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Wednesday Vignette: What's going on here?
I recently noticed some odd flowers on the Pelargonium peltatum (ivy geranium) that's growing up the arbor above the gate that leads from my cutting garden to my dry garden. A handful of flowers were...
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Another shopping trip
It seems that once I break my self-imposed rule on summer planting I then feel free to run amok. During the long holiday weekend, I decided to make a quick trip to Roger's Gardens in Orange County....
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In a Vase on Monday: 'Loverboy' Bows to the Queen(s)
Dahlia 'Loverboy' was set to take center stage "In a Vase on Monday" this week but he was quickly eclipsed by the presence of local royalty. This included the queen of vines, Clematis, currently in...
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My Leucadendron Collection
During the summer months, several Leucadendrons develop beautiful red tones, giving them the appearance of stained glass when they're back-lit. As my photos of these piled up, I decided it might be a...
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Bloom Day - September 2018
Despite eagerly anticipating the change of seasons, I can't entirely get my head around the fact that it's already mid-September. We've enjoyed cooler temperatures for the past several weeks on...
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In a Vase on Monday: Otto gets another run
I haven't featured the flowers of Dahlia 'Otto's Thrill' in over a month now. That's not because the dahlia hasn't flowered but rather because I haven't been inspired by any possible combinations to...
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The draw of orchids
If you've viewed more than two of my posts, you probably know that I like flowers. That said, I've never been strongly drawn to orchids, although I have a half dozen. However, now that I have my own...
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Getting a peek at Newport Beach gardens
I worked in the Newport Beach area of Orange County for several years more than a decade ago and still visit the area periodically, most often to visit Roger's Gardens, one of my favorite garden...
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In a Vase on Monday: Two Vases in One
I had thought that the dahlias were winding down here but they surprised me last week by blooming like crazy, at least with the exception of Dahlia 'Penhill Dark Monarch', which has yet to produce a...
View ArticleWednesday Video Vignette: Wrangling with a drip irrigation system
Alternative titles for this post might be: "A raccoon's version of tug of war" or "The raccoon takes umbrage". Regular readers of my blog know that the local raccoons visit my garden, and more...
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Revisiting my gardening past
Almost two weeks ago I participated in a tour that included 4 private gardens in Newport Beach. Three of these were very small. Their size reminded me of my former garden in another beach city but...
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In a Vase on Monday: The dahlias and zinnias keep on coming
Last week I featured dahlias but skipped the zinnias in my cutting garden. This week I have a bit of both. A couple of my traditional fall blooming plants also joined the party.Dahlias 'Punkin...
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Wednesday Vignette: Anticipation
Weather forecasters have been predicting rain for SoCal for several days now. I originally tuned the reports out, not wanting to get my hopes up. We haven't had any real rain since late March and,...
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Wide Shots - October 2018
I've often mentioned that I lack "before" shots of my garden. After years of relying on a few photos taken by my brother during a Christmas visit in 2011, a post by another blogger prompted me to look...
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In a Vase on Monday: Floppy Dahlias
The dahlias are still blooming like gangbusters but lots of the newer blooms are on side buds with weaker stems and, as the flowers develop, the stems flop over with their weight. It hasn't helped...
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Wednesday Vignette: Sweet and Sour
Critters in the garden are a mixed bag. They add an extra element of surprise and liveliness but they can wreak havoc as well. This week I've had demonstrations of both.I wish all my visitors were...
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Gearing up for Halloween
I usually wait until 2 or 3 days before Halloween to decorate, which is odd as my favorite part of this particular holiday is the decorations. Since I also feel compelled to take down my decorations...
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Another Bloom Day/In a Vase on Monday Mash-up
Two great memes, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and In a Vase on Monday, coincide once again this month so rather than creating two separate posts I've combined them. But first the most exciting news: we...
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Fall at South Coast Botanic Garden
A meeting brought me to South Coast Botanic Garden on Monday morning and, after it was over, I decided to take a spin through the garden to see what's going on as I haven't conducted a tour since...
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New Plants!
Fall is the best time to plant in our climate and, although the thermostat turned up again this week with the arrival of our moisture-sucking Santa Ana winds, I've been moving ahead with my own...
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