Lovely trip to Allied Arts Guild (+ pix!)
Yesterday (Thursday), my mom, Jackie and I went to the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. (For more info on our Chicago houseguest Jackie, read the bottom of my Sept. 5 journal entry). I was going to try to explain what the AAG is, aside from being a non-profit venture, but instead I'll just quote from their website: "An enchanting complex of shops, gardens, artists' studios, and a restaurant nestled in a quiet corner of a lovely residential community."
I'll add that the shops include art, crafts, jewelry, home decor, clothing, soap, candles and other cool girly things. ;D And the most important thing is that proceeds from the largest shop, called The Traditional Shop, raise funds for the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, an excellent, world-renowned hospital. Jackie bought a beautiful butterfly pin in that shop, in fact! When you have lunch at the AAG volunteer-staffed restaurant, you're also supporting the hospital. The food is great and so is the cause! :)
The rest of the story is best told in photos, so click below for a (not quite) complete tour of the AAG -- especially the beautifully blooming gardens!! (You know me when it comes to flowers) ;)
Among the first trees I saw on the property was a princess flower (Tibouchina urvilleana). Their flower buds, as well as their leaves, are covered in a delicate, soft fuzz, which I love to gently touch. You can sort of see it here.
Another thing I love about princess flowers is the colour of their blooms: purple! ;) I thought it was interesting the way this flower was opening.
Here's what the flowers look like. I'm sure some folks have seen these around but never knew the name. Now you know! :) Princess flowers generally are grown as open, multi-trunked shrubs or small trees.
Here is an Alyogyne huegelii. The common name is "blue hibiscus", but the color is more of a mix of lavender and cornflower. It's not in the hibiscus genus either! *chuckle* It is, however, in the same family as hibiscus: Malvaceae. (Mallows, hollyhocks, okra and cotton are also in this large family).
This was a beautiful groundcover with small blue/indigo flowers. I don't know its name! *blush* Sorry it's blurry; there was a breeze in this particular area that wouldn't stop.
I don't know what this is either, but I'd guess it's something that grows from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber, based on the way the foliage is, and the way the flower stalks rise from the ground/base of the foliage. The flowers had a musky/sweet fragrance. I need to find out the name of this beauty!!
A creek or river runs through the property, but in the summer it's dry. However, it is still very scenic. It was here that I saw a squirrel dash through the branches of a large oak tree. Unfortunately, that was the ONLY squirrel I saw. :( I hoped I might get to photograph one.
This is the patio area where restaurant patrons can eat lunch. You can also eat lunch inside, of course. The restaurant was not open for lunch when I took this photo (hence the closed umbrellas).
There were SO many fruit trees on the property, I couldn't believe it! Here is a pomegranate. I have never seen such a big pomegranate tree before! Among the other fruit trees are apple, lemon, lime, orange and tangerine. Oh, and I saw a walnut tree as well.
One of the shops had a bunch of fantastically fragrant (and beautiful) handmade soaps of all types! I ended up buying a small soap square for $2 that was scented like cocoa. Yum! :)
Another part of the handcrafted soap shop. Notice the colorful "soap balls" in the upper right of the photo. I bet kids would have fun using those!
One of the volunteers told me that three cats make their home on the property. This is one of them; she was very friendly and came right over to me when I talked to her. :) I know the background of this photo is terribly over-exposed, but I was curious to see if I could use that to create a special effect. I wanted it to look like the cat had sort of a "glowing aura".
Lovely rose bushes grow on either side of this walkway.
Here is one of the roses; this variety is called 'Double Delight'. I love it!!
This is an unusual type of fuchsia; I don't know its name.
This is one of the numerous hybrids that exist for Abutilon, also called "flowering maple", but it is NOT in the maple family. It too is in the Malvaceae family that I mentioned earlier. The petals never open up fully, but if they did, the flowers would closely resemble mallows or hollyhocks. :)
The foodies out there will appreciate that LUNCH has now been served! ;D For $10 per person, you have a choice of soup or salad, plus the sandwich of the day. There's another lunch for $17 that includes more food, but we didn't want that much. Anyhoo, I got the soup, and my mom and Jackie got the salad. It consisted of baby arugala, caramelized onions, poached/braised/cooked figs, toasted pine nuts, Roquefort cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. I sampled it and everything was delicious, except for the cheese, which tastes too much like bleu cheese to me. :( I would have preferred goat cheese, or ANY cheese except one of the moldy ones.
