Plenty of floral fun at Bouquets to Art

For 40 years, Bay Area flower and art fans have flocked to Bouquets to Art, the annual floral extravaganza held at the de Young Museum in San Francisco — and with good reason.

The halls and galleries of the de Young Museum are lushly filled with 125 of the freshest, most creative floral arrangements that pay homage to some of the museum’s wonderful artworks and its own architecture.

It’s fragrant, lavish, fun and engaging.

The event, which benefits the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s exhibitions, conservation projects and educational programs, runs from June 4 to 9, with a gala reception on June 3.

This year’s participants from Marin County are:

• April Abbott of April Flowers (Flower Goddess) in Mill Valley

• Jacqueline Devins of Poppy Cart in Point Reyes Station

• Brianna Foehr of Floralounge by Church Street Flowers in San Rafael

• Joy Kuhn McCabe of Tiburon

• Rinda Bishop, Margie Ellis, Tallie Fishburne and Alexandra Treene of the Marin Garden Club in Ross

Additionally, to celebrate the promised gift of 61 artworks to the Fine Arts Museums’ permanent collection, there will be floral designs placed in dialogue with the American impressionist and modern masterpieces in the upcoming “American Beauty: The Osher Collection of American Art.”

Entertaining guest lectures and demonstrations cost $65 and include access to Bouquets to Art, “Fashioning San Francisco” and “Irving Penn.”

The three lectures are:

• “Futuristic Floral Couture with Noah Harders” (2 p.m. June 4)

Native Hawaiian artist Noah Harders will share his culture, inspiration and process used to create extravagant wearable art from foraged materials.

• “The Magic of the Hummingbird with Raul Dueñas” (2 p.m. June 5)

Each design Raul Dueñas will create during his presentation will focus on the appearance and symbolism of the hummingbird and its connection to Mexican beliefs, heritage and culture.

• “Super Nature with Patricia Gillespie” (2 p.m. June 6)

Floral designer Patricia Gillespie, who has participated in Bouquets to Art as an exhibitor for the past 14 years and has had four of her large-scale floral designs hung overhead in the de Young’s Wilsey Court, will discuss her inspiration, her artistic process and her Bouquets to Art experiences.

For those who are feeling lucky, there’s an optional raffle for luxury goods and experiences, such as an eight-day European cruise aboard a Viking longboat, sports events, fine-dining meals and much more.

Raffle tickets are $20 per ticket; six tickets for $100; or “a blooming dozen,” which is 13 tickets for $200. They can be purchased at the raffle desk in Wilsey Court during Bouquets to Art.

• Details: Tickets for Bouquets to Art are on a timed-entry basis from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. June 4 to 9 at the de Young Museum at 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in San Francisco. Museum members have special members-only viewing hours. Opening night is from 5:30 to 10 p.m. June 3 and includes a preview of Bouquets to Art, food and drinks by McCalls Catering and Events and complimentary parking. Advance registration required. Tickets start at $500. Adult admission to Bouquets to Art and the permanent collection galleries starts at $40. An all-access ticket for $55 also includes “Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style” and “Irving Penn.” Individual tickets to programs can be purchased online at famsf.art/BTA24 or by calling 415-750-3604. Group ticket information is available at groupsales@famsf.org.

Waterwise gardens

If you’re looking for inspiration when it comes to a water-saving garden, the 2024 Eco-Friendly Garden Tour could be helpful.

The free, self-guided tour, sponsored by the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, features 26 gardens in Marin and Sonoma and takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 18. Pre-registration is required.

The Marin gardens include the “Daniel Stralka Memorial Pollinator Habitat Garden” and the “Planting for the Future” garden, both in San Rafael, and the “Wildlife Oasis” garden in Corte Madera.

There are also five gardens on display in Novato: “A Garden With a View,” “Miles McKey Meditation Garden,” “Lemons and Lavender Homestead,” “Oaks and Sages” and “Home Ground Habitats.”

Participating gardens in Sonoma County are located in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Sonoma Valley.

These gardens, either owned by Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper professionals or their clients, will all showcase sustainable landscaping practices, and in some cases, the best practices for Russian River- and bay-friendly landscaping.

Descriptions and links to four related events — a plant sale at the California Native Plant Society, a plant and seed sale at Home Ground Habitats, a waterwise demonstration garden courtesy of Sonoma County Master Gardeners and free compost pickup at Zero Waste Sonoma — are on the tour’s website.

To view them, or to register, go to savingwaterpartnership.org/eco-friendly-garden-tour.

Show off

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin home, I’d love to know about it.

Please send an email describing either one (or both), what you love most about it and a photograph or two. I will post the best ones in upcoming columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 years old and a Marin resident.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertaining topics every Saturday. She may be contacted at P.O. Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.