Clik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Night View
The marine layer has deserted us, at least for the time being, and it's too hot to do much of anything outside. I creep out in the early morning hours and again in the late afternoon to sneak in a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
July Favorites
During the dog days of summer, it's hard to get really excited about the garden here. The heat is oppressive and most of the plants are acting as though they're in a witness protection program,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Fuzzy Touches
I'm a little in love with my first vase this week. I finally broke down and cut a stem of the green Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) growing in the backyard. Of the 6 plugs of the green variety I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: More Pink!
Pink is not my favorite color but a look at my summer garden might suggest otherwise. The Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I've featured in my vase posts for weeks are mostly pink. Now, Callistemon...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It all started with the Eucalyptus
It seems much easier to design a garden bed from scratch than it is to modify it as circumstances change. This week I've been deliberating about what to do with the garden on the southeast side of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Fragrant Flowers
I had two flowers in mind when I stepped into the garden to fill this week's vase. As the two clearly wouldn't make suitable companions, this meant two vases. (I know you're not surprised.) However,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Great Balls of Fire!
Last Sunday afternoon, I made a trip to Rainforest Flora, a nursery specializing in tropical plants, more specifically bromeliads. The nursery was hosting a bromeliad show and sale, which I'd learned...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bromeliads Galore
As mentioned in my last post, I attended a bromeliad show and sale last weekend. It was held at Rainforest Flora, a tropical plants nursery in Torrance. When I lived nearby I used to pop in there...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bloom Day and a Bouquet - August 2016
After a rough start to the summer with June's horrific heatwave, we've had comparatively mild weather. The morning marine layer has kept temperatures below 85F most days, although the heat was back on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foliage Follow-up: More Bromeliads!
My latest plant-related road trip took me to a bromeliad show and sale. With bromeliads on my mind, I thought I'd focus on my small collection for today's foliage follow-up, the meme hosted by Pam at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: The Marine Layer
The marine layer is a key component of the climate here. When it's present, it keeps temperatures within reasonable bounds and, when accompanied by fog, it adds moisture to the air. However, until we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Front or back?
Lately, it seems that many of my vases look markedly different from front and back. This week I had a particularly hard time saying which should be which. Vase #1 features both blue and white Eustoma...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Full Moon in the Morning
Early last Friday morning, I cracked open my eyes and glanced out the window beyond my husband's sleeping form. I saw the bright light of the full moon on the west side of the house, framed by red...
View ArticleClik here to view.
August 2016 Favorites
It's the last Friday of the month, when Loree of danger garden calls for gardeners to celebrate the plants that earned their favor this month. August is a month when the plants here hunker down and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Red Hot!
I'm surprised that we're almost through August and I haven't had to resort to succulents to fill a vase on Monday. Maybe it's a sign that my garden is finally maturing. My inspiration for this week's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Pools of Light
I've had computer problems and wasn't sure I'd get a Wednesday Vignette up this week but, when I saw Anna's post at Flutter & Hum, I thought of a photo I took last week. Our marine layer often...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Busy, busy, busy
In late August and September, I try to distract myself from the urge to plant as it's too early yet to count out further heatwaves in Southern California. I began the miserable task of cleaning up the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Delicate Beauty
We enjoyed a brief fall preview this Labor Day weekend, which marks the unofficial end of summer. Although we expect a warm up as the week progresses, both the garden and I are anxiously anticipating...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Grasshopper Ghost
Cruising through my garden one recent morning, I caught sight of what I thought was a mysterious new luminescent bug hiding within the leaves of Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'. Upon closer inspection, it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Project Updates
Last week I reported on work done to extend the dry stacked wall on the southwest side of our property. I wasted no time getting around to planting the empty space. I swung by two garden centers last...
View Article