Monthly Archives: December 2014
revisiting Rancho Los Alamitos; a repost from January 2014
(In the final countdown to the end of 2014, I’m reposting my visit to Rancho Los Alamitos in January 2014 entitled “back at the ranch“) All day long this past work- and appointment-filled Wednesday I clung to the idea of … Continue reading
large pot with shrub and succulents
I didn’t leave the house Sunday, so wandered the back garden this morning in search of something newsworthy to report. This large container seems to be coming along nicely. Just recently it was rim-rolled into the back garden again to … Continue reading
Posted in MB Maher, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Corokia virgata 'Sunsplash', crassula, jade plant, Senecio radicans
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stellar agaves
The ancient Aztec riddle asked “What points its finger at the sky?” and the riddle’s answer is “the Maguey Thorn.” Left-over plans from 2014: So when I finally get around to making a Steller contribution featuring agaves, these are some … Continue reading
happy holidays
I always find that the winter holidays have a lot in common with Silly Putty — extremely malleable, occasionally stretching a little thin, often just straddling the border of tangling up into a fine mess, and in this house anyway, … Continue reading
tetrapanax in bloom
I know a lot of Tetrapanax papyrifer in zones colder than my zone 10 have their blooms regrettably cut short by winter. Let me just ease your zonal envy a bit, as you gaze on these bodacious panicles, and fully … Continue reading
you had me at aloe
And now you’ve lost me with aloiampelos, aloidendron, aristaloe, gonialoe, kumara. The genus aloe has just become slightly more complicated. Memory work for 2015 will include absorbing the fan aloe’s new name Kumara plicatilis. (See Gerhard’s very helpful post here.) … Continue reading
Posted in succulents
Tagged Aloe 'Goliath', Aloe 'Kujo', Aloe cameronii, Aloe conifera, Aloe ferox, aloe reclassification, aloiampelos, aloidendron, aristaloe, Foliage Followup, gonialoe, kumara
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Toyon, California Holly
This sturdy evergreen shrub native to California, Heteromeles arbutifolia, is also known as the Christmas Berry or California Holly. Here’s why: There’s an old urban legend that early European settlers in Los Angeles, where this holly lookalike grew especially abundant, … Continue reading
Posted in cut flowers, Plant Portraits
Tagged California native plants, Cupressus macrocarpa 'Citriodora', eriogonum, Grow Native Nursery, Heteromeles arbutifolia, holiday berries, Las Pilitas Native Plant Nursery, lemon cypress, Olea europaea 'Little Ollie', Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Theodore Payne Foundation Nursery, Toyon
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counting euphorbias
Tis the season to celebrate euphorbias, since many of us will be living with or gifting/regifting one of its tribe over the next couple weeks, the poinsettia. Call me scrooge, but I’d much rather think about the ones planted in … Continue reading
Posted in MB Maher, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits
Tagged ' Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow', Annie's Annuals & Perennials Nursery, Dustin Gimbel Second Nature Garden Design, Euphorbia 'Silver Swan, Euphorbia 'Tasmanian Tiger', Euphorbia atropurpurea, Euphorbia ceratocarpa, Euphorbia characias wulfeniii, Euphorbia lambii, Euphorbia mauritanica, Euphorbia mellifera, Euphorbia nicaeensis, Euphorbia pulcherrima, Euphorbiaceae, euphorbias, Huntington Botanical Garden, John Raven, Native Sons plant nursery, Rebecca Sweet, Sarah Raven
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weekend nursery browse
On the way to dropping off a holiday wreath at my mom’s on Sunday, I stopped for a walkabout at H&H nursery, located on Lakewood Blvd. in a power line easement near the 91 freeway. I was hoping to find … Continue reading
Posted in agaves, woody lilies, plant nurseries, pots and containers, succulents
Tagged Agave 'Blue Glow', Agave titanota, Aloe 'Hercules', Aloe 'Rooikappie', Corokia cotoneaster, Correa 'Ivory Bells', Cynthia Giddy, Dichondra argentea., Euphorbia pseudocactus, H&H Nursery, Joy Creek Nursery, Kalanchoe beharensis, Little Red Riding Hood aloe, Notocactus magnificus, ozothamnus, San Marcos Growers
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cussonia crazy
image found here Cussonias are a small genus from Africa and the Mascarene Islands There are maybe 25 species in the small genus known as the Cabbage Trees, and without trying too hard I’ve already brought home five of them. … Continue reading
Posted in plant crushes, plant nurseries, Plant Portraits, pots and containers
Tagged Annie's Annuals & Perennials Nursery, Araliaceae, Cabbage Trees, Cussonia gamtoosensis, Cussonia natalensis, Cussonia paniculata, Cussonia spicata, Cussonia transvaalensis, pachycaul, South Africa, XOTX-Tropico Nursery
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