Category Archives: Plant Portraits

bromeliads for winter

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Denise

Hot enough for you? It’s over 100 degrees in Los Angeles today, so hot that even the devil has left town…(That’s the best “It’s so hot” line I’ve heard all summer, spoken by a gentleman from El Paso, Texas.) And … Continue reading →

Posted in Occasional Daily Weather Report, Plant Portraits | Tagged Aechmea 'Loies Pride', Aechmea nudicaulis, Alcanterea 'Volcano Mist', bromeliaceae, bromeliads, climate change, Lotusland | 13 Comments

the siren call of cycads

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Denise

a local Long Beach front garden, zone 10, south-facing exposure I recently chanced upon a house and garden that I used to drive by a lot more frequently. Habits change, errands take one in a different direction, and in that … Continue reading →

Posted in garden visit, Plant Portraits | Tagged California, Cycad Day 10/24/15, cycads, Fallbrook, Huntington Botanical Garden, Lotusland, Palm & Cycad Exchange, The Cycad Society | 13 Comments

the case of the disappearing hebes

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Denise

I was in San Francisco recently for several days cat-sitting a charming fraidycat in the Mission district named Banksy. It was during this trip that I solved the case of the disappearing hebes, those lovely little shrubs from New Zealand. … Continue reading →

Posted in garden travel, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits | Tagged "On a Sonoma Hilltop", American Conifer Society, Annie's Annuals & Perennials Nursery, Circle Oak Ranch, Flora Grubb Gardens, Fusarium oxysporum v. hebei, Gardens Illustrated, hebes, Lew and Mary Reid's garden, Monterey Bay Nursery, Noel Kingsbury, Northern California, Pacific Horticulture, Salvia 'Purple Majesty', Sara Malone, Sonoma County | 6 Comments

white bougainvillea

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Denise

There are some rip-roaring stories behind some of the plants on my street. Take bougainvillea, now in bloom all over town, the scarlet wallpaper to my daily travels. My favorite bougainvillea at the moment, however, is this white one just … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged bougainvillea, Jeanne Bare, Louis Antoine de Bougainville | 9 Comments

what am I missing?

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Denise

August 2013 I’m happy with the garden this summer, and there’s not much I would change, other than doubling its size if I could. And if I could, then I’d find a spot again for Persicaria amplexicaulis. It loves the … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged ' Amicia zygomeris, Calandrinia spectabilis, Geranium 'Dragon Heart', Libertia peregrinans, Lobelia tupa, Lophomyrtus x ralphii 'Red Dragon', Persicaria amplexicaulis, Salvia verticillata 'Purple Rain', Yucca recurvifolia 'Margaritaville' | 11 Comments

sacred geometry of the spiral aloe

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Denise

June 2015 Dave’s spiral aloe is sporting some fine sacred geometry. He sent me these photos to show the progress his aloe has made since I photographed it in July 2012: “I came across your Bloom Day July 2012 posting … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits, succulents | Tagged Aloe polyphylla, MB Maher, sacred geometry, spiral aloe, Terra Sol Garden Center, things that spiral | 10 Comments

traditional with a twist

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Denise

Here’s another house nearby that warrants a second look and always brings a smile. It’s the traditional front lawn setup with a bit of a twist. All the supporting plants are exclusively dry garden plants, some rare like the cycads. … Continue reading →

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, driveby gardens, Plant Portraits, pots and containers | Tagged cycads, dry gardens, lawns | 10 Comments

the Leonotis leonurus down the street

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Denise

This Lion’s Tail is thriving in the front garden of a neighbor who took advantage of the first wave of lawn removal rebates offered a few years ago by our local water department. I”ve been personally characterizing the latest round … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits | Tagged California 2015 water restrictions, dry gardens, Lawn to Garden Incentive Program, Leonotis leonurus, Long Beach Water Department | 8 Comments

low and green

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Denise

I’ve got to say it’s been a long time coming, but it’s still just a tiny bit surreal to wake up every day to more MSM coverage on lawns, and by extension, the plants that will have to replace lawns. … Continue reading →

Posted in design, Plant Portraits | Tagged artificial turf, California water restrictions, dry gardens, Las Pilitas Nursery, lawn removal rebates, Myoporum parviflorum, nurseryman/garden designer John Greenlee, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, San Marcos Growers | 8 Comments

repotting Cussonia spicata

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Denise

Cussonia spicata, June 2014. Cussonias are also known as Cabbage Trees, all from South Africa, and I want every one I’ve ever seen. In my zone 10 they can be grown outdoors, where they will fulfill their ultimate destiny as … Continue reading →

Posted in Plant Portraits, pots and containers | Tagged Cabbage Trees, Cussonia spicata, Flora Grubb Gardens, repotting plants | 7 Comments