A Bank of Trees

Several days ago, Your Boulevardier noticed an unusual group of trees next to the Chase Bank on Castro Valley Boulevard. He snapped this photo, which is not very good; a close inspection (click the photo for a better view) shows that 14 small tree trunks all blend into the same petite canopy of foliage. It's eccentric landscaping, and he was surprised to see it by a staid bank building. He's giving it the coveted "garden art" tag, even though he doubts it's an intentional act of topiary.


P.S. Your Boulevardier got caught in today's brief hailstorm during his afternoon walk today. It was not unwelcome or unpleasant, but it was certainly unexpected.

Noodling On Nunes

One of Your Boulevardier's favorite spots in Castro Valley is the house on Nunes Avenue that has a seasonally adjusted collection of homemade garden art. For Valentine's Day (and indeed, the entire month of February so far) this has been the display.


A hearty tip of the beret goes to the creator of these charming cutouts.

Wholly Clean

Last weekend Your Boulevardier was hosting the Subcompact Loaner, and so more walks were taken in our immediate neighborhood. This piece of garden art has been noticed many times before, but this time a photo was snapped.



It is a statue of the Virgin Mary, and yes, the protective shell behind her appears to be fashioned from a bathtub. (Click the photo for a closer view.) It's quite beautifully and respectfully done, in Your Boulevardier's opinion, and clever to boot. In its shape and in its blue color, it evokes the grotto at Lourdes. There's also an unexpected touch of whimsy in the whole thing.

If readers can suggest other pieces of Castro Valley garden art Your Boulevardier should check out, please post in the comments or email your.boulevardier@gmail.com.

Light Up The Valley

Your Boulevardier and Mon Petit Chou caught a showing of the High Voltage Christmas last Sunday night. (He intended to write about it sooner, but various delights and pressures of the season have filled the days since.)

The synchronized light-and-music show, first launched in 2004 by teenager Jeff Stevens, is at 18199 Carmel Drive in Castro Valley. Showtimes are 7:00, 7:30, and 8:00 p.m. A new feature this year is projected cartoons, along with family photos and videos, on the garage door.

Your Boulevardier doesn't know how true this story is, so he posts it only as hearsay: A FOB -- a person who lives in the neighborhood of the High Voltage Christmas -- says that Mr. Stevens is away at college this year and was not planning to create a holiday display. Fortunately gentle pressure from friends and neighbors caused him to relent. (It's also interesting to note that Mr. Stevens is studying Civil Engineering, not Electrical.) Readers who can confirm or correct the veracity of this tale are encouraged to do so in the comments.

Whatever the story, the efforts are magnificent and well worth a trip. The synchronization and cleverness of the display are wonderful, the scale is impressive, and the spirit is heartwarming. Mr. Stevens personally supervises each show and is available to answer questions before and after.

A tip of the beret, and a merry Christmas to all.

We're Counting On Boulders

On a recent visit to the new Castro Valley Library, Your Boulevardier noticed that one of the boulders near the footbridge has an identifying number.



Truth is, when the boulders were delivered many weeks ago, it was noticed (but not posted, alas) that all of the stones were marked with numbers. Your Boulevardier was tempted to make a remark about tagging, but let it go. Now, it is guessed, those numbers were used by the landscape architect to direct heavy equipment the placement of the boulders.

Halloween on the Green

The Golden Tee (some of us cannot bring ourselves to say "GolfLand") has put out a display of straw bales, cornstalks, and scarecrows for Halloween. The photo does not do the display justice. It's a wonderful thing to have a mini-golf course in town.

Lucky on San Miguel

Your Boulevardier has long admired, and only now photographed, this concrete shamrock on the corner of San Miguel Avenue and Kerr Street, a block south of Castro Valley Boulevard.

The yard it's in always has lovely flowers along its walk (visible in this photo), but for as long as can be remembered the earth around the shamrock itself has been virtually lifeless. While the shamrock is charming, wouldn't some lush green around it make it even more appealing? And more like Ireland?

Still, it's rare that a slab of concrete can be so good-looking. A tip of the beret to the creators of it.

The Somerset Bear

Your Boulevardier has been spending a good bit of time on Somerset Avenue of late, while doing a project for a friend. It's an interesting street, with many lovely homes, a number of churches (including the very busy Our Lady of Grace), a bus line, and a few interesting businesses, including a dance studio and the wonderful, crowded little Al's Food Market.

There's also this fantastic piece of garden art -- a life-size bear, presumably carved with a chainsaw from the very tree trunk on whose stump he now stands.



Does anybody know the true story of the Somerset Bear?

Another Piece of Easter Garden Art

These bunnies and their eggs can be found on Grove Way, just east of Trader Joe's and First Presbyterian Church.

Each egg has a name on it. Your Boulevardier assumes they are the names of children and/or grandchildren. The bunnies themselves don't match each other in scale or style, but the tableau is charming nonetheless.

The same house for years had cutouts of Disney characters on its lawn.

Metal Man Garden Art

This lively sculpture guards the porch of a home on Santa Maria Avenue near Somerset Avenue in Castro Valley.



It's not much of a photo, but readers are invited to click on the image for a better view. On the morning the picture was taken, the metal man was holding a garden hoe.

Your Boulevardier struck up a conversation with the resident/sculptor when caught preparing to snap the photo. Fortunately, the gentleman -- an amateur welder -- was happy to talk about his creation. He said the ferrous being is entirely made from car parts: his limbs were formerly camshafts, and his face was a transmission gear cluster.

Easter Garden Art

Your Boulevardier photographed this charming collection of garden art on Nunes Avenue just south of Castro Valley Boulevard the other day.


The older gentleman who creates these pieces rotates them in seasonally -- that is, there are different displays for Easter, Christmas, Independence Day, and so on.

Your Boulevardier has spotted a few other pieces of garden art on his walks and will post more photos over time. If readers would like to suggest other garden art, either seasonal or permanent, for display here, please provide some clues as to where it might be found in the comments. Please only suggest handmade / homemade / custom art, not purchased and installed pieces.