Monthly Archives: January 2014

just another acacia

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Denise

At plant nurseries, I’m often a hapless Mr. Magoo, peering and squinting at new shapes and wildly filling in the blanks with extravagant theories. For example, the twisted, contorted stems of this mystery tree, or shrub grown on standard, reminded … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

cowboy corgi and the giant hesperaloe

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Denise

The corgi got a bath, the hesperaloe got away. Bathed and brushed and made to wear a silly bandana, which he bears with his usual dog grace. Just like cowboys, everybody gets a bath here for the weekend. A recent … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, creatures | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Crassula ovata ‘Undulata’ (‘Jitters’)

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Denise

I get acclimated to many of the plants I once just couldn’t live without. Novelty fades. Maybe living with splashy variegation turns out to be a bad idea, or the perfect focal point turns out to be too domineering, a … Continue reading →

Posted in plant crushes, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged , | 7 Comments

a gift from Rancho Reubidoux

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Denise

My flea market buddy, Reuben, stopped by recently to pick up some odds and ends left over from the flea, but very, very kindly left behind a few of them, including this wrought iron orb that I was particularly smitten … Continue reading →

Posted in garden ornament | Tagged | 5 Comments

Cinema Botanica Pick: More Than Honey

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Denise

I’ve been enthusiastically recommending the documentary More Than Honey whenever the subject of what to watch comes up, and I’ve been getting a lot of “Oh, I noticed that in the queue” as the limp but polite response (streams on … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Botanica, creatures | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Asparagus virgatus

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Denise

There’s not a lot of fern action in my dry, sunny garden, much to my regret, but in the front garden on the north side of the house, planted in the parched gloom at the foundation line, a fern is … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bloom Day January 2014

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Denise

Scrounging around the garden for something to report this first Bloom Day of 2014 made me realize that although nothing big and splashy was catching my eye, there’s still plenty to give bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators micro energy drinks … Continue reading →

Posted in Bloom Day, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

designing crows

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Denise

“The crows that live in Tokyo use clothes hangers to make nests. In such a large city, there are few trees, so the natural materials that crows need to make their nests are scarce. As a result, the crows occasionally … Continue reading →

Posted in creatures, photography | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

it’s that time

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Denise

Time to cut the grasses down and say goodbye to sights like this until next winter. Spring comes early here in Southern California, February/early March, and the old growth needs to be cut down to make way for the new. … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Kalanchoe ‘Oak Leaf’

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Denise

Wonderful architectural bloom trusses on this 5-gallon kalanchoe at Lincoln Avenue Nursery in Pasadena. Was this a Kalanchoe beharensis in flower? The leaves at the base of the plant were difficult to see without disturbing the careful display. The San … Continue reading →

Posted in MB Maher, plant crushes, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits, succulents | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment