Inspiration
Garden Inspiration
Flora Grubb’s New Home Garden
About twelve years ago, Flora Grubb, co-owner and co-founder of Flora Grubb Gardens, moved and began working on a new garden. No garden is ever finished, but Flora decided this garden is ready to share with you.
Designing The Lush Dry Garden
Moderated by Flora Grubb, a conversation with authors & photographer of the new book, "Designing the Lush Dry Garden"
Clarke’s Maximalist Garden in the New York Times
Our own Clarke DeMornay’s south of market garden featured in the New York Times.
An Oakland Artist's Glorious Garden
One of Flora's favorite things is to help dear friends with their gardens, and this glorious front garden is close to her heart. It's the home of Oakland artist Terri Loewenthal, and together they've built a wild and vibrant collection of plants that shelters Terri's house and welcomes visitors.
Rooftop Inspiration From Oliver Gardens
There’s a beautiful rooftop dining garden in San Francisco’s Union Square. Rooftops make for challenging gardening environments, but Oliver Gardens designed a lush, layered space with a palette of durable plants.
Inspiration from Airplantman’s Garden
LA landscape architect Josh Rosen—botanical superhero alias Airplantman—has created a magical tillandsia-filled batcave in the courtyard behind his Mar Vista studio. Check it out, then come see us and start your own collection!
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Inspiration From Pine House Edible Gardens
All over the Bay Area, Pine House Edible Gardens creates immersive gardens that are beautiful and productive, but that are also about community, connection, and building deep meaning into our lives. Get inspired by their beautiful designs!
Inspiration From Friday Gardens
Need some inspiration for your spring garden? Here's a beauty from our designer friends Dani Coulter and Johnny Keegan of Collecting Flowers, whose soft, lovely textured gardens are some of our favorites in SF.
Inspiration from Clarke de Mornay's Patio Garden
If you’ve spent any time at Flora Grubb Gardens in SF, you’ve most likely experienced the warmth, plant genius, and general fabulousness of our beloved Clarke de Mornay. Now take a peek into Clarke’s own gorgeously detailed and eclectic home garden, a paradise for plant collectors!
Visit These San Francisco Bay Area Public Gardens
Use our handy map to find peace and inspiration in some spectacular public gardens. And share your favorites with us!
Hidden Urban Paradise: Jim Kumiega's Garden
Behind a door on an alley South of Market in San Francisco, at the end of a narrow passageway, the fabulous Jim Kumiega cultivates a secret green enclave in a tiny courtyard.
A Small SF Garden That Lives Large
An urban garden with limited space for planting doesn't have to feel sparse or cramped. Check out what designer Christopher Reynolds pulled off here, transforming a narrow SF yard into a graceful, peaceful oasis.
Small Garden Inspiration: Narrow Borders and Beds
Urban gardening often involves working with narrow, confined spaces and odd-shaped borders. Here’s a bit of small garden inspiration for you as you look to plan garden beds in challenging tight-squeeze spots.
Small Garden Inspiration: Sweet San Francisco Front Porch
Lots of us are working with limited outdoor space, but even the tiniest square of air can become a garden, like this lovely little SF stoop.
Steal This Look: A Soft and Sculptural Retreat
In this secluded oasis designed by the fabulous Daniel Nolan, contrasting textures play off each other to beautiful effect, soft and sculptural shapes working in harmony to create a lush, artful design.
Plants and Trees for Your Garden
Why We Grow Grafted Grevilleas
Showy Australian grevilleas grown on the tough roots of the silky oak, so they can handle our wet winters, clay soils, and richer garden beds.
Raising a Brachychiton
Create a Brachychiton that looks like the one you’ve seen in photos. We’ll show you how!
Monarch Milkweed for Los Angeles Gardens in stock
Monarch Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis, in stock at our Los Angeles store.
