With several days above 80 degrees this week, it’s feeling like spring. And surveying the garden, it’s looking like spring too. Lest any of you in the lands of blizzards and crazy snowfall think I’m gloating, let me show you… Read More »almost spring
Yellow, white, blue, lavender, pink…The front garden is crazy strident right now and I like it. The floral chaos is concentrated along the sidewalk in front of the house, where the plants present themselves at eye-level for anyone walking by.… Read More »walk on by
Red and green seem to be the predominant colors these days. Instead, how about a shot of hot magenta-pink against green? Of all my pitcher plants this season Sarracenia Daina’s Delight is probably looking the best of any of them.… Read More »more december colors
Here’s a little weekend quiz: Any guesses as to where I took this picture? Does this second photo help? Clue #1: It’s in Los Angeles. Clue #2: It’s a university campus. Clue #3: The school colors are echoed in the… Read More »well endowed landscaping
The color combination of blue and orange reminds me of noisy kiddie toys, of hard molded plastic waiting room chairs, of harshly lit 1970s fast-food restaurants trying unsuccessfully to look modern and friendly, or of jerseys for some high school… Read More »blue and orange (gbbd)
The house projects continue. We’ve worked around my little studio building and are now on the final stretch, 22 feet of wall that backs a raised planter. There’s only one window to worry about on this wall, but all the… Read More »one wall to go
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
I still haven’t gotten around to doing something about the color of the my little detached studio behind the house. Colors of residential neighborhoods and garden walls usually tend towards pretty neutral shades. Here are a couple combinations of walls… Read More »dramatic wall colors and plants
Last fall’s big planting effort was a big raised bed of perennials, shrubs, bulbs, a tree fern and a tangerine tree, most of which went into the ground over the course of two months. While I don’t strive for total… Read More »nothing yellow
The garden is always changing. As plants mature and others come into bloom, I’m always seeing combinations of plants and interesting relationships between them. Here are a couple plant combinations in the yard that I’m particularly happy with. This is… Read More »april plant combinations