Monthly Archives: September 2010
Not At Home
When home during summer (in our non-air-conditioned home), I hang out on the cool east side of the house, religiously sweeping this small patio clean and smooth to receive scorched, bare feet, occasionally laying down rugs for the corgi and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Ironweed
Autumn is a time to dream of American prairies, shoulder high with the blooms of plants bearing the names of forgotten explorers. Right alongside the list of places I’ve yet to visit is the list of plants I’ve yet to … Continue reading
Rust Never Sleeps: Recent Work by Dustin Gimbel
Congratulations to Dustin Gimbel of Second Nature Garden Design for the recent write-up in The Orange County Register on his landscape design work at a Huntington Harbor, California, home. If pets are chewing or foot traffic stomping your prize succulents, … Continue reading
Posted in garden ornament, garden visit, MB Maher, succulents
Tagged Cindy McNatt, Dustin Gimbel, MB Maher
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Of Elephants and Mobile Homes
If one morning I was presented with a list of the garden tasks I would ultimately end up accomplishing that day, I would probably consider it an absurd amount of work and pitch the list in the trash. That’s the … Continue reading
Home Again
The termite control crews have left, the gas is turned back on, and very little damage to plants has occurred. An enormous, ruffly echeveria as big as a cabbage was one of the few casualties, even though it seemed in … Continue reading
Under A Big Tent
If I named my home at this moment, something I’ve been mulling over for a while, Hotel Chaotica would be a good fit. The big tent is coming next week under which death will be dealt to the termites chewing … Continue reading
A sultan of a succulent
Erepsia lacera. A succulent with large, sweet sultan-like flowers. (At least what I call sweet sultan, the annual Centaurea moschata.) From Annie’s Annuals. A fast grower. As often as I trim it off the bricks, I’m surprised to see any … Continue reading
Some Good News
If newspapers had come in two editions this past decade, one edition with only good news, the other edition with not-so-good news, the good news edition would have been slim indeed. Flung by the delivery person who always aims for … Continue reading
Fail Better (Summer Recap)
I admit it’s a little early for a summer recap, but there is a penultimate feel to the garden today. By this time, whatever plans I’ve laid have either happened or failed to happen. It’s time to admit this is … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits
Tagged Allium senescens, Coreopsis 'Full Moon', Manihot grahamii, Musa 'Siam Ruby', Papaver rupifragum, Polygonum orientale, Prostanthera ovalifolia, Rose 'Bouquet d'Or', Salvia 'Limelight', Solanum rantonnetii, Tibouchina heteromalla, Xanthosoma 'Lime Zinger'
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Mixology in the Garden
A couple days ago a non-gardening member of the household burst through the screen door and out onto the porch and barked at me, “Grow me some cilantro!” I barked back, “Grow it yourself. The smell makes me retch. What … Continue reading