In stock now: Grevillea
Grevillea are incredibly useful shrubs in the landscape. These low-maintenance shrubs offer soft, airy texture and nearly year-round blooms. Their unique flowers are hummingbird magnets!
Plant Now for Autumn and Winter Color! Aloe ‘Safari Rose’
Aloe ‘Safari Rose’. A small, autumn and winter-blooming aloe with masses of pink flowers from autumn into early spring. Needs minimal water, tolerates some shade. Perfect in a pot.
Brachychiton: The Must-Have Plant of the Moment
Grow a Brachychiton indoors. Bright light and spare water are they key to growing the Queensland Bottle tree inside.
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Palms for the Dry Garden
The dry garden is a place we cultivate for harvest and beauty and life outdoors without overdoing the water in our summer-dry climate. With all their beauty and versatility, palms can play an important in the dry garden.
The Beautiful and Varied Blooms of the Protea Family
Among the proteaceae there is a vast variety of exotic flowers, and many of these plants have a long blooming season, especially here in coastal California, where the weather mimics their native South African and Australian coastal landscapes.
Phlebodium areolatum and Phlebodium aureum 'Blue Star'
Phlebodium aureum 'Blue Star' fern is one of our favorite versatile plants, growing happily in the Bay Area either indoors or out.
Protea and Leucospermum
Our growing grounds in the beautiful Rainbow Valley have been hard at work; both our stores are stocked with the widest selection of Proteas and Leucospermums that we've had all year! Learn which ones are available now, then get your favorites at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Deuterocohnia brevifolia, a Rare Treasure for Your Collection
This adorable bromeliad is a favorite for rare plant folks—and very hard to find! Slowly, over time, the plant will envelop its rock pot, forming a kind of spiky ball with its exquisite miniature rosettes.
Bromeliads, Your New Plant Obsession
Want the breezy, laid back vibe of a tropical paradise in your cool weather, low-water garden? Plant bromeliads! Both our stores are fully stocked with these stunners right now.
Beschorneria ‘Flamingo Glow,’ A True Showstopper
One of our favorite plants for low-water gardens, Beschorneria yuccoides 'Flamingo Glow' truly delivers on so many levels, with soft, delicate leaves, pretty variegated color, and of course that wildly exotic bloom.
Everything Looks Like a Yucca!
Many beautiful yucca plants will thrive in coastal California, and we often have several varieties in stock—along with quite a few yucca lookalikes!—at our San Francisco and Marina del Rey nurseries. Read on to learn more about these tough and lovely plants.
Growing Vireya Rhododendrons in Coastal California
It’s well known that at Flora Grubb Gardens we love epiphytic forest dwellers. Epiphytes are plants that grow on trees such as bromeliads, orchids, staghorn ferns, rhipsalis… and vireyas!
Trailing Succulents for Hanging Baskets
Down at our farms in the Rainbow Valley, we grow over a dozen varieties of trailing succulents, perfect for hanging baskets, vertical gardens, and container gardens. All of these cuties are in stock now!
Wispy Acacias for Your Garden
Here in the Bay Area, when the acacias start showing their fireworks of delicate golden blooms, we know that spring is just around the corner.
Make Something Beautiful at Our Potting Bench
Our DIY Potting Bench is back! Come and make something beautiful for your home or garden.
Not Your Basic Bougainvilleas
Even in cooler weather, the bougainvilleas are popping all over town.
Indestructible Haworthias: Mini Succulents for Indoors or Out
Haworthias, tough-as-nails miniature succulents that look like dollhouse agaves or aloes, are perfect for making jewelbox compositions in little tabletop pots.
Bye-Bye, Lawn: Ask More of Your Outdoor Space
Californians, let's get real: It's time to kiss your super-thirsty lawn goodbye. Did you catch Flora chatting about this on KQED? Or The New York Times weighing in on "How to Fall Out of Love With Your Lawn"? Everybody's talking about gorgeous ways to replace your grass with low-water landscapes.
