The Value of Your Front Lawn

Monday, April 16, 2012

Along with April showers comes National Landscape Architecture Month, Earth Day – celebrated on April 22 and on April 26, the birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture and the designer ofNew York’s Central Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, thegrounds of the U.S. Capitol and many other extraordinary gardens and parks though out our country. So, I thought April [...]

Growing Tomatoes in Southern California

Friday, March 30, 2012

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You would think that with our long growing season Southern California would be the ideal climate for growing tomatoes. But according to the University of California, our ideal conditions are not so ideal: high temperatures can delay fruiting and intense sunlight can burn and cause improper ripening. Selecting the right tomato? According to the U [...]

Saucy Succulents Exposed

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

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I hoped the title might get your attention because succulents are a wonderful and extremely eco-friendly addition to any garden or planter, and, if you don’t already, you should know more about them. Besides creating colorful planters, as you will see by these photographs, I have included a couple of shots of a front yard [...]

Growing Roses in Southern California

Saturday, December 31, 2011

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With the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl starting the year off, I thought there was no better time than now to ask this simple question! When Is The Best Time To Plant Roses? And the answer is … it all depends on where you live and the climate zone your in. The simplest solution [...]

How Cymbidiums Came to California

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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I was leafing through Pat Welsh’s wonderful resource book entitled Southern California Gardening – A Month-by-Month Guide, Chronicle Books, 2000, when my eye caught a side bar on “How Cymbidiums Came To California.” It’s something I never considered and thought it might also interest my blog readers. So here it is in its entirety. How [...]

A California Shade Garden

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

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I know the idea of writing about shade gardening while our temperature has been double digit may seem a bit oxymoronic, but what better time to contemplate a cool, shaded garden than during the middle of a heat wave. Yes There Is Shade In Southern California If you have native oak trees you can improve [...]

Brighten Up Your Garden With Containers!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

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Summer is upon us – almost – and as the gloom of June becomes sunny July we’re going to be living outdoors a whole lot more. If your terrace, deck, balcony, patio, gazebo, swimming pool or wherever it is you park yourself is in need of some TLC, then the fastest and most economical way [...]

Dangers Of Organic Gardening!

Monday, March 7, 2011

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As Spring is here and those who like to grow their own are preparing to do so, I had a question from a client about planting vegetables in raised beds. It appears she, like a good Girl Scout, did everything by the book: organic potting soil and fertilizer and a drip system for watering. Yet [...]

That Holiday Poinsettia … Grow It or Throw It?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

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If you’re like me, you hate to throw a living plant away. But do you really want to deal with those 5 Poinsettias you bought at Trader Joes to brighten up your living room? I mean, they were only a couple of bucks … right? But still … It’s that “but still” that gets me [...]

Did You Know… Blueberries grow in California!

Friday, November 19, 2010

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Yes, that’s right. Not your standard type, of course, which are common to the Northeast, but what are commonly called, southern “highbush”, because they grow to about 4 feet in height. And … they are not only extremely flavorful, but they can cope with both our hot weather and mild winters. Think of it … [...]

A Gardener's Thoughts & Fancies

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