Clik here to view.
A winter project that I'm not yet calling a success...
Once I've got my mind set on making something I jump in and figure out a way to make it happen, sink or swim. Back in my furniture-thrifting days I found a wooden side table with legs I loved, but the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Garden visits here and there around town
I made it to my first HPSO Open Garden back on April 26th, the garden belongs to Mark Griswold Wilson and Ellen Burr. Along the public sidewalk...And the view from the front.That sidewalk arch included...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pickled cactus flowers and howling monkeys
Visiting the University of Washington Department of Biology Greenhouse on the UW campus in Seattle had been on my wishlist for years, however, since they’re only open to the public on the 2nd and 4th...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Huntington Gardens (after 5 years away): visiting Australia and the Jungle
Prior to my November 2024 visit to the Huntington Gardens it had been five years since I'd been there, December of 2019. During that pre-COVID trip I remember thinking back on what an incredible year...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cycads and ferns, at the Huntington
The next area I'm focusing on from my November 2024 trip to the Huntington Gardens is the cycad collection garden and the area located just below the large European Art Museum. During my 2019 visit...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We'll be at The Other Plant Sale next weekend!
Andrew and I are going to be at The Other Plant Sale next Saturday, May 24th. If you've never been to a T.O.P.S. event, this is the year to go! There will be over 60 different vendors with plants and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rare Plant Research, again (because why the heck not)
The open house at Rare Plant Research (RPR) rolled around again, last weekend. Of course I went, I mean why not? It's close (23 miles) and it's not open to the public regular hours so you can't just...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bromeliad drive-by garden in San Diego
On my way to visit Jim Bishop's garden (January 2025, San Diego) I passed this interesting garden full of bromeliads. Well, and that magnificent palms...Is it a Bismarckia nobilis? That would be my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Visiting Solana Succulents in Solana Beach, CA
Having read my friend Gerhard's many blog posts detailing his visits to Jeff Moore's Solana Succulents in Solana Beach, CA, I had a pretty good idea what was waiting for me when I visited last...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A May visit to Gossler Farms
I was in Eugene, Oregon, mid-month and of course that meant a stop at Gossler Farms. I (again) told myself I wouldn't be taking any photos, and left my camera in the car. However, when Roger called me...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Huntington Desert Garden as I saw it last November (Part One)
I wish I would have gotten around to posting these photos closer to when I visited, but life gets busy and as it is I've got a backlog of interesting plants and gardens to write about. So here I am,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Huntington Desert Garden as I saw it last November (Part Two)
Back to the Huntington Desert Garden with a fabulous crested cactus. Normally I'm not a fan of crested or fasciated plants, but this one I like.Gotta love a back-lit cactus.Deuterocohnia brevifoliaThe...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Edgefield, after many years
When I decided to sell (as part of The Other Plant Sale) the Indio Metal Arts container I bought at an event at McMenamins Edgefield, it got me to thinking about just how long it had been since I'd...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens
This stop was a random addition to our San Diego trip in January. A friend (Jenny/aka Rock Rose) had visited and shared a few photos on social media. She ranked this garden as more enjoyable than the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My visit to Bird Rock Topicals (visiting paradise and not being able to bring...
This is my last post from our January trip to the San Diego area, I'm wrapping it all up in grand style with a visit to Bird Rock Tropicals... Walking up I wasn't sure what to expect. I've ordered from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A bromeliad table, that's a thing, right?
Even if you've never built one you've probably heard of fern tables—maybe you've even seen them here on my blog, since I've built two. I've long wanted to do a table-planting using sun loving plants,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A quick trip to the beach and a walk through the Wonder Garden
I almost called this post "21 hours at the beach," because yes, that's how long I was there.A plant talk at the Hoffman Center for the Arts in Manzanita was the reason for the trip, but time at the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Visiting UW Biology Greenhouse (in February)
While in Seattle for the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival last February I finally managed to visit the University of Washington Biology Greenhouse, it did not disappoint."For nearly 70 years, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bella Madrona, again (I couldn't say no)
Last May, 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Bella Madrona—an extraordinary private garden south of Portland—post here. For me Bella Madrona will always be the location where magic happened during...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Kyle's Sacramento garden
Kyle's garden was the first stop on my whirlwind trip to Davis, Sacramento and the greater Bay Area late last March. To refresh your (and my!) memory I landed in Sacramento on Thursday afternoon, March...
View ArticleClik here to view.
East Bay Wilds Native Plant Nursery in Oakland (and what I planted where the...
While touring Gerhard's garden (in March) I spotted a Pellaea mucronata and mentioned my desire to grow the sun-loving fern. Gerhard had purchased his at East Bay Wilds, in Oakland, CA, and said we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Return to the Ruth Bancroft Garden (Part 1)
I had not visited the Ruth Bancroft Garden since 2019, that's six long years! That wrong was righted when Gerhard and I visited the garden during my trip to Davis/Sacramento and the Bay Area area in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Return to the Ruth Bancroft Garden (Part 2)
Here we are, back at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, aka Heaven in Walnut Creek (Part 1 here). Thanks to everyone who encouraged the posting of LOTS of photos. Today I'll be sharing 40 more, starting with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Those things stuck in the ground? They're hose guards...
I had a friend visiting recently, she pointed at a couple pieces of metal I have stuck in the ground and asked why they were there. I'd always wondered if people saw them and what they thought, so I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bromeliad table V2.0, now with more metal!
You all were so positive and encouraging when I shared photos of my bromeliad table project, I really appreciated it and enjoyed your comments. When writing that post I knew changes were coming, but I...
View Article