Adorable Aeoniums
Aeoniums, with their sweetly symmetrical rosettes, whimsical leggy growth habits, and wide variety of foliage colors and patterns, are so much fun to grow and collect. We've almost always got dozens in stock at Flora Grubb Gardens nursery in San Francisco.
The Magical Spiral Aloe Plant at Flora Grubb SF!
The rare and mesmerizing Aloe polyphylla starts small and grows into a perfect spiral.
Japanese Maples: Our Springtime Treat
Every year in the springtime we receive a special order of rare and unusual Japanese maples from Oregon, and we get so excited when the truck arrives!
Leucadendrons at Their Loveliest
Late winter is when leucadendrons are at their most stunning, showing their vibrant color and putting out shiny new growth. Flora Grubb Gardens stores in SF and LA are always stocked with a rainbow of different varieties ready to come home with you!
Bright, Festive Color for Your Winter Garden
In coastal California we're lucky enough to be able to host cozy holiday gatherings outside. Put out some blankets, pour hot drinks, and enjoy your gorgeous year-round garden! Winter blooms and brightly colored foliage are all the festive decor you need, and we’ve got plenty of both at Flora Grubb Gardens.
Pretty Pittosporums for Screening in Your Garden
Pittosporums have an amazing superpower: the ability to quickly grow into a screen that’s dense enough to disguise a wall or create some privacy, but still feels light and airy. Read on to learn how to use these versatile plants to make your own screen in your garden.
The Otherworldly Passiflora (Passion Flower)
Passion flowers are exotic and aggressively detailed, with a flamboyant artistry that seems almost cosmic, like they come from another planet. Check out some of the varieties we often carry at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco.
Succulents! Un-Thirsty Plants for Your Garden
Succulents and cactus love life in coastal California, which makes them a great un-thirsty choice for your garden.
Pots and Planters from Around the World
The Magical World of Ceramic Artist Ted Fullwood
Sculpture and vessels from California artist Ted Fullwood arriving weekly at Flora Grubb Gardens San Francisco.
Modern Ceramic Glazed Pots and Planters
Some of our most colorful modern garden containers come from Vietnam. We specialize in classic modern shapes and are always on the lookout for bold new colors and finishes.
Ocean Rock and Desert Rock Glaze Pots
Our Ocean Rock cylinder pots have a distinctive pebbled glaze that brings a beautiful texture and an artistic look to the garden. Available in gray or terra cotta color, with lots of available sizes.
Our Favorite Handmade Bergs Pots from Italy
Bergs pots, designed in Denmark and handmade in Tuscany, are in stock in both our stores in tons of shapes and sizes. Mix and match them for the loveliest look!
Rustic Ceramic Glazed Pots and Planters
We carry a wide selection of rustic ceramic pottery in a variety of amazing glazes and textures. For instance the glaze on these large architectural ceramic pots makes each handmade piece a work of art.
Case Study Ceramic Pots and Planters by Modernica
Flora Grubb Gardens selection of Modernica stoneware pots and planters are high fired and durable. The iconic stand is crafted from Brazilian walnut and is suitable for both indoor or outdoor use.
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Terra-Cotta Pots and Planters
Both traditional and modern contemporary terra cotta planters are right at home in modern gardens and interiors. Flora Grubb Gardens has a wide selection to offer in small, medium and large sizes and shapes.
Cylinder Ceramic Pots and Planters
Flora Grubb Gardens offers a wide selection of cylinder ceramic pots and planters in various sizes and colors. We love these planters for their versatility and classic modern design. From bright yellows, soft pinks, to classic black and white, our cylinder pots and planters are a mainstay for any outdoor garden or indoor space.
Small Pots and Planters for Houseplants
There is always something new in Flora Grubb Gardens’ houseplant boutique. We offer an ever-changing assortment of small pots and planters for indoor houseplants or outdoor tables.
