Author Archives: Denise
lilies again (and time to order tulips!)
Here in dry frost-free zone 10b, grow lilies in containers. That’s what I’ve been admonishing myself for years. And that’s what I’ve been doing, without much noticeable benefit, because the bulbs rarely return a second year whether in the ground … Continue reading
Posted in Bulbs, journal, plant nurseries, pots and containers
Tagged B&D Lilies, The Lily Garden
7 Comments
Under Western Skies
“[M]ost gardens are a three-part alchemy between the riches and constraints of the natural and/or cultural history of the place, the individual creativity and personality of the gardener, and the gardening culture in which both the garden and the gardener … Continue reading
Posted in books
8 Comments
new planting progress report
In November 2020 the east side of the garden saw some major renovations. The size of the lemon cypresses on the east boundary, Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Citriodora,’ had dictated the character of the planting in its root and shade shadow. After … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, journal, plant crushes, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Limonium minutum
8 Comments
meet Billie
She’s a little sleepy right now, which is the best time to point a camera at her. Born January 9, 2021, we picked her up on March 13. Just this morning I noticed how she’s becoming less madcap puppy and … Continue reading
Green Touch Nursery fills a void with plant fairs
Oscar and family are growing the local cactus and succulent community one plant fair at a time on the grounds of his Green Touch Nursery in Bellflower, Calif. And why not? They’ve got the space and, most importantly, the can-do … Continue reading
back to Greece
It’s been two years since Mitch visited Greece. When I first saw his photos, it was the giant fennel in its native habitat that grabbed all of my attention. With my giant fennel taking its sweet time to bloom, Mitch’s … Continue reading
Posted in garden travel, MB Maher
5 Comments
what’s on the table
In the garden, the development of this little silene has been incredibly exciting, however much it underwhelms the camera. My normally sober-as-a-judge succulent garden is having a deliriously frothy moment this first week of May.
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, journal, pots and containers, succulents
5 Comments
Worldwide Exotics Nursery
It was that article in the Los Angeles Times sometime in the ’90s, accompanied by a photo of Gary Hammer crouched in a rock crevice or slot canyon with a curtain of waterfall flowing behind him. The article that christened … Continue reading
a day of mystery plant shopping
It started off mid-Saturday morning May 1 at Ray and Netty’s plant sale at their home in Atwater Village. There in the driveway was a 3-gallon plant beckoning me with the intriguing tag “mystery euphorbia.” Ray Valentine really knows how … Continue reading
Posted in garden visit, journal, plant sales, pots and containers, succulents
7 Comments