Category Archives: pots and containers

gardens without borders

This corner of my small, jam-packed garden is where it gets crazy. Okay, okay. Crazier. This east end of the garden kind of horseshoes around this collection of containers, with the main sitting area (and more containers) off to the … Continue reading

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signs of fall

Fall doesn’t announce itself ceremoniously draped in dramatic curtains of crimson and gold. We’re a little, ahem, minimalist and understated here in Southern California as far as seasonal transitions. But there are many autumnal similarities we share. Like everyone in … Continue reading

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bug report & EOMV

“None of the ants previously seen by man were more than an inch in length – most considerably under that size. But even the most minute of them have an instinct and talent for industry, social organization, and savagery that … Continue reading

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Wanda Mallen & Gary Vincent’s Fallbrook garden

The CSSA’s tour of private gardens for their 2015 Biennial Convention in June also included the 2-acre garden of Wanda Mallen and Gary Vincent in Fallbrook, Calif. This superb collector’s garden, started from scratch in approximately 1999-2000, is occasionally open … Continue reading

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DIY therapy

One of my boys is experiencing some painful romantic complications, which is frustrating for both of us because in grappling with the problem I necessarily have to accept the fact that my boys are now men. But he hurts, therefore … Continue reading

Posted in agaves, woody lilies, design, pots and containers, succulents | Tagged , | 13 Comments

aftermath of the Inter-City Show & Sale

As a kid, sneaking with my best friend into the unoccupied bedroom of her older sister and marveling at her sophisticated possessions, I still vividly remember finding the Rolling Stones’ album “Aftermath.” The older sister immediately rose several degrees cooler … Continue reading

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Inter-City Cactus Show & Sale August 8 & 9, 2015

Thank goodness there’s a big plant sale to look forward to in August. 30th Annual Inter-City Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale The LA County Arboretum in Ayres Hall 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007 Saturday, August 8, 2015, … Continue reading

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Bloom Day July 2015

The planting under the Acacia baileyana ‘Purpurea’ is all fairly new, except for the Plectranthus neochilus. Stinky or not, it’s a great addition to a dry garden. Gomphrena ‘Balboa’ is the clover-like flowers with silver leaves, which blends in seamlessly … Continue reading

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CMU bench/planter at Manaow

I finally found a moment when Manaow’s CMU bench/planter could be investigated minus the usual throngs of people. That window of quiet was around 7 a.m. in the morning, when the only activity at this east end of Broadway was … Continue reading

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Aeonium ‘Copper Penny’ for containers and garden

This clump-forming, bronzy aeonium spent last summer as underplanting for a potted manihot with Sedum confusum. The dry-tolerant manihots make a nice light canopy, which helps to prevent sun scalding on succulents, whether potted or in the ground. The list … Continue reading

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