Category Archives: agaves, woody lilies

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

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

Bloom Day August 2014

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Denise

August? Come in, August. Ground control to August? August: Um, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern here. Over. Repetition seems to be a hallmark of my summer Bloom Day posts. It’s been the usual suspects all summer. Still, … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bloom Day, pots and containers | Tagged Agapanthus 'Gold Srike', Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud', Agave geminiflora, Anigozanthos, Crithmum maritimum, Euphorbia marginata, Gaura lindheimeri, Gomphrena 'Fireworks', Lemon Grass Cymbopogon citratus, Rudbeckia triloba, Seseli gummiferum, Tagetes 'Cinnabar' | 12 Comments

It happened one night; August rain

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Denise

I bought my first water plant Saturday, and it rained all that night. Not a downpour, but a steady drizzle. I’m not saying there’s any causal link between the two, just that they’re both rare events that happened to coincide … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Occasional Daily Weather Report, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave 'Mr. Ripple', Aloe 'Hercules', August garden, dark-leaved plants, east side of garden, Echeveria multicaulis 'Copper Roses', Garden Bloggers Fling 2014 Portland, International Garden Center & Floral Design, Mina lobata, Olea europaea 'Little Ollie', Pennisetum purpureum 'Princess Caroline', Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen', Potted For Outdoor Living, Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum 'Black Varnish', rhipsalis, Sagittaria lancifolia 'Ruminoides', Salvia guaranitica, Sticks on Fired/Euphorbia tirucalli, water gardens | 15 Comments

back on the home front

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Denise

It’s finally happening. Miraculously, after a couple close calls resulting in an almost fatal wilt, Musschia wollastonii has survived and begun to hoist up that much-anticipated chartreuse candelabra of blooms. The Madeira Giant Bellflower must be an unforgettable sight in … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, clippings, garden travel, journal, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Aeonium 'Zwartkop', Agapanthus 'Gold Strike', Agave 'Tradewinds', Agave attenuata 'Boutin's Blue', Aristolochia fimbriata, Australian Native Plants, Calamintha nepeta 'Gottlieb Friedkund., Carex trifida 'Rekohu Sunrise, Cistus Nursery, Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash', Crambe maritima, Crassula pruinosa, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Citriodora', Cussonia gamtoosensis, Dan Hinkley, Digging Dog Nursery, Emilia javanica 'Irish Poet', Eryngium padanifolium, Eucalyptus 'Moon Lagoon', Euphorbia ammak, Far Reaches Farm, Gaillardia 'Oranges & Lemons', Garden Bloggers Fling 2014 Portland, Hayefield Seeds, Hibiscus trionum, Jo O'Connell, Leucadendron 'Ebony', Lotus jacobaeus, Mirabilis jalapa 'Limelight', Musschia wollastonii, Nan Onda, Olearia virgata v. lineata 'Dartonii, Pennisetum 'Sky Rocket', Prostranthera ovalifolia 'Variegata, Pseudobombax ellipticum, San Marcos Growers, Tagetes 'Cinnabar', Variegated Tataki Grass, Windcliff | 14 Comments

contain your enthusiasm

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Denise

Creating a small, plant-rich garden in zone 8 can be a brutal business. Faced with so many tempting choices in such an agreeable climate, a small garden runs the danger of sinking into visual chaos. Wielding the power of refusal, … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, garden ornament, garden travel, garden visit, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Danger Garden, JJ Sousa Digs Inside and Out, Loree Bohl | 16 Comments

Portland Pots It Up

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Denise

There’s so many reasons for plants to spend some or even all of their lives in containers. Aside from the practical reasons — fine-tuning sunlight, better drainage, more moisture, less moisture, special soil mixes, protection from chewing and digging creatures, … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, garden ornament, garden travel, garden visit, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Aloe plicatilis, Begonia boliviensis, Bella Madrona gardens, Cistus Nursery, Ernst/Fuller Gardens, Euphorbia ammak, garden designer Laura Crockett, garden designer Sean Hogan, Gomphrena 'Pink Zazzle', JJ Sousa Digs Inside and Out, John Kuzma's garden, Joy Creek Nursery, Oregon, Pomarius Nursery, Portland, Potted For Outdoor Living, Westwind Farm Studio | 12 Comments

how Alison got her stripes back

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Denise

So very glad to find a moderate-sized phormium, a true 4-footer, I was willing to overlook the fact that many of this New Zealand Flax’s leaves age into a dull olive green, losing the pale bands that are the inspiration … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits | Tagged Agave 'Blue Glow', Brachysema praemorsum, Furcraea macdougalii, New Zealand Flax, Phormium 'Alison Blackman', variegated plants | 3 Comments

sunday clippings 7/6/14

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Denise

I think the conversation left off with brillantaisia, the salvia look-alike I stumbled upon at the local city college. Except it’s not really a salvia but a member of the acanthaceae family. I did go back for photos and also … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, artists, clippings, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged "Botany's New Boys" by Michael Tortorello, "Sowing a Garden One Knit Flower at a Time, Agave celsii var. albicans 'UCB', Agave x leopoldii, Aloe cameronii, artist Tatyana Yanishevsky, Brillantaisia subulugurica, Garden Designer Carolyn Mullet, Lavandula multifida, Melianthus 'Purple Haze', Paul Stamet's 6 ways mushrooms can save the world, Salvia 'Amistad', Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold', TED talk, ” | 7 Comments

notes from the CSSA plant sale at the Huntington June 28-29, 2014

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Denise

Aloe cameronii from the Cactus & Succulent Society of America show and sale at the Huntington this weekend. An aloe famous for the deep coloring of is leaves, which requires harsh treatment to maintain, full sun and minimal water. I … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, clippings, garden visit, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged 29th Annual Intercity Show at LA County Arboretum, Agave bracteosa, Aloe cameronii, Cactus and Succulent Society of America, Cephalocereus urbanianus, Huntington Botanical Gardens, Notocactus magnificus | 4 Comments