling
door is open
you just go right in like I got a question about this plant
he give you the name right away if it was the least bit common
or if it was some obscure weird creature from the hinterland tropics of asia or caribbean
he would look at it, look at it some more
and say
its this family, lets find it
and he would pull one of them tomes off the shelf, flip to the page, and boom
wow
let me emphasize this
what Bian possessed is accumulated over years and years and years
still today, no app can surpass this breadth or this complexity
of the natural world
he knew his families of flowering plants
he was kind and present and knowledgeable
willing to share
loved plants
BACK IN THE DAY
the nursery was full of happiness and joy
Dr Don Mahoney was in rare form
the eye of the storm
the host of the party
the arbitrator of all questions and disputes
plants or human related
that being questions of how to cultivate and grow a cloud forest rubiaceous bush
that being arguments that arose over territory and table space in the greenhouse
at the communal pizza and chips lunch
Don Mahoney was in excellent form
eating the burrito he has eaten religiously for some thirty odd years from gordo’s
all the volunteers would be crowded about the table
gossiping, laughing, but mostly asking questions
about plants
and Don, because he loved plants so
and spent all his days reading and potting up and watching the weather channel
knew the answers
and the volunteers were hilarious
mostly ladies but a few gentlemen
the median age was about 82 years old or so
Ora Walker grew the roses and passion vines
Ora had the hahah grin of a little girl
who bought a bunch of plants from home depot, to sell at our botanical garden plant sales
at double the price hahahaha
Ora had the grin of a green thumb
who accidentally grew cannabis in her san mateo county back yard hahaha
Then, there was Virginia Obrien of the shrub section with Chuck as a helper
Margaret, 90+ years old, who drove to san francisco from walnut creek for her begonias
in a little red nissan
Jean and her salvias
Liz and her trees and her attendant Jason
Nan and Jim of the rhodies, still of the rhodies
Margery Edgren who piloted the california native section of buckwheats and ceanothus
and many more
back in the day
the nursery was not well funded
was not state of the art
was janky around the edges, plenty DIY
the nursery was built in the coldest lowest part of the garden
the greenhouse roof was asbestos
the hoop houses were hand made of PVC frames, scrap lumber and 2-5mm plastic
the upper growing area was terraced with old logs and found concrete block
you would look at all of this and be like
“this is the grow area of one of the premier botanical gardens in the country?!”
back in the day
we had less frequent plant sales
we took cash from customers as they stood in line
receipts were written by hand
and we were happy to make 1500 dollars at a sale
1500 dollars !!!
fern section made 100 dollars, natives made 300, rhododendrons made 50
and so on
that is to say, we really did not make a whole lot of money
nevertheless
in spite of the less than ideal growing conditions
in spite of the lack of cash flow
we grew beautiful adapted strong plants in field conditions
we grew rare specimens and introduced them to the bay area horticultural community
The lines were long, but the mood was friendly
It was not a mad dash of gimme gimme gimme
It was pure joy
the volunteers were the heart the core of plant knowledge
the volunteers were the living libraries accumulated under hundreds of years of –
soil and roots and petioles and perlite and dirt under the finger nails
we enjoyed watching plants grow and shared this passion
this love for sprouting seeds, elongating stems, and bursting flowers
BACK IN THE DAY
the botanical garden society was in thick with teaching and learning
thick i tell ya it was the center stage of all education activities
plants related
for San Francisco bay area
classes, conferences, visiting botanists, seed exchanges, field trips, travels abroad, plant doctor, newsletters, the works!