Our waitress said the AAG restaurant has been serving this zucchini bisque soup for 40+ years, and the recipe came from her mother or grandmother. How could I not try such a classic? :) And I was not disappointed!
Look at this festive lunch plate! A miniature sandwich of sliced turkey breast and cheddar cheese on lightly toasted whole-grain bread, complemented by baby lettuce, tomatoes and mini pickles. Oh, and the honey mustard sauce was FANTASTIC! I don't really like mustard, but this was so good that not only did I spread it on my sandwich, but I put some on my greens as well. YUM!!
We decided to order the dessert and share it. It consisted of a crepe filled with sweet mascarpone cheese and blackberries, and topped with raspberries and a berry couli. It was delicious!!
Coincidentally enough, my mom and I ran into our friend Rosie volunteering in the restaurant. We know her from a women's spirituality group she used to attend but hasn't in a long time. She was delighted to see us and to meet Jackie. She also was very glad to take this photo of the three of us. Even more strangly, my mom also noticed that her cousin Arlene was volunteering at the restaurant. However, Arlene was as dissful as always. I don't even know her, sadly enough. She has always had "a few screws loose," and has been rude or simply ignored my mom's numerous attempts to be friendly. The only time she seemed eager to talk to my mom was when she (my mom) was doing some family genealogy work and called up Arlene. I guess she was nice because she figured it would benefit her. How sad.
We ate our lunch beneath a wisteria arbor, and I could tell from the woody "trunks" of the vines that the wisteria was VERY old. Long seedpods hung over our heads, but Jackie noticed there was actually ONE flower in bloom! What a mixed-up vine! *grin* This is definitely not the blooming season for wisteria, but there are always a few flowers that open in late summer. (Sorry the photo is bad).
I love to touch wisteria pods. They're covered in wonderful "peach fuzz:; they feel almost like velvet! You can sort of see it in this photo.
I'm not sure what this plant is, but I think it might be a type of evening primrose (not to be confused with primroses, which are in a completely different family).
Here's a close-up of the flowering structure of the plant. Interesting, eh?
This cheerful group of violas managed to bloom all summer; I guess the spot they're in doesn't get too hot!
I tossed two pennies into this fountain; one landed in the upper tier and the other landed in the lower tier. Of course, I cannot reveal what I wished for! That's against the rules! ;D
I don't know the name of this groundcover, but I thought it was pretty.
These are the flowers of angel's trumpet. Many species and hybrids are available, but the genus name is Brugmansia. It's also sometimes known by its older name, Datura.
Most folks who've taken echinacea as an herbal remedy to boost their immune system know what the plant looks like, but for those who don't -- here it is! :) The common name is purple coneflower. (I know this photo is strangely shaped, but I wanted to zoom in on the flower).
This is an amaranth, whose abundant seeds are used as an edible source of grain. I love the deep burgundy colored flower clusters. I believe this species is Amaranthus hypochondriacus.
In the same area as the amaranth, I suddenly caught a whiff of the unmistakeable and WONDERFUL fragrance of osmanthus (osmanthus fragrans, common name is sweet olive, and yes, it's in the olive family!) The first time I ever smelled it was at San Jose State University, but only after I graduated did I learn what an osmanthus was and why I never found the source of the smell back then. The flowers are very small and tucked amid the foliage. Do you see any flowers here?
The flowers are SO tiny that I could barely even get my camera to focus on them, but here they are! The smell reminds me of ripe apricots or peaches, with a bit of citrus blossom and honey mixed in for good measure. You will NEVER forget the fragrance of osmanthus once you smell it! :D
Here is a fave of florists everywhere: alstromeria!
