Monthly Archives: June 2017

summer read: The Bold Dry Garden

Yes, this book on the making of The Ruth Bancroft Garden came out and was purchased by me last fall, but I’ve only recently sat down to read it cover to cover. The Bold Dry Garden; Lessons from The Ruth … Continue reading

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“Night Sky, Palm” by Eric Beltz

Eric Beltz, “Night Sky, Palm” (Eric Beltz and CB1 Gallery) I’m guessing it’s an affinity for the intricate, geometric beauty of plants that draws me to the mesmerizing graphite drawings of artist Eric Beltz. You can read more in The … Continue reading

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mail order summer plant sales

A couple of nurseries in my inbox are having massive summer sales at the moment. Agave titanota ‘Banana Peel,’ photo from Plant Delights. I was surprised at how many agaves they’ve included in their sale. It’s a great way to … Continue reading

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leaning cussonias

Right up there with rampant vines, another example of one of my current garden anxieties is the sharp northward lean on my Cussonia gamtoosensis. Will it ultimately do a face plant or won’t it? And if it does, will it … Continue reading

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Solanum valerianum ‘Navidad, Jalisco’

I just don’t know what to think about this vine. First of all, let me be clear that I love the opulence of this solanum’s pendulous, grape-cluster-like performance. With its ropy swags of purply bloom, it is truly like living … Continue reading

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clippings 6/14/17

Some quick odds and ends. This is an old photo from the Theodore Payne tour a couple months back, of Artemisia ‘David’s Choice’ and clarkia, one of those fleeting moments in spring that indelibly sears the visual cortex. Last weekend … Continue reading

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a May visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens

“If you want to have an easy life as a weather forecaster, you should get a job in Las Vegas, Phoenix or Los Angeles. Predict that it won’t rain in one of those cities, and you’ll be right about 90 … Continue reading

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