Living Works of Art – Creative landscape solutions for residential landscaping

With Mathew McGrath
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 – 7:00 pm Pacific Time (California)

Mathew Mcgrath with Landscape projects

Members and visitors can attend in person in San Francisco,
or register or join the meeting in progress on Zoom.


Program Description

Mathew McGrath, and his company Farallon Gardens, has over 21 years of experience in the Bay Area landscaping business. Through trial and error he and his team have learned an enormous amount of practical hands-on knowledge about using cacti and succulents in the landscape. This presentation will be a chronology of Farallon Gardens’ use of cacti and succulents in Bay Area garden designs. The talk will showcase their approach to design, plant selection and site conditions, emphasizing how their design, installation and maintenance practices have developed.

About our Speaker

With a background in fine arts, Berkeley-based artist Mathew McGrath’s path to garden design and horticulture came via a keen interest in nature and abstract art. As a volunteer at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, he discovered the diverse range of plant material available to Bay area gardeners. After several fruitful apprenticeships with area garden designers, McGrath struck out on his own as Farallon Gardens in 2003. “I like to consider myself an artist working with plants; Designing and cultivating living works of art, always in motion yet standing still like kinetic living paintings.”

Show & tell table: Conophytum and Lithops on the succulent side, and Cleistocactus & Borzicactus on the cactus side plus anything else that’s looking good or in flower.

Featured grower: Mathew McGrath

Snack table:, There will be a shared spread, but we suggest bringing something every couple of months if you partake regularly. As a thought, we are often short on drinks.

Covid precautions: We will keep doors open to ensure adequate ventilation. This can make the room a bit chilly, so dress appropriately.

Meeting Agenda

7:00 Mingling and announcements
7:30 Formal presentation starts promptly with Society business
7:35 Show and Tell Table
7:50 Leg stretch
7:55 Featured presentation


Watch Online

On Zoom: Register or join the meeting in progress.

Facebook simulcasts are on hold due to issue with Facebook’s connection to Zoom. We may switch to Youtube eventually.


Upcoming Events

Monthly Volunteer Day at Gardens of Lake Merritt

Saturday, Sept 28, 2024 (and the last Saturday of every month)
10am – 2:30pm with a break for lunch at noon
666 Bellevue Ave, Oakland, CA

Learn succulent gardening techniques and help with the long-term transformation of the succulent displays at the garden. This is a perfect chance for people who live in the East Bay or who cant attend our regular meetings to participate in a society activity.

Contact Troy Stephens for info (contact info on last page of the newsletter), or just show up. Tell the parking attendant you are there to volunteer at the garden. Guests and non-members welcome.

Upcoming Meetings

Meetings always occur on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

  • October – SFSCS 40th Anniversary Retrospective. Slides and Panel discussions on the past and future of the Society.
  • November – TBD
  • December – Annual Solstice Party