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Wednesday Vignette: An end to a sad saga?
Last week I took a few wide shots of my front garden looking northwest toward the street. Pretty as I think the view was with the trees lit up by the setting sun, my garden wasn't the real focus.My...
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October Plant Favorites
I'm joining Loree of danger garden in focusing on the plants that are putting on a good show this month. A few are the usual suspects, the plants that reliably bloom at this time each year.Barleria...
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In a Vase on Monday: Seasonal Succulents
Happy Halloween!In keeping with the holiday, I thought I'd decorate a pumpkin this week and, as I haven't used succulents in an "In a Vase on Monday" post this year, it was high time to do so. My...
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Succulents and Grasses
On a recent trip to Roger's Gardens in Orange County I took a stroll of the demonstration garden that borders the busy streets on the far corner of the property. I've yet to get any of my friends to...
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Current Project: Addressing the Hedge Conundrum
I inherited a LOT of hedges with our current garden, including hedges next to other hedges as in the case of the Ceanothus and Xylosma planted in the front and back gardens.Photo of the side-by-side...
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In a Vase on Monday: Three for Cathy
Cathy of Rambling in the Garden is celebrating the third anniversary of "In a Vase on Monday," a popular meme that encourages gardeners to put together arrangements from materials they have on hand. I...
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Wednesday Vignette: Sunrise Above the Clouds
Our house sits about 750 feet above sea level overlooking the Los Angeles Harbor, San Pedro, Long Beach and the cities beyond. Sometimes, while skies are clear at our level, clouds and marine...
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In a Vase on Monday: A blast of color
I've been running on empty this past week and had an outing planned with a friend on Sunday but I didn't want to break my streak of "IaVoM" posts so I got moving early Sunday morning and, in a short...
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Bloom Day - November 2016
The heat has been running on high here in Southern California for the past week. It peaked at 92F last Wednesday but it's remained in the mid-to-upper 80sF since. We're expecting a dramatic cool-down...
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After the Hedge: A Foliage Follow-up Post
Earlier this month, I posted on the removal of the last remaining portion of the deteriorating Ceanothus hedge we inherited with our garden. Not one to leave any ground bare for long, I began...
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Retrieved from the cutting room floor
It's gotten so I grab my camera every time I see something I think is pretty or that I find amusing. Most of these photos never see the light of day but this week, in need of something to cut the edge...
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In a Vase on Monday: Fleeting Blooms
The big news from my corner of the world is: WE GOT RAIN! Honest-to-goodness rain, not Mother Nature's spit, which is all we've had of late. I know that those of you in wetter climates may be rolling...
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New Plants!
Fall is widely regarded as the best time to plant in Southern California, although you wouldn't necessarily realize that scanning the stock available in local nurseries and garden centers. Daytime...
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November Favorites
The whole garden looks better and brighter since last week's rain so it was easier than last month to get excited about a few plants for the monthly favorite plants round-up hosted by Loree of danger...
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In a Vase on Monday: Sunshine and Showers
We got MORE rain! Maybe Mother Nature heard those of you in rainier climes who wished you could send your excess rain to the drought-stricken areas of California. While I've no illusions that our...
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Wednesday Vignette: I'm not ready!
There was a time in my life, not all that long ago, when I somehow managed to prepare for the year-end holiday season in advance even while working 60+ hour weeks. I kept lists of gift ideas for...
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After the Rain
It's a pleasure to walk through the garden right now. Our temperatures have remained in the low to mid-60s, cool but not uncomfortable. The air is relatively clear and, despite the return of our...
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In a Vase on Monday: Taking cues from a snapdragon
The orange snapdragons in my small cutting garden provided the starting point for this week's vase. After a couple of good rains, the flowers are coming on well, although their stems are still...
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Pumpkin Deconstruction & Wednesday Vignette
With Halloween already a distant memory and Thanksgiving now passed, it was time to deconstruct the succulent-topped pumpkin I created in late October. The pumpkin was still in good shape, although...
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Finally, a little foliage color
With the official start of winter close at hand and much of the nation beset by an arctic blast, we're finally getting a bit of foliage color in coastal southern California. I thought it was late this...
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