Category Archives: agaves, woody lilies

Agave bovicornuta

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Denise

The Cow Horn Agave. I can’t think of another agave with this translucent quality to its leaves. And the little “steer horns” (teeth) fire up in morning sun like burning coals heating a branding iron. Do I really know anything … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, Plant Portraits | Tagged Agave bovicornuta, Agaves Yuccas & Related Plants by Mary & Gary Irish, Cow Horn Agave, O Pioneer Woman! by Amanda Fortini, Rawhide, The New Yorker 5/9/11 | 6 Comments

Sean Hogan at Flora Grubb Gardens

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Denise

On Sunday, July 17, 2011, Sean Hogan of Cistus Nursery, Portland, Oregon, gave a talk at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco, California, entitled “The Art of the Rosette.” I’ve visited Cistus Nursery twice, so I know first-hand that it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Bulbs, MB Maher, pots and containers, succulents, The Hortorialist | Tagged Agave 'Spot', Agave schidigera 'Black Widow', Agave schidigera 'Durango Delight', Agave schidigera 'Shira ito no Ohi', Aloe 'Brass Hat', Cistus Nursery, eucomis, Flora Grubb Gardens, Hechtia texensis, Mangave 'Bloodspot', Mangave undulata 'Chocolate Chips', Opuntia fragilis, Plantlust, Sean Hogan, Tradescantia sillamontana, Yucca angustissima 'Southside', Yucca nana, Yucca rostrata 'Sapphire Skies' | 6 Comments

Plant Societies

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Denise

Why has it taken me so long to check out local plant societies? I’ve been a member of the various conservancies, The Mediterranean Garden Society, but membership was mostly in a passive sense, as a means to attend tours and … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, garden travel, garden visit, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, shop talk, succulents | Tagged Agave americana var. striata, Cactus and Succulent Society of America, Dominguez Rancho Adobe, Inter-City Cactus Show & Sale, Long Beach Cactus Club, Los Angeles Arboretum, Nazca lines, Peru, The Mediterranean Garden Society, Woody Minnich | 8 Comments

Occasional Daily Photo 6/27/11

Posted on June 27, 2011 by Denise

Dasylirion longissimum, about 6:45 a.m.

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Occasional Daily Photo, Plant Portraits | Tagged Dasylirion longissimum | 3 Comments

Under Trees

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Denise

Should any part of your garden extend under a tree canopy, be joyful, for you will never lack for tasks to keep you busy. (Ha!) But if your garden is home to spiky plants, no amount of sweeping and raking … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, succulents | Tagged Aeonium 'Kiwi', Agave guadalajarana, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Senecio decaryi, Stipa gigantea, tree litter | 8 Comments

Hortus Chaotica

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Denise

So many contradictions, so little time. A love of spare, austere, sculptural plantings. Yet every summer I still invite the circus to camp in my garden.

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Occasional Daily Photo, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave bovicornuta, Anigozanthos 'Yellow Gem', dasylirion, Echeveria gigantea, echeverias, Senecio medley-woodii, Solanum, Solanum rantonnetii | 11 Comments

June Leans In

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Denise

Look away briefly, and June overwhelms winter’s carefully laid plans. Since spring in Southern California really gets going in March, by June plant growth is at full throttle. The agaves, succulents, and Mediterranean evergreen shrubs have presented a sedate, enchanting … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits, pots and containers | Tagged ' Amicia zygomeris, Agave titanota, Briza maxima, Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga, crocosmia, Gaura linheimeri, Geum magellanicum, Haloragis erecta, Lobelia tupa, perovskia, Persicaria amplexicaule, Salvia 'wendy's Wish', Salvia cacaliifolia, Teucrium 'Fairy Dust', zone 10 Southern California | 6 Comments

Occasional Daily Photos 6/6/11

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Denise

San Diego Cactus & Succulent Society Plant Show and Sale at Balboa Park (San Diego), California. First-time visit to this amazing show in an open-air courtyard at the Casa Del Prado of Balboa Park. I’ll stick with photos of some … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Occasional Daily Photo, Plant Portraits, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged Agave lophantha 'Goshiki Bandai', Agave parrasana 'Fireball', Crassula capitela, Echeveria agavoides 'Ebony', Euphorbia bupleurifolia | 4 Comments

Come Any Time

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Denise

Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino (Pasadena), California. MB Maher and I visited on Saturday, May 28, 2011. As I wrote here, one of the reasons we visited on Saturday was to catch some puyas in bloom. But there’s always … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, garden visit, MB Maher, succulents | Tagged Aeonium percarneum, Agave 'Blue Flame', Agave franzosinii, Agave ovatifolia, Bromelia balansae, Colletia paradoxa, Cussonia spicata, Echeveria agavoides, Euphorbia ambohipotsiensis, Euphorbia atropurpurea, Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society, Puya spathacea, Puya venusta, San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society | 10 Comments

Walk the Walk

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Denise

Long Beach Water Department is leading by example to gently ease citizens out of the mindset that wants to seed or unroll mowable turf grass as the default landscape. Who else is better positioned to educate the public on alternative … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, succulents | Tagged Agave deserti, Agave shawii, Agave vilmoriniana, Calandrinia grandiflora, California native plants, Carex testacea, decomposed granite paths, Dendromecon rigida, Dymondia margaretae, Erigeron glaucus, Fonquieria splendens, Graptopetalum paraguayense, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Long Beach Water Department, Ocotillo, Sedum rubrotinctum, Stipa tenuissima, Toyon | 9 Comments