Monthly Archives: April 2010

Corgi in the Grass

You never know what creatures lurk in the tall grass. (Obviously trying to camouflage those ears amongst the aloe.)

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The Third Harmonic

It’s that time when the garden vibrates to the frequency of Alstroemeria ‘The Third Harmonic.’ The flowering stalks, when upright, graze my chin, and I’m 5’8.” This is a two-year-old clump, and it’s a good 5 feet across already. These … Continue reading

Posted in Bulbs, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

This Year’s Folly

As I’ve written in posts like “Type G Personality,” it seems every summer has its folly. This year looks to be no different. The chains are hung. I’m using the word “folly” to mean a project of dubious merit, not … Continue reading

Posted in garden ornament, Plant Portraits | Tagged | 1 Comment

Rehmannia ‘Snow Glow’

Chinese Foxglove, Rehmannia elata, a robust, easy plant for Southern California, full sun/light shade, zones 9-10. About 2-3 feet in height. Hated the mauvey color of the species, which sounds so petty, I know. This is the variety ‘Snow Glow.’ … Continue reading

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Fringe Tree in the Rain

Not a title to elicit amazement, you’re thinking. But I’ve never seen the fringe tree, Chionanthus retusus, in full bloom, branches and flowers weighted down by rain. It can be tricky to get good views of this tree in bloom, … Continue reading

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My So-Called Spiral Aloe

You can tell by the leaf litter that this guy is in the ground now, not in a pot anymore. In zone 10, planting in the ground is an option, since there’s no fear of frost damage. But there are … Continue reading

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Senecio stellata (Cineraria)

The cineraria I blogged about in early March has been blooming and gaining strength, topping now over 4 feet in height, coarse and sprawly. These two plants came from Annie’s Annuals, from the seed strain ‘Giovanni’s Select.’ One is a … Continue reading

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The Face of the Earth Remains the Same

I found this interesting take on the seasons in the 2/11/10 New York Review of Books, from Christian Carryl’s review of Robert Walser’s The Assistant. Carryl quotes this excerpt from the book: “And the world, was it changing? No. A … Continue reading

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Mauve

The paths of the garden at Western Hills, which I visited a couple weeks back, were crowded with the mauve blossoms of self-seeding honesty, the biennial Lunaria annua. Because it was ubiquitous, I took no photos but of course now … Continue reading

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Eschscholtzia Day

Fine. California Poppy Day. But there’s a lot more Far Side of the World in the name Eschscholtzia. No, Paul Bettany hasn’t played the role of Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, at least that I’m aware of. That’s Bettany portraying the … Continue reading

Posted in Cinema Botanica, essay | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments