Author Archives: Denise

Hortus Obsessus

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Denise

Spring planting must be on just about everyone’s minds now, right? I shop at Annie’s Annuals all the time, fill my cyber basket to overflowing, then walk away from the computer. The walking away is pure character building. At least … Continue reading →

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Tulip ‘Double Beauty of Apeldoorn’

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Denise

This is some of what I’ll be spending my tulip money on next year.

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Warming Up

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Denise

Colors to take the chill out. Arctotis New leaves on cotinus Angelica stricta ‘Purpurea’ in pot with bromeliad Aechmea recurvata ‘Aztec Gold’

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McNally’s Egyptian Revival

Posted on March 5, 2011 by Denise

This morning’s LA Times had a piece by Sam Watters via his Lost LA column on the neo-Egyptian den mapmaker magnate Andrew McNally had added to his Altadena mansion after being wowed by Egypt’s display in Chicago’s 1893 World Fair. … Continue reading →

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Occasional Daily Photo/Begonia luxurians 3/4/11

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Denise

The Palm-Leaf Begonia droopily luxuriating in the past couple days of mist and one overnight of a good, soaking rain. Departing visitors from Massachusetts said they never want to vacation in February in Southern California again, that it’s a “different” … Continue reading →

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Occasional Daily Photo/Beschorneria 3/3/11

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Denise

More impending drama. The first beschorneria to bloom in my garden. I think it’s B. septentrionalis but won’t know until it blooms. The narrow leaves look a little yuccoides, and there has been some wild hybridizing going on among the … Continue reading →

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Poppies Unbound

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Denise

My first poppy of spring, P. setigerum, self-sown Dwarf Breadseed Poppy or Poppy of Troy. Nothing unfurls like a poppy. Sure, roses and peonies have more petals, so the process is more complicated and, therefore, some might say more thrilling. … Continue reading →

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Cue the Ice Cream Man

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Denise

The twilight opening of the door to the enchanted photographic realm of “magic hour” is announced by the canned tunes of the ice cream man plying his cold confections 365 days a year. If I’m home when that tinny music … Continue reading →

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Pelargonium tomentosum ‘Chocolate Mint’

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Denise

Temps dropped into the high 30’s last night, not enough to damage tender pelargoniums, but cold enough to need a blanket for the couch (Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent in the queue. If only Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant had the lead … Continue reading →

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Weird Plants

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Denise

It lives! Emergence of the aroid Pinellia tripartita, or ‘Dragon Tails.’ New shoots emerge almost a crime-tape yellow, maturing to a lurid yellow-green. The aroids seem to have weird covered, having in common, whether small or gigantic, jack-in-the-pulpit flowers. Amorphophallus, … Continue reading →

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