Category Archives: Plant Portraits

Journal July 6, 2011

The garden saw some frenetic activity over the long holiday weekend. Over the long, extremely hot holiday weekend. Not since Nixon has a face dripped such copious amounts of sweat. Under these sticky, squalid conditions, one reverts to a feral … Continue reading

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Plant Societies

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

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Madeira Giant Bellflower

Musschia wollastonii bulges out of this large pot at an angle as though off a cliff in its native haunts of Madeira, Portugal. It’s gaining size rapidly, pushing aside the cordyline, but I try to stay calm and suppress an … Continue reading

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Occasional Daily Photo 6/27/11

Dasylirion longissimum, about 6:45 a.m.

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Occasional Daily Photo 6/24/11

I took the day off from work yesterday and worked played in the garden all day. Needing potting soil, I stopped at a local nursery, where I found this: (Photo is a little dark, taken late last night.) Pedilanthus bracteatus … Continue reading

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The Gospel According to San Marcos

The devoted gathered to hear Mr. Baldwin of the premiere West Coast nursery San Marcos Growers give a talk at Roger’s Gardens last Saturday on new plant introductions. Be warned that this post will be plant-wonkish in the extreme.

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Solanum marginatum

Cable TV was turned back on in our house after an absence of about a year of no TV other than Netflix. Fiberoptic cable was laid on our street, so a package deal with faster internet, cable TV, and phone … Continue reading

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Garden Tasks, Dogs & Productivity

I work at home most days of the week and keep this guy fairly close all day. Working alone all day with a dog instead of people has some interesting ramifications. I’m not sure if it makes me any more … Continue reading

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Hortus Chaotica

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.

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Bloom Day June 2011

I missed yesterday’s Bloom Day post, hosted by May Dreams Gardens, but now need a photo for Digging’s Foliage Follow-Up, always held the day after Bloom Day. Let’s see….blooms and great leaves. Oh, of course. Cannas can do double-duty for … Continue reading

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