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In a Vase on Monday: Variations on a Theme
There's still no new vase-worthy floral material in my garden so once again I was challenged to try putting new spins on the flowers that have been in bloom for some time. In the first case, I was...
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A haphazard look back at 2019
As another year begins, it seems an appropriate time to look at the moments that captured my attention in 2019. I've been impressed by the retrospective reviews other garden bloggers have pulled...
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In a Vase on Monday: Pruning byproducts
With the holidays behind us, I've stepped up my activity in cleaning up my garden. I've been pruning the shrubs I allowed to get out of control, tidying up others, and pulling out plants that have...
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Wide Shots - January 2020
Up until our home remodel started last June, I'd been publishing wide shots of my garden on a quarterly basis in January, April, July and October. I skipped the July and October posts entirely in...
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The Aloes are blooming
Well, only one of my own Aloes is blooming but most of mine are small specimens. However, I popped in at the South Coast Botanic Garden last last week to check on their collection. SCBG extended...
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In a Vase on Monday: Mixing things up
I dug a little deeper this week to identify plants I haven't used recently to mix things up with those I've used more frequently. I kicked off my first vase with the flower-like bracts of Leucadendron...
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Bloom Day - January 2020
This January's Bloom Day post is a bit lighter on flowers than those in the two prior years, although my garden's usual workhorses are mostly present and accounted for. I generally attribute...
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Fabulous Foliage
With flowers taking a backseat even here in sunny California, the foliage in my garden has an opportunity to stand out and demand notice. Yesterday afternoon I took photos of a variety of plants that...
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In a Vase on Monday: Starting Over
I walked through my garden yesterday with some clear ideas in mind as to what I'd use in a vase this week. Once I cut a flower as a focal point, the rest of my choices usually fall into place. If I...
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January Projects
After the holidays, I threw myself into cleaning up my garden, focusing first on pruning plants I'd allowed to get completely out of control during our remodel, as well as pulling plants too woody or...
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My Expanding xMangave Collection
xMangaves are intergeneric hybrids created by breeding Manfredas with various species of Agaves. I didn't know much about them when I got my first one, 'Blood Spot', in 2015. Sometime after that they...
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In a Vase on Monday: The Stars of my January Garden
I focused on two of the stars of my January garden this week. One is close to reaching its peak and the other is nearly past it and both deserve a little time on the center stage.This is Camellia...
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Wednesday Vignette: Getting an early start
On a visit to Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar earlier this week, I discovered that a hummingbird was already nesting in a quiet corner of the garden. A sign mounted by the garden staff warned...
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Winter Visit to Sherman Gardens
Early this week, 20+ of my fellow South Coast Botanic Garden docents and I toured Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar. I've been there several times before but it appears this is the first time I've...
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In a Vase on Monday: Sending you some sunshine!
I know many of you in the Northern Hemisphere have colder temperatures and gloomier skies this time of year than we have in Southern California. As we enjoyed a stretch of warm weather and blue skies...
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Time for a haircut!
I've been getting our trees trimmed each winter since our third year here, mostly to ensure that we don't alienate one or another neighbor by interfering with their harbor views, which I learned soon...
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Empty pots no more
I recently emptied two large pots sitting in our front entry area and relocated their contents. Those pots stood empty for more than three weeks, which surprises even me. While I think an empty pot...
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In a Vase on Monday: Rainy Day Hustle
Rain was predicted for Sunday, expected to interfere with red carpet activity at the Oscars, but it arrived earlier here than anticipated and exited earlier than I'd hoped. Thinking I'd get out early...
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Wednesday Vignette: A Magical Combination
Some of you may be getting tired of seeing photos of the succulents in the bed on the south side of my garden but a sunny morning following a rainy day left my 'Blue Glow' Agaves and the plants...
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Bloom Day - February 2020
Coastal Southern California really only has two seasons - a cool season during which we get rain (if we're lucky) and a warm-to-hot season, which seems to be getting longer with each passing year....
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