Monthly Archives: May 2011

Come Any Time

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

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A Memorable Day at the HBG

Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino (Pasadena), California. With the Palo Verde in bloom among golden barrel cactus, I felt like I’d stumbled onto the gardens of the Lost City of Coronado. Orange and gold. Forests of orange dyckias in … Continue reading

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Walk the Walk

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

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Agave franzosinii

This photo was taken by MB Maher during a visit he made to artists Sue Dadd and James Griffith’s amazing Folly Bowl last summer. Some agave, huh? I’m now fairly sure that this uber-undulating creature is Agave franzosinii, which develops … Continue reading

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Occasional Daily Photo 5/25/11

In a few weeks, the leaf margins of this flapjacks kalanchoe have flared a deep red. Which composes quite a picture with Pelargonium ‘Splendide.’

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Laurus nobilis ‘Aureus’

A potted bay tree is one of those timeless mediterranean garden features, like boxwood hedging, crunchy gravel underfoot, or urns planted with agaves. Image found here. Its leaves are useful for cooking just about anything that simmers. Laurus nobilis becomes … Continue reading

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Aerial Fizz

Thanks to the late plantsman and artist Kevin Nicolay for this phrase he coined to describe plants that possess elongated fireworks of some kind, whether seed capsule or flower. I think it originates from an interview with Kevin in Horticulture … Continue reading

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Plant Sale Weekend

I was determined to get to the UC Irvine Arboretum plant sale this weekend, having had to miss the Huntington Botanical Garden’s big sale last weekend. But before I could browse UCI’s small sale, there were some minor roadblocks. (Just … Continue reading

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Occasional Daily Photo 5/21/11

Some new things in bloom I woke up to this morning. Viscaria oculata from Annie’s Annuals. I grew this annual from seed many years ago. It’s amazing good fortune to have a nursery do all that work and offer up … Continue reading

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The Reading Room

Decades before I first picked up a shelter/lifestyle magazine or a Restoration Hardware catalogue, Al Pacino taught me the art of luxurious multi-tasking while having a long soak in a tub. Image found here.

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