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
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
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.’
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
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
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
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
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.