Clik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: "why is there a pie-plate floating in the pond?"
In my post on the garden of Carolyn and Larry Kolb I pointed out what seemed to be a floating dish in their pond. On it were several water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), it gave me an idea and I vowed to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
September Bloomday
September 15th. I just don't know how this happens. Just. Don't. Know. Summer slipping through my gardening gloves...So...what's blooming? Well I've got to start off with this beauty, in case this is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lotusland, the Tropical Garden en route to the Cycad Garden...
My last Lotusland post had us leaving the Japanese Garden headed toward the Tropical Garden, with the goal of ending up in the Cycad Garden. The Tropical Garden has a suitably jungle-like atmosphere,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday, foraging for silver dollars
I wasn't really planning to put together a vase for today (I have so many other things to blog about!) but when I spotted these Lunaria pods in the same field where I picked my weeds for these vases I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Visiting Mon Paradis, the garden of Lisa Fuller
When my member "open gardens book" from the HPSO arrives in the spring I sit down and go through with a highlighter, marking my "must see" gardens. I had to wait awhile for this one, as it wasn't open...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette, copper
This week's vignette was spotted on a walk. I thought the color-echo between the Manzanita bark and the copper sedge (I think?) was a brilliant idea. One that's only going to get better as the bark...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Rogerson Clematis Garden, who knew?
Even though the Portland area does not have an official botanical garden of the sort cities like Bellevue, Denver, Albuquerque or Santa Barbara do (just to name a few), we do have several smaller...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lotusland, the gardens around the house
We're back in Santa Barbara and my July visit to Lotusland. Today I'm sharing photos of the gardens around the house...And to be au courant, I should say that what was once Madame Walska's house is now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday...not those &@#% Zinnias again?
Ha, yes. It's those damn Zinnias again...but for the last time, I promise!Because this is it, I cut them all and tore out the plants...it was time.But that means two big vases of flowers to enjoy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Euonymus (Ewe wanna what?)
Sometimes I get that look. It's a sort of narrowing of the eyes, while the head turns a little to the side. I am being judged and found lacking."You call yourself a gardener?"... "and you can't I.D....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette, Agave!
Below is my Agave franzosinii and friends. This Agave is super special to me because I purchased it at The Ruth Bancroft Garden, and A. franzosinii is (to me at least) the "Agave icon" of that beloved...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lotusland — Cactus!
Behind Madame Ganna Walska's home (around which we explored last week) is the Cactus Garden...From the Lotusland website: "This extensive collection of columnar cacti was donated to Lotusland in 1999...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Favorite plants for the end of September
If you know me — or have read this blog for any length of time — you know I love summer and have a hard time leaving it behind. If life could continue on in perpetual summer I would be a very happy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday, it's a process...
Sometimes I set out to put together a IAVOM arrangement and it all just comes together exactly the way I envision it. Other times, well...it's a process.As much as I hate to admit it (to myself, not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Learn from my mistakes #21, what would you have done?
Some of you might remember I did a little battle with mealybugs last winter. I tossed a few Agaves because of it, but nothing I was really upset about losing. Just some random ones I'd acquired along...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette, Styling 101
These three vignettes were torn from the pages of an upscale home and garden magazine. Of course the fabulous wall color, crazy furniture and that rug (!) are what first caught my eye. Then I noticed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lotusland, the leftovers
I've somehow managed to stretch my Lotusland visit into eight blog posts — I wasn't stalling — I just wanted to include as many photos of this magical and wondrous place as I possibly could. Today is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Then and Now (2005 - 2016)
For several years running I've done an end of summer tour of the garden. I fully intended to do one this year, but somehow never got around to it. I was too good at ignoring summer was actually coming...
View ArticleClik here to view.
These stems could have been "In a Vase on Monday"
I've been driving by this triangular island in a crazy-confusing intersection for as long as we've lived here (11 years now). This summer it was planted up in an exuberant way I've never noticed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A quick visit to Gerhard's (Succulents and More) Garden...
My visit to the Ruth Bancroft Garden in August included a night spent with Gerhard and family in Davis, CA. Luckily there was enough time in our whirlwind adventure for a quick daylight tour of his...
View Article