Author Archives: Denise

more on garden shelves

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Denise

There was never any question I’d leave this alone, last seen in this iteration. The nice thing about this arrangement is that it tucks under the eaves and keeps the pots dry during winter. Not a big deal considering our … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged agaves, woody lilies, Cotyledon undulata 'Silver Crown', Olearia virgata v. lineata 'Dartonii, Senecio radicans | 3 Comments

under overcast skies at last

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Denise

We’ve been watching an old Swedish detective show, Wallander, which is subtitled in English. I’m crazy for that soft, muted Swedish light, which I can only imagine is similar to what we’ve been getting the past few days, creating a … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave desmettiana 'Joe Hoak', Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca, Echeveria imbricata, Eryngium padanifolium, Euphorbia lambii, Tetrapanax papyrifer, Wallander | 7 Comments

driveby agave garden

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Denise

I have the Long Beach Marathon to thank for finding this garden. No, I didn’t run the marathon, more like actively avoided it. The marathon barricades cut off much of my end of Long Beach on October 6, so trying … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, driveby gardens, garden travel, garden visit, Plant Portraits, succulents | Tagged Aenoium 'Sunburst', Agave bovicornuta, Agave colorata, Agave ferdinandi-regis, Agave guiengola 'Creme Brulee', Agave lophantha, Agave potatorum, barrel cactus, Beaucarnia recurvata, Bismarckia nobilis, Colletia paradoxa, Echinocactus grusonii, Euphorbia ammak, Euphorbia tirucalli, Yucca rostrata | 32 Comments

Foliage Followup 10/16/12

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Denise

Hosted by Pam Penick at Digging Two of the great memes in garden bloggery, Bloom Day on the 15th and the Foliage Followup on the 16th. Pam’s photo above of an anole in her Austin, Texas garden suggests a third … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bloom Day, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave americana var. striata, Agave attenuata 'Kara's Stripes', Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate', Arundo donax 'Golden Chain, Canna 'Intrigue', Cussonia gamtoosensis, Macleaya cordata, Musa 'Siam Ruby', Sonchus canariensis | 12 Comments

Bloom Day October 2012

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Denise

A nice little rainstorm rolled into town last Thursday. For a sweet, brief moment, it almost seemed like autumn, but the heat has returned this week. Still, the garden has had a reasonable soaking, a rare thing for October, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day, Plant Portraits | Tagged Ceratostigma willmottianum 'My Love', Gerbera 'Drakensberg Carmine', Lotus jacobaeus, Melianthus major 'Purple Haze', Nicotiana 'Ondra's Brown Mix', Pedilanthus bracteatus, Persicaria amplexicaulis, Salvia 'Wendy Wish', Salvia chiapensis, Zaluzianskya capensis | 5 Comments

Mina lobata, the sequel

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Denise

The WordPress blogging platform that hosts AGO suffered a catastrophic system failure over the past few days. I understand very little about what caused the problem, but only know that a very nice person named Matt at Apis Networks acted … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged Mina lobata, space shuttle Endeavour | 3 Comments

garden lanterns

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Denise

Seedpods of Asclepias physocarpa transformed into garden lanterns. Another “light painting” by photographer MB Maher.

Posted in MB Maher, photography, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged Annie's Annuals & Perennials, Asclepias physocarpa, Family Jewels Tree, MB Maher | 3 Comments

dog days of summer take toll on local nursery

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Denise

I’ve been scouring local nurseries for calamint recently and stopped by Brita’s Old Town Gardens in Seal Beach, California, last week as the likeliest possible local source for Calamintha nepeta. Brita always has interesting stuff, the kind of plants the … Continue reading →

Posted in plant crushes, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate', Ballota pseudodictamnus, Brita's Old Town Gardens, Calamintha nepeta, California, Ein the corgi, independent nurseries, Phylica pubescens, Seal Beach | 8 Comments

Los Angeles’ Grand Park

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Denise

I worked at the courthouse in downtown Los Angeles today. I love these occasional work assignments downtown. We drove up Broadway, taking in an early morning dose of awe at its many ghostly, majestic movie palaces like the Orpheum, now … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, garden travel, garden visit, succulents | Tagged Broadway Theater District, Grand Park, Janus et Cie, Los Angeles, Rios Clementi Hale Studios | 8 Comments

cross-pollination 9/29/12

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Denise

Annette and Gustavo Gutierrez hosted another “Cross-Pollination” on Saturday. These get-togethers were initiated by garden designer Dustin Gimbel, who’s already hosted a couple dinners, and are a hybrid between a revolving conversation society and garden party. There was just enough … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden visit, plant nurseries, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Annette and Gustavo Gutierrez, Bend Seating, Dustin Gimbel, Kismet Tile., Mary Gray, Potted For Outdoor Living, Tracey Reinberg | 7 Comments