Author Archives: Denise
Gilmour’s Interactive U.S. Planting Zone Map for 2018
“Planting zones are broken down into thirteen areas, also known as USDA zones, which cover the entire United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. Each agricultural zone covers a 10-degree range. Zone 1 is the coldest, with an average … Continue reading
Posted in climate, science
Tagged Gilmour, Holdridge Life Zones Data Set, USDA planting zones, warm temperate thorn steppe
9 Comments
multifaceted Mirador house, Austin TX
Heroic in scale, the agaves and Cor-Ten steel undulating walls wet with rain, topped by a grove of Yucca rostrata at the rear entrance to the property. I was so intrigued by this garden I visited in Austin earlier this … Continue reading
friday clippings 5/18/18
Do you ever worry that you’re getting a little jaded, just slightly inured to cool stuff because we see so much of it now via blogs, Instagram, online periodicals? I admit I worry that occasionally feeling a little inspirationally flat … Continue reading
Posted in clippings
Tagged Beth Chatto, Christian Marsden, Izawa Ceramics, Jenny Stocker, Saya Designs, Stolen Form, William Finnegan
4 Comments
Bloom Day May 2018
The Chinese Fringe Tree, Chionanthus retusus, seemingly leafs out and blooms simultaneously. Every year before it does so and appears instead to be quite dead, I fear that this is the year it has truly died, succumbing to lack of … Continue reading
Posted in Bloom Day
Tagged ' Amicia zygomeris, Abutilon megapotamicum 'Red', Aeonium 'Berry Exciting', Aeonium leucoblepharum, Aloe camperi, Berlandiera lyrata, Centranthus lecoqii, Euphorbia xanti, Fuchsia, Hazardia detonsa, Lavandula 'Goodwin Creek Grey', Pelargonium acetosum 'Peach', Phytolacca icosandra
8 Comments
wrap-up; Garden Bloggers Fling Austin 2018
the last night’s post-tour dinner in a field of larkspur Austin opened its friendly arms wide, Texas-style, in a full-circle welcome to garden bloggers from all over the world. These annual soirees and orgies of garden touring and plant talk … Continue reading
wednesday vignettes 5/2/18
More Palm Springs-style landscape architecture from the recent Pasadena Garden Conservancy Open Days, in this case overlooking a deep arroyo, with some of the foothills’ iconic bridges in the distance. The landscape design zealously protects views and is as much … Continue reading
Eric Trine’s Column Pedestal Planter Holder
A bit of a switch-up from my rusty flea market finds, but here’s proof that elevation is also on the minds of commercial designers and artists, albeit in much sleeker, powder-coated forms, suitable for indoors or outdoors. Photo courtesy of … Continue reading
Posted in artists, design, pots and containers
Tagged Column Pedestal Planter Holder, Dwell, Eric Trine, Long Beach
1 Comment
monday clippings 4/30/18
Have you checked on your dudleyas lately? (“Stolen succulents: California hipster plants at center of smuggling crisis; Demand in China and Korea has led to thousands of dudleya being stolen from California as officials lament ‘plant poaching.”) Lots of pruning … Continue reading
Garden Conservancy Open Days season (Pasadena)
The Garden Conservancy Open Days season is upon us, and I want to go to every single open garden, from here to Maine. Be sure to check the schedule for when gardens reasonably close to you will be included on … Continue reading
rainy thursday 4/19/18
Would you look at that — wet pavement! The corrugated roof on the pergola starting lightly pinging about 7 a.m., and I froze stock still and listened. Could it be? The clouds seemed indecisive for a few minutes, like they’d … Continue reading