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A project on a winter's day...
This last winter I spent a lot of time in the basement with my plant prisoners. My desk is there and so I was writing on the book, while surrounded by plants spending the winter indoors; a nice...
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Visiting St Francis Ranch during the Bromeliad Summit
Today we head back to the Bromeliad Summit in Santa Barbara. I previously shared photos of the remarkable opening night reception location (here and here). Today we'll take a look at St. Francis Ranch,...
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Origami at Lotusland
Bromeliad Summit attendees spent a full day in the sunken drawing room of Ganna Walska's Lotusland home listening to experts on various bromeliad topics. Just across the sunny courtyard an exhibit of...
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Wednesday Vignette, sometimes you get no answers
I'll admit I am one who likes to get answers. I have a lot of "why" questions and I want to find something that explains it. I spotted this opuntia at St Francis Ranch. From afar the pattern on the...
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Lawn no, garden yes! Garden no, lawn yes! Lawn no, garden yes! It's a cycle...
We've lived in this neighborhood several years now, gosh, fourteen to be exact. During that time I've watched neighbors tear out their lawn and plant a garden, then put their house on the market and...
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A second opportunity to enjoy the color artistry of Keeyla Meadows
I first visited the garden of artist Keeyla Meadows during the 2013 Bay Area Garden Bloggers Fling (and wrote about it here).A friend warned me the garden wasn't likely to be my "thing," since she knew...
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Visiting the garden of John Bleck, part one
Today we head back to Santa Barbara and another garden we visited during the Bromeliad Summit. This was the one "normal" garden on our itinerary; normal meaning it was on a standard-ish residential...
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Visiting the garden of John Bleck, part two
We're back at the Santa Barbara garden of John Bleck. Yesterday I showed you the sides of the back garden, along the edges, but skipped the center. Oh the center! There are lath structures chock full...
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Wednesday Vignette: you're alone in the house when suddenly...
An odd tingling runs down your spine when you're alone in the house, and suddenly someone is knocking on a window. A door knock is expected and doors tend to be opaque; someone knocking on your door...
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Sixteen plants where there were only two...
You know those "before and after" comparisons where in the "before" the subject has been photographed in the worst possible way? Well I'm afraid that's exactly what I did with this before and after,...
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More from the spring garden...
When I took photos for yesterday's post I went a little crazy and snapped photos all around the garden. With so many things happening this time of year it's easy to get carried away.Every year I look...
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For your viewing pleasure...
I was emailing recently with Pamela Koide-Hyatt, owner of Bird Rock Tropicals, and she shared a link to a San Diego PBS program called A Growing Passion.Nan Sterman hosts the (just under) 30 minute...
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Visiting Airplant Alchemy, during the Bromeliad Summit
The last stop on the Bromeliad Summit itinerary was Airplant Alchemy.They're a wholesale growing operation, but with a showroom that serves as a retail outlet.In addition to tillandsia (air plants)...
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Garden Blogger's Bloomday for May 2019
It's Bloomday! And it's not just any old Bloomday, it's May's Bloomday! As you may know, if you follow the Bloomday meme, Carol who authors the blog May Dreams Gardens is our hostess for this monthly...
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Anigozanthos, aka kangaroo paw
I think I'm going to try something new. On the days that I don't plan to publish a regular—yes, sometimes lengthy—blog post I'll just share a random photo. I have so many! Today's photo, a deep red...
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The Lizardland Garden
Oh social media...love it or hate it you have to admit it does connect us in a powerful way. A powerfully positive way if you're a plant person. I got a Instagram message a couple weeks ago from...
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Agaves in Dundee, Oregon
Today I'm rewinding to May 6th, when I made the trip to Dundee, Oregon, to have lunch with a friend I hadn't seen in years. After lunch we went back to her house and that's when I saw this...OMG! Cool...
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Argyle Winery in May
This was my second visit to Argyle Winery, the first was on a beautiful day late last September, the kind of day that allows you to think summer will go on forever (here).That was fall, this is spring!...
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Wednesday Vignette, a river of blue senecio
There are many plants I wish I could grow in my Zone 8 garden and Senecio serpens, aka blue chalk sticks, is definitely on the list. Sure I've managed to take cuttings and over-winter a few plants, but...
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Fremontodendron californicum at Kennedy School
Driving past McMenamins Kennedy School last week a blur of yellow caught my attention. I knew immediately what it was; their huge Fremontodendron californicum. I pulled over.I planted one of these in...
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