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Rained Out at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (2018 Garden Bloggers'...
I've been weeding through more of the photos I took at the 2018 Garden Bloggers' Fling in Austin, Texas back in early May. Many aren't worthy of publication, especially as there are better posts...
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In a Vase on Monday: Cool Blues for a Hot Day
We expect to be beset by another heatwave beginning today and continuing through the workweek. The forecasters say it won't be as nasty as the heatwave of July 6th that sent our temperature here up to...
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Wednesday Vignette: Hazard Zone
We've lived in our current house for more than 7 years. We've talked on and off about renovating our kitchen. My issues mainly have to do with the work surfaces, cabinetry, and aging appliances. My...
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More succulent container rehabs
I've been planning to rehab the succulent container near our back door for months. A trip to a new-to-me succulent nursery in nearby Torrance provided both the incentive to do so and a supply of fresh...
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In a Vase on Monday: Summer Stars
Finally, the flowers that define summer in my garden have arrived! My lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) experienced a set-back following the nuclear heatwave in early July, searing foliage and...
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Wednesday Vignette: Nighttime Surprises
Last Friday night I glanced out the window and was surprised to see a large orange orb hanging over the harbor. I'd read there was to be another "blood moon" in late July but had utterly forgotten...
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This week's projects
It's still hot here. The temperature hasn't gotten above the low 90s but the humidity has been running higher than we're used to. Garden activities are once again restricted to early morning and late...
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In a Vase on Monday: Fire & Ice
This past weekend was warm (upper 80sF) but not miserable, which is the best that can be said of any summer days here. However, excessive heat warnings are back in effect for today through Tuesday....
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Lath House 2.0
On July 6th when our temperature soared to 110F (43C), the heat, intense sun exposure, and high winds combined to sear many of my plants, including tender specimens in the lath (shade) house my husband...
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Bromeliads!
Last weekend, the South Bay Bromeliad Associates (SBBA) held their annual show and sale at Rainforest Flora in nearby Torrance. As I've been slowly adding to my collection of these often pricey...
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In a Vase on Monday: Loverboy keeps things simple
Dahlia 'Loverboy' finally showed up on the garden scene. He looks a little diminished by comparison to his larger-than-life presence last year but maybe the lower profile is a response to tough...
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Bloom Day - August 2018
Even though I've been doing much more watering than usual, I'm surprised at just how much I have blooming in mid-summer. Thus far, my summer water usage has been hovering just below 60% of the level...
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New foliage plants
As I declared in mid-July, summer isn't the right time to plant here but as I can focus on general garden maintenance for only so long I allow myself to fuss around a bit with succulents. This month,...
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In a Vase on Monday: Flowers thrown together
My husband and I were gone for 3 days to attend a family wedding in Northern California. It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was a joyous celebration but, as we drove to and from the event...
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Top 10 Blooms in my Mid-Summer Garden
I'm joining Chloris at The Blooming Garden in featuring my top 10 blooms this August. August isn't a month I usually associate with flowers but, as mentioned in my earlier Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day...
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Special Effects - Foliage Edition
This week I felt the first subtle signs of the seasonal shift toward fall. The days are perceptibly shorter. Evening temperatures are cooler. The marine layer, although thin, was present more...
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In a Vase on Monday: Dueling Dahlias
With dahlia buds opening on a daily basis, those flowers currently demand to be cut. As it is, I don't get around to cutting some of the flowers before they fade, even when I refresh the dahlias in my...
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Wednesday Vignette: Too much of a good thing?
In October 2014, I picked up a one-gallon pot of Barleria obtusa at my local botanic garden's fall plant sale. In 2015, it had reached a modest size and flowered nicely. In 2016, it looked even...
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Breaking the rules (again)
Every year, I impose a rule against planting anything other than succulents during the summer months. And pretty much, every year I break it. I'd already reinterpreted my own rule to include an...
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In a Vase on Monday: Keeping things light and bright
The long holiday weekend that unofficially closes the curtain on summer in the US started with emotionally charged public memorials for two American icons, Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, and John...
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