How to successfully plant lemon verbena
It often happens that successful planting combinations happen entirely by chance. For years I marveled at my lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) that thrived in the company of some ‘Judy Garland&...
Category Archives: Advice
Hedging your bets for low-maintenance foilage
If you are pondering low-maintenance hedge possibilities, think about lemonade berry (Rhus integrifolia) before making your final decision. Lemonade berry has undulating, leathery sea green foliage a...
UCLA’s Mathias Garden a plant lover’s paradise
In 1993, I was exceptionally fortunate to make the acquaintance of Mildred Mathias. Mathias was a world-renowned UCLA botanist who was distinguished not only for her achievements in horticulture and ...
Pruning trees today for more fruit tomorrow
Q: I have had a fig tree in a whiskey barrel for years. It never grew very big, but we got just enough fruit to enjoy. About a year ago a friend took a look at it and said it had turned itself into a...
Hardy, water-thrifty plants for sunny spots
Q: Could you please suggest what to plant along my driveway? There is sun all day and everything I plant burns up. The driveway planter is 20 feet long by 4 feet wide. There is no water supply there ...
Rosemary, bougainvillea among reliable plants for full sun exposure
Could you please suggest what to plant along my driveway? There is sun all day and everything I plant burns up. The driveway is 20 feet long by 4 feet wide. There is no water supply there so I have t...
The right trees for your home
Question: We were in the path of an incredible windstorm last year in the San Gabriel Valley. It took out all of our large trees. Since we now get to start from scratch, I would love some advice abou...
A Passover for the garden results in renewal
Spring is almost here and so is Passover. There is a principle in Judaism, observable in the garden, too, known as yeridah letzorech aliyah, which means “descent for the purpose of ascent,̶...
Thin-bark trees offer beautiful flowers but care is needed to protect ...
Many people consider redbuds, although more pink than red, to be the most brilliant of all spring flowering trees. In full bloom, they appear as blinding flashes of magenta-pink against a background ...
Several species of iris would do well in our gardens
Irises are not as popular as they should be. The beauty of their flowers is unparalleled and most types can grow in either sun or shade with little water. Yet they are not seen in gardens nearly as o...