these names to me are legendary now, but likely forgotten
unless I jot them down
Kitty Fisher, Betsy Flack, Margaret of the bookstore, and Barbara Pitschel of the library
To me, Kitty was the best of the best, and exemplary of what it was like
back in the day
okay let me just get this out of the way first
she was black, she colored, not white
she started as a secretary at the botanical garden society staff
so she is no phd botanist, she did not get the job cause she got friends in high places
she was not brought in for the purpose of development and fund raising
she not one of them sit around and tell people what to do kinda person
she not one them bitter looking shut yourself in the office
one of them all day look at a computer person who is there because
it pays good, its a ‘job’, it a non profit
no no no, she was motivated by other forces
she was brought in to type and take notes and keep the office tidy
what was refreshing though was her attitude and soul
she had a purpose, she cared about plants and people
so with time and opportunity
she became in charge of the education department at the garden
and I would see her
copying the handouts for the instructors
making the coffee and tea for the students
cleaning up afterwards
early morning, late nights weekends
always organizing structuring and getting ready
for the next Dr Glenn Keator or Dr Frank Almeda or Dr Chen from Kunming Institute in China
keeping things rollling
keeping the care and love for the garden alive
with community involvement and
education
all heart
BACK IN THE DAY
working for the city as a gardener
even at the botanical garden
seemed a lot looser of a gig
sure there are some gardeners who
treated it like a slacker city job
get away with what you can
do the minimum possible
take extra long breaks and lunches
suck up to the supervisor to get extra benefits
sit on your phone
abuse the sick time and holiday time
play the system to their own benefit
but most of the gardeners
are in the botanical garden
because they love plants and love diversity
because they love frogs and hawks and spiders and the whole bit
because its not just mow and blow and pick up the trash
you actually get to grow plants and talk to them everyday
back in the day
the gardeners were respected for their plant knowledge and authority
the gardeners were the caretakers and the perpetual presence on the beat
the gardeners knew what sprinkler valves were working
the gardeners knew how to keep the magnolia in good health
a gardener knew what it took
to care for three thousand unique specimens in a six acre beat
the gardeners knew how to
maintain myriad of water features
care for and cull the sick and dying trees
how to pull three tons of pond weeds from the pond wearing waders
and not drown in the mud or pull a hernia in ones back
how to haul thirty tons of decomposed granite and not get hurt
shovel up shovel down cushman up cushman down
because of the vast scope of responsibility and skill required of a gardener
the botanical garden gardeners
back in the day
were given much independent authority to take care of their beat
as they saw fit
they were not pushed around at every turn
to do things that were not
actually taking care of the plants
(that is the job you know, a gardener)
back in the day
the gardener’s internal drive and love for the garden
was stoked by this trust
and encouraged by the management
as a result, the garden flourished
and people worked together
not because of an external cattle prod that forced cooperation
but because of a shared love for plants, and a work ethic
that demanded it
thank you to King Sip and Terry Seefield and Jake Sigg
thank you to Mike Corbin and Steve Drosos and Steve Merrick
thank you to Andy Stone and his chainsaw
thank you to Paul of the demonstration garden
thank you to Walt
thank you to Sue rest in peace
BACK IN THE DAY
the managers were more relaxed
on the rec park side
the managers had field experience
field experience in working
working like with your hands and on your feet, well your brain too, but working working
not keyboard tongue sitting down working
not plantation boss slave driver working
the bosses came up from the bottom
the bosses once worked as an apprentice as a gardener as a supervisor as a superintendent
weeding planting watering blowing pruning picking up garbage raking
that made them more understanding
of the work that gardening requires
they knew the difficulty that comes with
getting up early, picking up human feces
the challenges of keeping your joints from breaking down due to repetitive labor
the importance of leading through action not just words
they had realistic expectations
of people and budgets
they understood the specialness
of an urban botanical garden in a metropolis like san francisco
they were more relaxed
grounded
and kind
you could see it in the sparkle of their eyes
in their down to earth body language
in the way they addressed you as an equal as a friend or even as a subordinate
they did not approach the garden
as an ego project
as a stock broker real estate developer
as another trophy to be had, a game to be played and won
as a war to be fought with tactic strategy and control
they approached the garden
with respect and love
BACK IN THE DAY
on the society side
the managers were more hands off
(the botanical garden is governed by the city – a public entity
in cahoots with the botanical garden society – a private non profit)
the society was responsible for the curatorial, education and community aspects
the city was responsible for the physical upkeep and maintenance of the garden
even back in the day
I hardly ever saw the society directors in the garden
this is because their primary focus is fund raising
so some of them
could care less if they were fund raising for
starving kids in africa or homeless in tijuana or disadvantaged kids in the ghetto
the issue at hand is money money money
flowers and kids and gardens are the backdrop and the hook
to raise money money money
and when the money doesnt come through, or you get burned out
or a higher better paying job comes up
or you get caught with your pants down corruption milking the public system
you go, you cut your losses and go
back in the day
the directors would change every few years or so
the development staff would change every few years or so
this is natural
if you dont love plants and dont love people who love plants
you will keep moving and moving and moving on
to the next green pasture
its just a job, remember, its just a job
BACK IN THE DAY
habitat gardening was looked upon in a positive manner
at the botanical garden
there was the recognition and smarts
that left patches of ground covers and weeds
brown seed heads and fallow ground and open sands
dense natural form shrubs and tree branches (their skirts) that touched the ground
remember the hundreds of quail that sought refuge here in the garden
the only best safest part of golden gate park?
k cooing k cooing as they raced throughout the menzies garden?
remember the hundreds of damsel flies that used to land on your fingers at the conifer pond?
the ones that laid their eggs on the water primrose?
remember the red legged frogs that hid under the wooden bridge, the hundreds of tadpoles that captured the imagination of children?
