Author Archives: Denise

pandemonium revisited

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Denise

The New York Times has a very nice article today on Pandemonium Aviaries (“362 Birds, and Unruffled“), which MB Maher visited and photographed in 2012. Since that time, bird rescuer Michelle Raffin has written a book “The Birds of Pandemonium; … Continue reading →

Posted in creatures, MB Maher | Tagged "362 Birds & Unruffled", aviaries, endangered birds, MB Maher, Michelle Raffin, Pandemonium Aviaries, Sandy Keenan, The Birds of Pandemonium; Life Among the Exotic and the Endangered.”, The New York Times 9/17/14 | 1 Comment

streetside; your own personal prairie

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Denise

When my job canceled today, I knew exactly where I wanted to go before breakfast, before even the first cup of coffee. The local neighborhood prairie. It’s something you don’t see everyday in my coastal neighborhood in Los Angeles County, … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, design, driveby gardens, The Hortorialist | Tagged Bouteloua gracilis, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Citriodora', lawn-free gardens, Melinus nerviglumis, waterwise landscaping | 16 Comments

extraordinary leaves

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Denise

All leaves are extraordinary in a basic, photosynthetic sense, and then there are those that push the point even further. Leaves perform infinite adaptive riffs and improvisations on variegation or curve, curl, and flounce. A couple examples in my garden … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged Echium simplex, Glaucium flavum, Glaucium grandiflorum | 7 Comments

Bloom Day September 2014

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Denise

I think I’m finally getting the hang of this heat wave business. I’m taking a cue from the plants: Hunker down and just wait it out. When I cut the melianthus back, this Gomphostigma virgatum found some needed breathing room. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day | Tagged Aloe scobinifolia, Cuphea viscosissima, Euphorbia milii ‘Amarillo’, Gaura lindheimeri, Gomphostigma virgatum, Lavandula multifida, Lotus jacobaeus, Pelargonium echinatum, Pennisetum 'Princess Caroline', Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Alba', Solanum pyracanthum | 11 Comments

Gastrolobium ‘Bronze Butterfly’

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Denise

Before September turns the corner into fall, when my garden plans will predictably revive and become hopeful and catalogue-driven once again, it’s a good opportunity to take a clear-eyed look at the survivors. The survivors are once-treasured plants that slowly … Continue reading →

Posted in plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged Australian Native Plants Nursery, Brachysema praemorsum 'Bronze Butterfly', Gastrolobium praemorsum 'Bronze Butterfly', Gastrolobium sericeum 'Black Form', Palos Verdes Begonia Farm, San Marcos Growers, Thamnochortus insignis | 9 Comments

mangaves, water bills, and other mysteries

Posted on August 30, 2014 by Denise

I’ve been going over the monthly water bills, which this year give usage in 100-cubic feet per month instead of gallons per day. Beyond exasperated with the inscrutable tables and tiers on July’s bill, I made my very first cranky … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, succulents | Tagged California drought 2014, drought-tolerant gardens, Lawn Chair Larry, Mangave 'Bloodspot', Mangave 'Macho Mocha', mangaves, monthly water bills, wasting time on the Internet, zonkey | 16 Comments

supergraphic Deborah Sussman

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Denise

When I visited Los Angeles’ Grand Park for the first time, I didn’t know that environmental designer Deborah Sussman, who passed away last week at age 83, was the force behind those shocking pink chairs and benches, a color Ms. … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, design, garden visit | Tagged 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, California, Charles & Ray Eames, Deborah Sussman, Design Boom, environmental design, Frances Anderton, Grand Park, KCRW's Design & Architecture, Los Angeles, Pacific Standard Time at LACMA, photographer Jim Simmons, Sussman/Prejza & Co, World Landscape Architecture, WUHO Gallery | 5 Comments

Friday clippings 8/22/14

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Denise

At first sight I became enthralled by artist James Griffith’s exquisite, painterly ripostes to the “drill, baby, drill” set — my words, not his. James is much more polite. By way of a secret alchemy, he utilizes that precious resource … Continue reading →

Posted in artists, clippings, MB Maher, photography, plant nurseries, succulents | Tagged Aloe capitata var. quartzicola., Begonia 'Paul Hernandez', California Greenhouses, Editor Emeritus Pacific Horticulture, Folly Bowl Summer Concert Series, Garden designer Sue Dadd, James Griffith's La Brea Tar Paintings, La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Marion Brenner, Natural Discourse; Light & Image 10/18/14, Potted For Outdoor Living, Richard Turner, Sanseviera 'Black Gold', Shirley Watts, Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Plants | 5 Comments

yucca in bloom

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Denise

What’s most likely a Yucca recurvifolia ‘Margaritaville,’ is throwing its first bloom. And here I was just telling the Outlaw Gardener that this yucca seems to have decided it’s not the blooming type. Its ears must have been burning because … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged 'Margaritaville', Yucca recurvifolia | 12 Comments

checking out the nurseries in August

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Denise

It might seem kind of pointless to check out the local nurseries in the dog days of August. A lot of the inventory can look frazzled, but roaming the mostly customer-less aisles in August, armed with sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave franzosinii, Annie's Annuals & Perennials Nursery, Armstrong Nurseries, Brita's Old Town Gardens, Burkhard Nurseries, Crocosmia 'Solfatare', Fatsia 'Spider Web', Gerbera 'Drakensberg Gold', H&H Nursery, International Garden Center & Floral Design, Laguna Hills Nursery, Lincoln Avenue Nursery, M&M Nursery, Marina del Rey Garden Center, Monstera deliciosa, Phygelius 'Diablo', Roger's Gardens, Senecio haworthii, Sunset Western Garden Collection, Upland Nursery, Village Nurseries | 17 Comments