I took this photo to show an interesting quirk of eucalyptus trees. Do you see how the leaves on the left are long, narrow and pointed? And how the leaves on the right are totally NOT? Well, those are leaves on the SAME tree! The long leaves on the left are mature foliage; the ones on the right are juvenile. I think this is a blue gum euc, but the majority of eucalypti species share this unusual trait.
I'll add that the shops include art, crafts, jewelry, home decor, clothing, soap, candles and other cool girly things. ;D And the most important thing is that proceeds from the largest shop, called The Traditional Shop, raise funds for the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, an excellent, world-renowned hospital. Jackie bought a beautiful butterfly pin in that shop, in fact! When you have lunch at the AAG volunteer-staffed restaurant, you're also supporting the hospital. The food is great and so is the cause! :)
The rest of the story is best told in photos, so click below for a (not quite) complete tour of the AAG -- especially the beautifully blooming gardens!! (You know me when it comes to flowers) ;)
Among the first trees I saw on the property was a princess flower (Tibouchina urvilleana). Their flower buds, as well as their leaves, are covered in a delicate, soft fuzz, which I love to gently touch. You can sort of see it here.
Another thing I love about princess flowers is the colour of their blooms: purple! ;) I thought it was interesting the way this flower was opening.
Here's what the flowers look like. I'm sure some folks have seen these around but never knew the name. Now you know! :) Princess flowers generally are grown as open, multi-trunked shrubs or small trees.
Here is an Alyogyne huegelii. The common name is "blue hibiscus", but the color is more of a mix of lavender and cornflower. It's not in the hibiscus genus either! *chuckle* It is, however, in the same family as hibiscus: Malvaceae. (Mallows, hollyhocks, okra and cotton are also in this large family).
This was a beautiful groundcover with small blue/indigo flowers. I don't know its name! *blush* Sorry it's blurry; there was a breeze in this particular area that wouldn't stop.
I don't know what this is either, but I'd guess it's something that grows from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber, based on the way the foliage is, and the way the flower stalks rise from the ground/base of the foliage. The flowers had a musky/sweet fragrance. I need to find out the name of this beauty!!
A creek or river runs through the property, but in the summer it's dry. However, it is still very scenic. It was here that I saw a squirrel dash through the branches of a large oak tree. Unfortunately, that was the ONLY squirrel I saw. :( I hoped I might get to photograph one.
This is the patio area where restaurant patrons can eat lunch. You can also eat lunch inside, of course. The restaurant was not open for lunch when I took this photo (hence the closed umbrellas).
There were SO many fruit trees on the property, I couldn't believe it! Here is a pomegranate. I have never seen such a big pomegranate tree before! Among the other fruit trees are apple, lemon, lime, orange and tangerine. Oh, and I saw a walnut tree as well.
One of the shops had a bunch of fantastically fragrant (and beautiful) handmade soaps of all types! I ended up buying a small soap square for $2 that was scented like cocoa. Yum! :)
Another part of the handcrafted soap shop. Notice the colorful "soap balls" in the upper right of the photo. I bet kids would have fun using those!
One of the volunteers told me that three cats make their home on the property. This is one of them; she was very friendly and came right over to me when I talked to her. :) I know the background of this photo is terribly over-exposed, but I was curious to see if I could use that to create a special effect. I wanted it to look like the cat had sort of a "glowing aura".
Lovely rose bushes grow on either side of this walkway.
Here is one of the roses; this variety is called 'Double Delight'. I love it!!
This is an unusual type of fuchsia; I don't know its name.
This is one of the numerous hybrids that exist for Abutilon, also called "flowering maple", but it is NOT in the maple family. It too is in the Malvaceae family that I mentioned earlier. The petals never open up fully, but if they did, the flowers would closely resemble mallows or hollyhocks. :)
The foodies out there will appreciate that LUNCH has now been served! ;D For $10 per person, you have a choice of soup or salad, plus the sandwich of the day. There's another lunch for $17 that includes more food, but we didn't want that much. Anyhoo, I got the soup, and my mom and Jackie got the salad. It consisted of baby arugala, caramelized onions, poached/braised/cooked figs, toasted pine nuts, Roquefort cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. I sampled it and everything was delicious, except for the cheese, which tastes too much like bleu cheese to me. :( I would have preferred goat cheese, or ANY cheese except one of the moldy ones.