habitat
its the dense leafy tips touching another’s feathering canopy
its the unsprayed meadow of ripe seeds and humid understory of rhizomatous perennials
its the snag of a tree for the coopers hawk to sit on
the hollow of an agave stalk for the sap sucker to raise babies
habitat is magical and beautiful nature
I remember Barbara Deutsch the butterfly lady
she serenaded us with countless larvae and host plants
painted ladies swalllow tails checkerspots skippers alight aflight
in addition to the flowers
Barbara gifted us workers with burritos and an invitation to see her potrero hill serpentine outcrop
I sure appreciated this – thank you Barbara thanks for being here!
well, for those of you that do not remember or never learned this
know that clean and green
tidy and weed free parks
come at a cost
and I am not just talking about pesticides or hurt knees and shoulders
and a stress filled army sergeant like whip cracking control minded supervisor
the cost is the broken disjointed lack of connection to the lives around us
the cost is the lost of wonder and joy of discovery
the cost is a lack of tolerance and ability to see the beauty of the world
the cost is real, and we pay for it in subtle ways that ends in a condition called
soul suck
the cost is costing our kids, that is what it comes down to
the kids
BACK IN THE DAY
there were rules of engagement in the garden
these rules were posted
no picking the flower no pruning the trees
stay on the paths dont go in the flower beds
no active sports on the lawns and no bikes and trikes and things on the paths
and so on
the point of all the rules
is that a botanical garden is for the plants
a delightful spot for people to appreciate the plants
a place where trees don’t have to worry about their roots becoming compacted by stompage
a place where delicate and seldom seen shoots and bulbs can emerge unharmed
a place where you can meet plants from the other side of the world
there is plenty of space
in the rest of the park
for human centered activities
the botanical garden is for plants, pure and simple
you might even say that it is a temple for the trees
a church for the flowers, a synagogue for the birds and the bees
back in the day
everyone helped out
to make sure people followed the rules
back in the day
rules were rules
we weren’t afraid to call each other on it
we did not think discipline was a bad word
we did not think that rules are ‘negative’ and that we should always be ‘positive’
back in the day
people felt shamed and embarrassed if they broke the rules
they would not start yelling back at you and giving you the finger or pulling rank
in addition to breaking the rules
back in the day
they would not have that fixed uncaring gaze
they would not ignore you look right past you
as if you were not worthy
as if
the whole world was a screen the whole world was a phone
instead, they would look sorry, say sorry, and stop what they were doing
back in the day
people agreed and worked together
to protect the garden and its plants
for everyone to enjoy
BACK IN THE DAY
you did not cut things down, unless they were sick and dead and a danger to the public
if you wanted more planting room
there was plenty of stuff that died of natural causes, of fungal pathogens and beetles
of el nino storms and winter saturated wetness
the big coast live oak in the native cali garden meadow comes to mind
as does the redwood tree and big leaf maple by the nursery
another tree that fell
was the silver tree full of good seed in the south africa section bout year 2014
on and on, nature takes its own toll
over time over the years
you do not have to cut stuff down for no good cause
you could prune it hard, you could shape it
but you would not go start chopping chopping chopping
because it takes time to grow
because it is cool to see an old thick tree in the city
because time and age is not something that you can make or sell or speed up or slow down
because we are looking out for kids of today and the future
this is called being conservative, this is conservation
well to be fair, some directors did cut stuff down for control or for design
like that sixty or seventy year old healthy holly tree in the front of the county fair building
relegated to the wood chipper by then director Scot Medbury
I still remember its clear no knots trunk and gleaming white wood cross section
but besides this
back in the day
there was very little ax work done
there was room for the trees
the trees were left to grow big and grow tall
the trees were left to flower in abundance and swirl their roots deep
the issue was not a better more improved shiny and new landscape able to host
a million visitors and two food trucks and a billion video icon likes subscribes
it was about the trees
back in the day
the trees
Change is constant in nature
change is the way
there is only one way
and it goes from here forward, it does not go backwards
back in the day
back in the day had its problems too
I am sure I left out some details
mistakes and omissions and interpersonal interactions that were not
totally harmonious
however
there are many good things from the
good old days in the botanical garden
which if not recognized documented understood evaluated and practiced
in the context of time and nature and the toil of humanity
will lead to a poverty of the senses
a despoiling of the garden as a paradise and sanctuary
destruction of peace and tranquility of the human mind
and make our children into
slaves and zombies
slaves to cold hearted stiff eyed task masters with no joy in their heart
slaves to the ego of data and cash and resume building
zombies of hard wired machines with no quivering soul
zombies to false visions and fake ideas and lies and more lies and more lies
that is why a garden is important
because it is true and full of life and requires intense constant work
to work in a garden
you have to be present
you have to be humble and knowledgeable
you have to be willing to listen, engage, learn, share, and work together
you have to have love
that is the most important ingredient of them all
the thing that surpasses all the others
love for plants and love for people
love
Mission Azul 