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Silver Garden

About this Indoor Garden

Moonlight seems to bounce off the gray and silver-foliaged plants that fill this Garden, which mimics the dry, arid landscapes found in Mediterranean and desert regions.

Slate, rocky outcroppings, and sweeps of plants combine to create a multi-textured Garden that almost seems to move before you. The meandering shape of the gray-blue slate pathway hints of a dry streambed that would be found on the floodplain of a desert.

History of this Garden

The greenhouse containing this Garden was built in 1921 and was originally used to grow peaches and nectarines. Following a major structural and display renovation, well-known West Coast garden architect Isabelle Greene created the Silver Garden in 1989.

Bloom Highlights

Crown of thornes

Crown of thornes

Euphorbia milii ‘White Lightning’ crown-of- thorns, has small flowers atop thorny stalks in the Silver Garden

Narrow-leafed Bird-of-paradise

Narrow-leafed Bird-of-paradise

Striking blue and orange crane-like petals make this one of the world ’s most recognized flowers. This species of bird-of-paradise has rather distinct leaves being very narrow and cylindrical without any leaf blade.  Bird-of-paradise is a fairly drought tolerant species that grows in the eastern parts of South Africa among other drought tolerant shrubs.  This species is vulnerable in nature as very little seed set is observed and the pollinator is not often seen. It produces its unusual flowers in winter and spring and makes an interesting garden plant under the right conditions.  Flowers are good for large arrangements as they have very long stems and are long lasting.

Moth Orchid

Nestled into containers in our Silver Garden, Phalaenopsis Yu Pin Easter Island, of a new Phalaenopsis “big lip” breeding line, will be on display throughout the entire Orchid Extravaganza season. This new "big lip" breeding line is focused on changing the shape of the lower petal, the lip, which can make the orchid flower look bigger, or even almost iris- or lily-like.

Explore Plants In This Garden