Fibreclay Containers and Planters
Flora Grubb Gardens offers sleek modern squares, rectangles, and troughs made of a combination of fiberglass and natural clay. This relatively lightweight material is excellent for decks and terraces, or wherever weight is a concern.
White Fibreclay Planters and Containers
Flora Grubb Gardens offers sleek modern planters, made of a combination of fiberglass and natural clay, in a clean bright white color. The relatively lightweight material of fibreclay pots is excellent for decks and terraces, or wherever weight is a concern.
Houseplants to Grow and Love
Real Talk About Plants and Pets
Lots of our customers have questions about how to keep their pets and plants safe in their homes. Here’s some inspiration and tips for a pet-friendly indoor garden!
Exotic Choices for Your Bright Dry Indoor Garden
Our nurseries are packed with rare treasures for your bright, low-water indoor garden. Grown on our own farms down in the Rainbow Valley, these special plants are hard to find in nurseries, and we're so excited to send them home with you!
Peek Inside a Super Stylish, Plant-Filled SF Home
Houseplant dreams are just what you need for a cozy weekend. Here's a peek inside a plant-filled SF house to inspire your indoor garden plans.
Houseplant Care: Light, Water, and Soil
Here at FGG, the question we hear most often from customers is “How often do I water my houseplant?” It sounds like a simple question, but the answer is actually pretty complicated.
Jeff's Beach House: Plants, Art, and Cozy Seaside Vibes
What better place to cozy up for this weird winter at home than an artful plant-filled beach house on the coast south of SF? Our own Jeff Wright graciously invited us into his sweet cottage for a peek.
String of Hearts
For your plant-obsessed beloved, here's the most romantic gift: A rare and exquisite 'String of Hearts' plant (Ceropegia woodii). Its heart-shaped leaves are strung together on delicate vines, like a tangle of precious necklaces.
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Plant-Filled SF Eichler Hideaway
A mid-century Eichler home in SF, with its warm wood paneling, sleek concrete floors, and flood of light from inner courtyards, is the perfect place to grow a lush indoor garden. Some longtime FGG friends invited us into their home to share their houseplant inspiration.
Our Favorite Ficus for Your Home
We carry many varieties of ficus houseplants for your indoor garden. Here are a few of our favorites with some helpful information and fascinating botanical history!
Adenium: The Beloved Desert Rose
At Flora Grubb Gardens, our plant shop in San Francisco, we find that Adeniums are beloved by plant lovers from surprisingly different backgrounds.
Humidity and Houseplants: How to Make a Pebble Tray
Humidity is often a crucial (but overlooked!) part of indoor plant care. Here are some tips and tricks for making sure that your plant is happy with the amount of humidity in the room so it can thrive.
How (and Why!) to Use the Cachepot System for Your Houseplants
For houseplants we recommend using a cachepot system for planting, instead of direct planting into your decorative pot. Here’s how to use the system in five easy steps!
Magnificent Monstera deliciosa: Everything You Need to Know
We all love this plant for the masterfully sculpted leaves. When young, the leaves are simple and heart-shaped, without the characteristic splits and holes. Each leaf emerges larger than the last, and with more character, until they are three feet across, with deeply lobed margins and dozens of inner holes.
Raphidophora tetrasperma: Our Own Homegrown Mini Monstera Crop
Raphidophora tetrasperma (aka "mini monstera") is the “it” girl of houseplants, perfect for that focal point in your nice bright room.
Behind the Scenes With Garden Designer Daniel Nolan
We love collaborating with Daniel Nolan, who got his start ten years ago on the FGG team. Now he's one of the Bay Area’s most sought-after garden designers! We had so much fun catching up with Daniel in his gorgeous, inspiring studio office filled with houseplants.
The Joy of Raising Baby Houseplants
Want to brighten and energize your home? Think about adding some sweet little baby houseplants to your collection. Watching plants grow as you tend them over the years is a deeply pleasurable part of indoor gardening.
