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In a Vase on Monday: Split Personalities
We woke up to rain on Sunday, which was an auspicious way to start the day, or so I thought. I took advantage of a break in the weather mid-morning and cut flowers for "In a Vase on Monday," the...
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Wide Shots and Wednesday Vignette - February 2016
I'm late getting my monthly wide shots together. I could blame complications from the wind and rain earlier this week but the truth is I've just been pressed for time. However, taking photos on...
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In a Vase on Monday: Coral Color!
We're in the middle of a winter heatwave. Just over a week ago, our daytime temperatures were barely reaching 60F (15.5C) and now, courtesy of our Santa Ana winds, they're soaring well above 80F...
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It's Snowing!
Look! Snow flakes!Okay, the heat makes me a little delusional. Our temperatures have been breaking records, but not for cold or precipitation. When the Santa Ana winds blew in late last week,...
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Bloom Day & In a Vase on Monday - February Floral Explosion
Although I've complained mightily about the heat and lack of rain this month, the garden seems to be no worse for either (although I'm rapidly depleting my store of collected rainwater). Last week's...
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Foliage Follow-up - February 2016
The Santa Ana winds are blowing here again and it's uncomfortably hot and dry. I came home this afternoon to find my husband had turned on the air conditioning, which I think is a first for February....
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Need help creating a water-saving garden?
With drought conditions impacting many areas of the world, more gardeners are looking for ways to save water. My husband and I have been water conscious for years - we installed our first drip...
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In a Vase on Monday: Keeping things simple
In my last "In a Vase on Monday" post, I commented that African daisies don't make great vase material because many of the flowers close in low light. After that pronouncement, I couldn't help...
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Wednesday Vignettes: Spring jewels
Last week, the morning after it rained (yes, we got 0.53 inches of rain last week!), I looked out the window of my office and my heart almost stopped. I saw a small but bright pink ball of color....
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And the award goes to...
I don't watch the Oscars but Los Angeles is a company town and it's hard to escape the relentless coverage leading up to Sunday's event so it seemed an appropriate lead-in to a post on my favorite...
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In a Vase on Monday: Spring won't be denied
Despite our unseasonably warm weather this month, I've hung on to the notion that it's still winter. While I know most gardeners long for spring, winter means rain here and I've been obsessed with...
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Legos, Succulents & a Wednesday Vignette
What could Legos, succulents and a Wednesday Vignette possibly share in common? Well, they all came together in a visit to the South Coast Botanic Garden earlier this week. The botanic garden is...
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Favorite Plant Combinations
I've been studying my garden from a new angle lately. My wide shots posts consider the major segments of the garden as a whole. My Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-up posts generally look at plants in...
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In a Vase on Monday: Singing in the Rain
We got rain! It's rained on and off since late Friday night. The latest storm system arrived early this morning (with lots of lightning and thunder!) and the trailing edge is still moving through....
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Wednesday Vignette: Welcome and Unwelcome Visitors
I've been hounded by unwelcome visitors of the furry variety all week. Every morning is spent cleaning up after raccoons who seem undeterred by either rain or the active presence of coyotes in the...
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After the Lawn: A Progress Report
You may recall that we removed the last sections of lawn this past fall. The process of remediating the soil in preparation for planting carried the project well into the winter months. I started...
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In a Vase on Monday: Spring Stampede
It feels as though everything in my garden wants to bloom at once. Many of the winter bloomers made late arrivals and the spring bloomers are now off and running too. The embarrassment of riches in...
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Bloom Day - March 2016
Spring arrived in coastal Southern California weeks ago and, aided by a little rain, the garden has exploded with flowers. It's times like these that I'm forced to acknowledge that, yes, I'm addicted...
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Foliage Follow-up: Fresh Spring Growth
In yesterday's Bloom Day post I bemoaned the fact that, in spring at least, my garden seems out of balance, with flowers dominating the scene. That doesn't mean I don't have a lot of foliage plants....
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In a Vase on Monday: Stuffed with Spring Blooms
Last week I said I stopped myself from putting together a fourth vase in shades of blue and purple so, this week, I started my search of the garden with purple and blue in mind. There are still plenty...
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