Tired of looking at that grilled cheese sandwich? I know I was. It’s been a while since I posted hasn’t it? Apparently I needed a break. I hadn’t planned it, but around summer of last year I started to lose the desire to post. I think I got too caught up in the whole promotion [...]

Lately I’ve been seeing red. It’s everywhere I look. Red pots, red furniture, red flowers. But I’m not complaining. I like it and lately have been craving it. It could be because our summer here on the coast has been anything but summery. While much of the nation suffers through a heatwave, we have been [...]

Sketch a Plant Sunday is a blog carnival started by Steve Asbell over at The Raintforest Garden. It’s a chance to get in the habit of drawing every Sunday and sharing what you’ve done. If you would like to participate in Sketch a Plant Sunday, just hop on over to Steve’s blog for details.   [...]

Thinking ahead to next year. I already know I want more poppies. More of these girly, ruffly pink ones. Normally girly is not my style in manner or dress. But in plants? That’s a completely different story. I love flowers that are delicate and ruffled just like a party dress I’ll never wear. This particular [...]

Although this is probably the best time of year bloom-wise in my garden, I’m only going to share one. Why? Because this plant NEVER stops blooming. Annie’s Annual’s describes the Knautia macedonica as “one of the longest blooming plants.” In my garden it never takes a break. It’s not fussy, keeps going without deadheading and [...]

This year I made it. I made it out to the Elfin Forest in Baywood to see the California Peony, Paeonia californica in bloom. Last year, I missed their bloom period (only a few weeks) by about two weeks. All that was left were green seed heads, although interesting in their own right, but not [...]

Plants go in and out of fashion just like clothing.  I can remember being absolutely fascinated with Billbergia nutans  when I first saw one during the 1980′s. This Brazilian native seemed so exotic. Its graceful arching stems held the most delicate of flowers as if they were jewels. The vibrant shades of blue, yellow and [...]

Last November I paid a visit to the Los Angeles County Arboretum. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and I could not have enjoyed a more pleasant day. One of the highlights of my visit was the orchid house. It has been a while since I’ve been in a greenhouse of any kind so [...]

Symbiotic adj. That which describes a close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member. Epiphyte n. A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a staghorn fern, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for [...]