Sunny and warm: a perfect morning for cats and gardeners. The cat had her chores, mainly to stare at interesting things in the garden, and I had mine. Task #1 was to deadhead the arctotis (African daisy) that has been… Read More »dressed to weed
It’s spring, all right. The garden continues to bloom away manically, but the outdoor places around town have been no slouch, either, when it comes to flowers. This Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, hosted by May Dreams Gardens, features a gallery… Read More »gbbd: the garden and beyond
Yesterday saw some of my pitcher plants opening up their springtime blooms. These are carnivorous plants that primarily dine on insects that slide into leaves which have evolved into elegant long tubes that contain a digestive juice at the bottom.… Read More »feed your guests before you eat them
I posted a couple months ago about the presence here in town of an extreme topiary garden. At that point I hadn’t had a chance to visit it, but last week I finally made it. The house responsible for the… Read More »gonzo topiary
My parents knew a good deal when they saw one. The house they purchased in the Southern California ‘burbs had the required number of bedrooms, fruit trees in the back, a lawn for the kids to play on, and was… Read More »western dichondra
People often try to do the right thing, but along the way things somethings can go astray. Saturday I was hiking one of our local urban canyons, San Clemente Canyon, with some other plant people. Like the rest of our… Read More »trying to do the right thing
Earlier I’d shared my neighbor’s car-shaped hedge with you. A couple weeks ago John mentioned that the hedge was in bloom. I hadn’t paid much attention to what the clipped plant was. But now that it’s blooming, it’s clear that… Read More »autopiary–in pink!
I often have trouble mixing ornamentals and vegetables together in a garden bed that’s supposed to be “for company,” a bed that’s meant to be attractive as well as containing tasty-looking plants that you’d like to take to the dinner… Read More »controlled chaos
It’s spring, and the wildflowers wait for no one. I’ve been forsaking gardening and home projects and blogging (gasp!) a bit to check out some of the local open spaces. Here’s a panorama of part of the view from the… Read More »the view from the top
We began this project to redo our front porch surround last year. It’s not totally finished, but it’s at a point I thought I’d share it with you. The house originally came with an enclosure around the little front porch/patio… Read More »our front porch project