Artist and sculptor Marcia Donahue has created a wild and whimsical garden that serves as her own personal paradise. The small backyard of her Berkeley, California, home overflows with a mixture of tropical plants and delightful surprises--the garden's unconventional design distinctly reflects Donahue's artistic nature.
In addition to sustaining a splendid variety of plants, Donahue's garden also serves as a gallery for many of her unique stone carvings, as well as a variety of unusual steel sculptures created by an artist friend. These elements add eclectic charm to the garden and emphasize its individualistic theme.
Among the plants that fill Donahue's garden are
- Passionflower (Passiflora actina, Zones 9-10)
- Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa chinesis, Zones 7-10)
- Cupressus kasmiriana from India
- Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens, Zones 7-11)
- Solanum quitoense, a tomato relative from Ecuador
- Australian grass tree (Xanthorrhoea, Zones 9-10), which Donahue refers to as the "star of the garden" for its brilliant yellow cattail blossom.
Donahue strives to integrate art and nature and says nature is one of her most powerful inspirations as an artist. She also draws inspiration from other cultures. In her garden, Donahue has adopted the African "bottle tree" tradition, in which glass bottles are hung from the tips of tree branches.
Besides providing beauty and supplying a creative outlet, Donahue's tiny garden holds deep spiritual meaning for her. She says she is able to see things more clearly in her garden, where nature and art combine to create a wonderfully peaceful and tranquil environment.
Resources Garden Decor
Our Own Stuff Gallery Garden
3017 Wheeler St. at Ashby Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
USA
Phone: 510-540-8544
Guests Marcia Donahue
Artist / Horticulturalist, Our Own Stuff Gallery Garden
3017 Wheeler St.
Berkeley, CA 94705
Phone: 510-540-8544
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