How to Grow Euphorbia as Houseplants
Got a very bright spot in your house that’s begging for a plant? Columnar euphorbia are intricate, sculptural succulents that will happily grow indoors with proper care and attention. Read on for some interesting facts about euphorbia and advice about growing these beauties as houseplants.
Favorite Houseplants for Direct Sun
Here’s a pro tip: Almost all indoor plants will happily grow in bright indirect light, but only some are okay with sitting in a sunny window. feeling the direct warm sun on their leaves. We’ve got some beautiful houseplant suggestions for spots in your home with bright direct sun.
Favorite Houseplants for Moderate (Medium Bright) Light
Most plants prefer bright indirect sunlight, but some plants are perfectly happy in more moderate light conditions. Read on for help assessing the light in your space and choosing just the right plant for moderate (or medium bright) light.
Favorite Houseplants for Lower Light
Some houseplants can tolerate lower light conditions surprisingly well. We’ve got some beautiful choices you can consider for a lower light spot in your home.
Perfect Pairs: Choosing a Plant and Pot to Suit Your Style
We all deserve a little more plant love in our lives. Practice some botanical self care by choosing just the right plant and pot to suit your personal style and the environment of your home.
Growing the Giant Bird of Paradise Indoors
Strelitzia nicolai—also known as Giant Bird of Paradise, the banana leaf plant or banana leaf palm, is one of our favorite plants for Bay Area gardens, but few people know that this plant can also grow happily indoors!
How to Care for Potted Succulents
When watering succulents or cacti in pots without drainage, the most important things to keep in mind are to apply the water in a controlled manner and allow the soil to dry out in between the waterings.
Sansevieria (Snake Plant): The Friendliest Houseplant
Pull up a window and search “What should be my first houseplant?” and the number one result is the snake plant, also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue.” So if you’re new to houseplants, this is a great place to start. But if you’re an expert collector, maybe we lost you at “snake plant” and you’re already moving on? Hold up! Even the most jaded houseplant collector can find new intrigue within the ever-so-common genus Sansevieria.
How to Care for Ficus Lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)
Ficus lyrata, commonly called the fiddle-leaf fig, is a perfect indoor specimen plant. The plant features very large, heavily veined, and violin-shaped leaves that grow upright on a tall plant. We almost always have Ficus lyrata in stock at our retail plant store in San Francisco.
How to Give Plants as Gifts
A plant is a gift of life, growth, breath, and renewal. What better way to show your love and gratitude this holiday season?
Fermob French Garden Furniture
New for 2027! Rosalie from Fermob.
Last year we asked Fermob to bring back a pink, and they did! Meet Rosalie, Fermob’s new color for 2027: a clear, bold pink with no blue or orange undertones.
New for 2026! Latte Beige from Fermob.
Each year Fermob edits their array of 25 colors. In 2026- we are saying goodbye to a neutral Lapilli Grey— and replacing it with another neutral- Latte Beige. We share our thoughts on the new neutral for 2026.
Bistro by Fermob
This perfectly designed folding chair became popular on the streets of Paris in 1889, when the lemonade vendors of the day needed chairs they could easily fold up at the end of the evening. This classic chair is the perfect size for our Bay Area gardens and comes in all of Fermob’s 24 hues.
Sixties by Fermob
The iconic woven Fermob Sixties collection is comfortable, lightweight garden furniture with endless breezy style.
Luxembourg by Fermob
The Luxembourg collection by Fermob is comfortable and classic. Relax on a smooth bench or in a reclining chair!
Extend the lifespan of your Fermob furniture
At Flora Grubb Gardens, we carry an assortment of French Fermob garden furniture from various collections, including side tables and seats. Add a pop of color to your garden with a table perfect for setting down your book or cocktail.
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Fermob's Luminous Pastels
We are totally in love with Fermob furniture’s three luminous pastel shades: Ice Mint, Frosted Lemon, and Clay Grey. Fermob is calling these “powerful pastels,” which is so spot on!
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