Author Archives: Denise
Another Seattle Export?
The usual state of affairs, I’m told, is Southern Californian hordes invading the Pacific Northwest, or at least such was the case before the great real estate unraveling after 2008. This past week proves that Los Angeles can stay home … Continue reading
Snowmen and Poinsettia Trees
I bet my neighborhood is not unique in offering examples of a wide variety of garden styles. There is ample representation from the meticulous lawn-and-hedge contingent, a style that dovetails nicely into holiday decorating. Many argue that lawns, while not … Continue reading
Foliage Follow-Up December 2010
When asked only for a show of leaves, my zone 10 garden in December can give a much less angst-ridden performance than, for example, yesterday’s post, which was drawing solely on flower output. Today I realized I forgot to include … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, Plant Portraits, succulents
Tagged angelica pachycarpa, Annies Annuals, Begonia luxurians, Canna 'Bengal Tiger', Canna 'Intrigue', Coprosma 'County Park Red', Euphorbia characias, Foliage Follow-up, Helleborus argutifolius, Mangave 'Bloodspot', Rachel Warne, Tibouchina heteromalla
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Bloom Day December 2010
(Actor Slim Pickens riding the bomb in Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove.) A December Bloom Day post begs for a little goofiness. No other word describes prowling a drizzly garden for photos in non-existent light searching for non-existent blooms. The roster for … Continue reading
Where Was The Sun?
One of those drizzly, grey days where one mumbles phrases from Conan Doyle’s The Musgrave Ritual: ‘Where was the sun?’ ‘Over the oak.’ ‘Where was the shadow?’ ‘Under the elm.’ Not a bad day to keep to the couch and … Continue reading
Geared Up
Apart from tools, very little gear is required to garden. It can be done in your bathrobe, coffee cup in one hand, spade in the other. No special shoes are required. Hats and style of clothing mostly depend on how … Continue reading
Phlomis
Phlomis can be such fine plants year-round, with many kinds suited for gardens colder than my zone 10 garden. The familiar Jerusalem sage, Phlomis russeliana, is hardy to 0-10F. Mine came labeled as P. aurea, but it’s not showing much … Continue reading
Unnamed Future Garden Project
Yesterday started out great. I won a pair of boots from Plant Talk. I’m purposely avoiding my typical over-reliance on hyperbole because there are simply no words to adequately describe this event. Thrilling? Way beyond thrilling. In this case, thrilling … Continue reading
Grace’s Technicolor Coat
I’ve been eagerly anticipating the moment when the smoke tree Grace drops her leaves, at which time we have a pruning date scheduled to rein in her exuberance. Planted as 4-inch rooted cutting in the northeast southeast corner, she’s now … Continue reading