Author Archives: Denise

Occasional Daily Weather Report; Thomas Fire’s impact on gardens and plant nurseries

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Denise

Stepping out the back door this morning, my skin instantaneously felt the difference. Running to check the hygrometer on the front porch, that immediate sense of all-encompassing hydration was confirmed. The needle registered over 90 per cent humidity. The pergola … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, Occasional Daily Weather Report, plant nurseries | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

bloom day December 2017

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Denise

I noticed just today that the big, sprawling Corsican hellebore seeded into bricks against the south CMU fence had begun to bloom and so was eligible for inclusion in this December Bloom Day report, hosted by Carol at May Dreams … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

winter solstice 2017

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Denise

The winter solstice is little more than a week away, on December 21st, after which point the days will blessedly begin to lengthen again. Huzzah! There will at last be more and more light, always cause for celebration, even if … Continue reading →

Posted in clippings, edibles, inspire me, journal, MB Maher, photography | Tagged , | 8 Comments

summer is overrated

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Denise

Agave bracteosa ‘Monterrey Frost’ I know those are fighting words, especially depending on where you live and your opinion of winter in general, and I’m not trying to pick a fight. We all miss those long days that stretch luxuriously … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, climate, Occasional Daily Weather Report, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged | 19 Comments

new and semi-new plants

Posted on November 14, 2017 by Denise

perky pilocereus at OC Succulents What plants have grabbed your attention lately? Last week I was chasing down a hard-to-find compact form of one of California’s native buckwheats, Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum. The Grow Native nursery at Rancho Santa Ana … Continue reading →

Posted in plant crushes, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

autumn garden triage

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Denise

I spent most of October traveling, intermittently home just long enough to sweep up piles of ash and note that the customary accumulation of a summer’s worth of city grime on leaves had been augmented by heavy particulates from local … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, garden ornament, garden travel, garden visit, journal, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

postcards from Santa Barbara gardens

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Denise

Ever since the area became accessible by car and rail in the early part of the 20th century, it has been a favored location for estates and marvelous gardens, among them El Fureidis, Val Verde, and Lotusland. — The Lightest … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, climate, garden ornament, garden travel, pots and containers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

some upcoming dates October 2017

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Denise

I was at the Huntington last Sunday to attend a talk by author Andrea Wulf (“The Invention of Nature“) on Alexander von Humboldt. If Ms. Wulf has scheduled speaking engagements in your area, I urge you to attend. She is … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, clippings, plant sales, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

garden touring England in October

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Denise

Palm house at Kew Gardens I started daydreaming out loud, oh, about three weeks ago, that it’d be so much fun to attend the Great Dixter Autumn Plant Fair, with vendors and speakers coming in from all over Europe on … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, garden visit, journal | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

fall planting: what happened to my phlomis?

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Denise

It’s fall planting time in Southern California, and I’m planting phlomis. And it’s deja vu all over again. I like to think that the blog functions at least as a personal resource, a planting reference that at a minimum chronicles … Continue reading →

Posted in plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments