Author Archives: Denise

planting details at the Reid garden

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Denise

I went through my Reid garden photos again, looking for clear examples of the subtly layered plant communities that rose up around my feet as I followed the paths, scanning the garden like a hungry predator, looking down then quickly … Continue reading →

Posted in books, climate, design, garden visit | Tagged "A Passionate Pursuit", American Conifer Society, Claudia West, dry garden planting, Leonotis leonurus, marthastewart.com, Mary and Lew Reid, Northern California, Pacific Horticulture, Planting in a Post-Wild World, Stipa gigantea, terraced gardens, Thomas Rainer, Tibouchina heteromala, Western Hills Nursery and Garden | 9 Comments

the case of the disappearing hebes

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Denise

I was in San Francisco recently for several days cat-sitting a charming fraidycat in the Mission district named Banksy. It was during this trip that I solved the case of the disappearing hebes, those lovely little shrubs from New Zealand. … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged "On a Sonoma Hilltop", American Conifer Society, Annie's Annuals & Perennials Nursery, Circle Oak Ranch, Flora Grubb Gardens, Fusarium oxysporum v. hebei, Gardens Illustrated, hebes, Lew and Mary Reid's garden, Monterey Bay Nursery, Noel Kingsbury, Northern California, Pacific Horticulture, Salvia 'Purple Majesty', Sara Malone, Sonoma County | 6 Comments

white bougainvillea

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Denise

There are some rip-roaring stories behind some of the plants on my street. Take bougainvillea, now in bloom all over town, the scarlet wallpaper to my daily travels. My favorite bougainvillea at the moment, however, is this white one just … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged bougainvillea, Jeanne Bare, Louis Antoine de Bougainville | 9 Comments

Natural Discourse: Flora & Fauna; A Day at the Natural History Museum 10/17/15

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Denise

From the Natural Discourse event registration page: “Natural Discourse has been invited to explore the Natural History Museum! The Museum opens its doors for a day-long conversation about gardens, art, science, and collections. Natural Discourse is an ongoing series of … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, Department of Instruction, garden travel, science | Tagged Director of the Huntington Botanical Gardens, Exposition Park, garden designer Shirley Watts, James Griffith's La Brea Tar Paintings, Jim Folsom, JoAnne Northrup, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, Maura C. Flannery, Mia Lehrer, Natania Meeker & Antonia Szabari, Natural Discourse; Flora & Fauna 10/17/15, Rosamond Purcell | 4 Comments

Bloom Day September 2015

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Denise

Since I’m already running a day late for the Bloom Day reports collected by May Dreams Gardens on the 15th of every month, I’ll try to limit the repetition. September pretty much mirrors August, but here’s a couple oddballs, a … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bloom Day | Tagged Agave 'Snow Glow', Agave vilmoriniana, Brilliantasia subulugarica, Crithmum maritimum, Glaucium grandiflorum, Gomphrena 'Balboa', Plectranthus zuluensis, Ptilotus nobilis | 13 Comments

Lotusland, garden provocateur

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Denise

More from that June visit to Lotusland, Ganna Walska’s 37-acre estate near Santa Barbara, California. In the comments to this post, Emily kindly provided a link to an English series “Around the World in 80 Gardens,” in which a visit … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, climate, garden travel, garden visit, succulents | Tagged Around the World in 80 Gardens, Cactus and Succulent Society of America, cactus gardens, California gardens, Donald Culross Peattie, Geoff Stein, James Van Sweden, Lotusland, Madame Ganna Walska, March-April 2015 Cactus and Succulent Journal, Monty Don, Pauleen Sullivan, writer Catherine Phillips, Ysabel Wright's cactus garden Quien Sabe | 16 Comments

bug report & EOMV

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Denise

“None of the ants previously seen by man were more than an inch in length – most considerably under that size. But even the most minute of them have an instinct and talent for industry, social organization, and savagery that … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, creatures, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Adenanthos sericeus, Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass', Aloe 'Rooikappie', Aloe capitata var. quartzicola., Aloe elgonica, Argentine ants, Artemisia pycnocephala 'David's Choice, Cotinis mutabilis, Crassula alba var. parvisepala, Cussonia gamtoosensis, end of month view, Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon', Euphorbia 'Lime Wall', Grevillea 'Moonlight', Linepithema humile, Senecio medley-woodii | 20 Comments

Wanda Mallen & Gary Vincent’s Fallbrook garden

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Denise

The CSSA’s tour of private gardens for their 2015 Biennial Convention in June also included the 2-acre garden of Wanda Mallen and Gary Vincent in Fallbrook, Calif. This superb collector’s garden, started from scratch in approximately 1999-2000, is occasionally open … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, garden visit, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Cactus & Succulent Society of America, California, CSSA 2015 Biennial Convention, Fallbrook, Wanda Mallen & Gary Vincent's garden | 7 Comments

Wednesday clippings 8/26/15

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Denise

So what’s shakin’ this muggy end of August? As little as possible, you say? There’s been all manner of weird stuff going on, including a recurring problem with street-parked neighborhood cars getting their gas siphoned. This on the heels of … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, succulents | Tagged Agave 'Cornelius', Cupressus macrocarpa 'Citriodora', Grevillea 'Moonlight', Mina lobata, vines, Yucca 'Margaritaville' | 7 Comments

Bloom Day August 2015

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Denise

There’s not much difference between July and August, or even June Bloom Day posts, but I suppose it’s useful to see what has survived, who’s stalwart and who’s a wimp. And I have been dropping some new stuff into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day | Tagged ' Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost, Abutilon venosum, Asarina scandens, Begonia 'Unbelievable Lucky Strike', Begonia 'Unstoppable Upright Big Fire', Bulbine 'Athena Compact Orange', Crassula ovata 'Hummel's Sunset', Crocosmia 'Solfatare', Eryngium pandanifolium, Euphorbia ammak variegata, Glaucium grandiflorum, Gomphrena 'Balboa', Gomphrena 'Fireworks', Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon', Lotus jacobaeus, Pennisetum 'Sky Rocket', Plectranthus zuluensis, Russelia equisetiformis, Salvia uliginosa, Sphaeralcea 'Newleaze Coral', Stipa ichu, Tradescantia 'Greenlee' | 17 Comments