Category Archives: agaves, woody lilies

commercial landscape

Some commercial and business office plantings are really stepping up their game. Here’s another example of good plantsmanship I’m seeing around town. Nicely done, I think. Ribbons of succulents along stone walkways, arbutus, olives, furcraea embedded in blankets of westringia. … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, succulents | 5 Comments

some dry garden plants

When I planted this slipper plant (Pedilanthus bracteatus, from Mexico) into the back garden last October, I knew that it would necessarily change the character of the plantings surrrounding it. Everything would have to become even more dry tolerant. For … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits, succulents | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Wednesday vignette

A couple of loose ideas came together this morning in a slowburn, sleepy kind of way. I’ve been envious of large stands of Agave attenuata around town, wishing I could grab a crown for dramatic inclusion in a large vase, … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, cut flowers, pots and containers | Tagged | 9 Comments

San Gabriel Valley CSS Show & Sale

I treated myself yesterday to San Gabriel Valley’s Cactus & Succulent Society‘s show and sale at the Los Angeles Arboretum. I bought no plants this time, just circled the show tables over and over, sometimes because the show plant was … Continue reading

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Greenlee Meadow Grass Fall Festival 2015

Fall has been stupidly busy, but I’m so glad I made it out to Pomona last Saturday for John Greenlee’s Meadow Grass Fall Festival, the second year it’s been held. Let’s cross our grubby, fall-planting fingers and hope for another … Continue reading

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gardens without borders

This corner of my small, jam-packed garden is where it gets crazy. Okay, okay. Crazier. This east end of the garden kind of horseshoes around this collection of containers, with the main sitting area (and more containers) off to the … Continue reading

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signs of fall

Fall doesn’t announce itself ceremoniously draped in dramatic curtains of crimson and gold. We’re a little, ahem, minimalist and understated here in Southern California as far as seasonal transitions. But there are many autumnal similarities we share. Like everyone in … Continue reading

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Bloom Day September 2015

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

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Lotusland, garden provocateur

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

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bug report & EOMV

“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

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