Our waitress said the AAG restaurant has been serving this zucchini bisque soup for 40+ years, and the recipe came from her mother or grandmother. How could I not try such a classic? :) And I was not disappointed!
Look at this festive lunch plate! A miniature sandwich of sliced turkey breast and cheddar cheese on lightly toasted whole-grain bread, complemented by baby lettuce, tomatoes and mini pickles. Oh, and the honey mustard sauce was FANTASTIC! I don't really like mustard, but this was so good that not only did I spread it on my sandwich, but I put some on my greens as well. YUM!!
We decided to order the dessert and share it. It consisted of a crepe filled with sweet mascarpone cheese and blackberries, and topped with raspberries and a berry couli. It was delicious!!
Coincidentally enough, my mom and I ran into our friend Rosie volunteering in the restaurant. We know her from a women's spirituality group she used to attend but hasn't in a long time. She was delighted to see us and to meet Jackie. She also was very glad to take this photo of the three of us. Even more strangly, my mom also noticed that her cousin Arlene was volunteering at the restaurant. However, Arlene was as dissful as always. I don't even know her, sadly enough. She has always had "a few screws loose," and has been rude or simply ignored my mom's numerous attempts to be friendly. The only time she seemed eager to talk to my mom was when she (my mom) was doing some family genealogy work and called up Arlene. I guess she was nice because she figured it would benefit her. How sad.
We ate our lunch beneath a wisteria arbor, and I could tell from the woody "trunks" of the vines that the wisteria was VERY old. Long seedpods hung over our heads, but Jackie noticed there was actually ONE flower in bloom! What a mixed-up vine! *grin* This is definitely not the blooming season for wisteria, but there are always a few flowers that open in late summer. (Sorry the photo is bad).
I love to touch wisteria pods. They're covered in wonderful "peach fuzz:; they feel almost like velvet! You can sort of see it in this photo.
I'm not sure what this plant is, but I think it might be a type of evening primrose (not to be confused with primroses, which are in a completely different family).
Here's a close-up of the flowering structure of the plant. Interesting, eh?
This cheerful group of violas managed to bloom all summer; I guess the spot they're in doesn't get too hot!
I tossed two pennies into this fountain; one landed in the upper tier and the other landed in the lower tier. Of course, I cannot reveal what I wished for! That's against the rules! ;D
I don't know the name of this groundcover, but I thought it was pretty.
These are the flowers of angel's trumpet. Many species and hybrids are available, but the genus name is Brugmansia. It's also sometimes known by its older name, Datura.
Most folks who've taken echinacea as an herbal remedy to boost their immune system know what the plant looks like, but for those who don't -- here it is! :) The common name is purple coneflower. (I know this photo is strangely shaped, but I wanted to zoom in on the flower).
This is an amaranth, whose abundant seeds are used as an edible source of grain. I love the deep burgundy colored flower clusters. I believe this species is Amaranthus hypochondriacus.
In the same area as the amaranth, I suddenly caught a whiff of the unmistakeable and WONDERFUL fragrance of osmanthus (osmanthus fragrans, common name is sweet olive, and yes, it's in the olive family!) The first time I ever smelled it was at San Jose State University, but only after I graduated did I learn what an osmanthus was and why I never found the source of the smell back then. The flowers are very small and tucked amid the foliage. Do you see any flowers here?
The flowers are SO tiny that I could barely even get my camera to focus on them, but here they are! The smell reminds me of ripe apricots or peaches, with a bit of citrus blossom and honey mixed in for good measure. You will NEVER forget the fragrance of osmanthus once you smell it! :D
Here is a fave of florists everywhere: alstromeria!
I took this photo to show an interesting quirk of eucalyptus trees. Do you see how the leaves on the left are long, narrow and pointed? And how the leaves on the right are totally NOT? Well, those are leaves on the SAME tree! The long leaves on the left are mature foliage; the ones on the right are juvenile. I think this is a blue gum euc, but the majority of eucalypti species share this unusual trait.