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Welcome and Unwelcome Visitors
With the advent of spring, the number of feathered and furry visitors has increased. Some visitors are welcome, others not so much. Hummingbird activity at the feeder outside the kitchen window has...
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In a Vase on Monday: Lavender and White
Last summer and fall, I put together a variety of floral bouquets, testing my creativity to make do with what I had available in my garden; however, I haven't composed a bouquet in some months now....
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Wide Shots - April 2014
When I went into the garden yesterday morning to take pictures for this post, the air was fresh and cool, the birds were singing and flitting about, and everywhere I looked flowers were blooming....
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My favorite plant this week: Pelargonium 'Oldbury Duet'
My favorite plant this week is Pelargonium 'Oldbury Duet.' It has been calling out for attention for the past few weeks, since it started blooming. I bought 3 plants in early January, attracted by the...
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In a Vase on Monday: Sweet Peas!
I was so excited when my sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus 'Perfume Delight') began to bloom last week. Instead of planting sugar snap peas along the trellis in the vegetable garden last October, I...
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Spring Wanderlust - Part 1
Something about spring prompts me to get in the car to visit nurseries and gardens off my usual beaten path. In addition to spending hours on end in my own garden, I find myself fighting LA's...
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Spring Wanderlust - Part 2
Did the recent nursery expeditions described in yesterday's post, Spring Wanderlust-Part 1, put an end to my plant shopaholism? I had thought they had when I attended the South Coast Botanic Garden's...
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My favorite plant this week: Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame'
Okay, I know she's over-exposed. My favorite plant this week is Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame,' a hybrid mix of Digitalis purpurea and Isoplexis caneriensis, bred in 2006. In making this week's...
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In a Vase on Monday: Maroon and Pink
In scouting my garden in advance of Bloom Day, I noticed that the Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl,' featured earlier in my January Bloom Day post, are still blanketed in flowers. The small pink...
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Bloom Day - April 2014
Our winter and spring temperatures have been "unseasonably warm" according to weather forecasters, although much the same thing was said last year. I wonder when these conditions cease being termed...
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Foliage Follow-up - A Little of This and a Little of That
In spring, it's easy to get overwhelmed by flowers. They're everywhere. While some flowers complement one another, others clash. I looked around my garden while taking pictures for yesterday's Bloom...
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Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale
Last weekend, South Coast Botanic Garden hosted a plant show and sale sponsored by the local chapter of the Cactus & Succulent Society. I poked my nose in during the second day of the event. I...
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In a Vase on Monday: Iris and Friends
I'm joining Cathy at Rambling in the Garden again this week for her meme featuring a bouquet constructed from materials on hand in the garden. This week, an Iris, one of the first to bloom for me this...
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Wordless Wednesday: The Joys April Brings
Agapanthus (no ID)Cistus 'Sunset'Unidentified HippeastrumArtichokes'Bountiful Blue' blueberriesCarpenteria californica 'Elizabeth' (Bush Anemone)Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' with Anagallis 'Wildcat...
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My favorite plant this week: Halimium x pauanum
I was ready to present another plant this week when my heart was caught off-guard by a new acquisition, Halimium x pauanum, a plant I'd never heard of, much less seen, until I tripped over it at my...
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Spring Garden Show
I attended the South Coast Spring Garden Show in Orange County this weekend. To say that I was underwhelmed by the display gardens is an understatement. I was disappointed by last year's exhibits but...
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In a Vase on Monday: Rose takes a backseat
The few hybrid tea roses I have have been only sporadic bloomers so far this year. When I saw that one of the 'Medallion' roses had produced a fat bud a few days ago, I targeted it as the centerpiece...
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Garden Show Plant Shopping
This past weekend I attended the yearly Spring Garden Show held at a prominent Orange County shopping mall. I reported on the display gardens here. Whereas in the past I was able to draw some ideas...
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My favorite plant this week: Arthropodium cirratum
Arthropodium cirratum, also known as Renga Lily and New Zealand Rock Lily, is actually one of my favorite plants of all time. It did well in my former, shady garden and, when we moved, I immediately...
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Wide Shots - May 2014
We're in the middle of a nasty heat wave, with high winds and temperatures soaring into the mid-90sF (35C). To make matters worse, the seemingly inevitable wildfires that accompany heat, wind and...
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