Category Archives: MB Maher

soaking up the farm life at The Apple Farm

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Denise

When Sally Schmitt sold her ground-breaking, farm-to-table restaurant The French Laundry to Thomas Keller in 1994, she and her husband Don left Yountville and Napa County for an apple farm in Mendocino County. Sally passed away in 2022, one of … Continue reading →

Posted in edibles, garden travel, MB Maher, photography | 4 Comments

Presidio Tunnel Tops

Posted on April 28, 2026 by Denise

I first heard of what has come to be known as the Presidio Tunnel Tops in 2015, when visiting landscape architect Rania Reyes mentioned her involvement in a new Presidio Parklands Project in San Francisco. Rania was being given a … Continue reading →

Posted in design, garden travel, garden visit, MB Maher, succulents | 9 Comments

two gardens in late May/early June

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Denise

I spent two days at the end of May in Long Beach (garden USDA zone 10), readying the house for some friends’ upcoming stay. (The second day, May 30, topped 95F — what a homecoming!) The profligate weediness in the … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, journal, Los Angeles garden post 2024, MB Maher, Oregon garden, succulents | 7 Comments

a brief but well-timed visit to the Disney Concert Hall garden

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Denise

Sometimes I take the Metro train from Long Beach to visit family near Downtown Los Angeles. Yesterday Mitch and his daughter Domino picked me up at the usual stop on Grand Avenue, and we explored the Broad Art Musem and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bulbs, design, garden visit, MB Maher | 4 Comments

Moir Garden, a Hawaiian succulent garden

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Denise

My one-year-old granddaughter Domino is already a seasoned traveler. She obtained a passport not long after birth and had it stamped for Tunisia by three months. Her parents are committed vagabonds, so her budding wanderlust is no surprise. Recently Domino … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, MB Maher, succulents | 3 Comments

Flora Grubb Takes on LA

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Denise

Memorial Day Weekend was the official launch of Flora Grubb Gardens’ new location in Los Angeles. When I heard Mitch was going to take advantage of the opening 20% sale, I pleaded for a few photos. With the recent closing … Continue reading →

Posted in MB Maher, plant nurseries | 4 Comments

scenes from November

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Denise

How are we all holding up? Mid-term elections over, one major holiday in the can, another looming, but as usual I’m determined to go full contrarian and resist its gravity pull until the typical last-minute panic. (If Christmas involved nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, MB Maher, Oregon garden | 5 Comments

from Angelino Heights to Turkey and back again

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Denise

Mitch is safely back home from recent travels, with photos of Turkey from the new Leica camera that turned out to be problematic in that it needed a learning curve longer than a few days. Before departure, he took these … Continue reading →

Posted in MB Maher, Occasional Daily Photo | 5 Comments

planning the perfect getaway

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Denise

Intermittent photo contributor MB Maher is off to Turkey — some of us make it a habit to travel frequently; for others (raises hand), it’s a rare event. With the PNW continuing to unspool cool, rainy days in May, all … Continue reading →

Posted in inspire me, MB Maher | 4 Comments

scenes around the bay

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Denise

Mitch visited a couple weekends ago and took this photo of the daffs on our table. I indulged in armloads of them for the house when I chanced upon a grower a few miles south of Tillamook off highway 101. … Continue reading →

Posted in journal, MB Maher | 7 Comments