California Native Ground Covers
This spring’s flowers – there are just so many of them — cannot be compared to those of any spring in recent memory. Perennial plants native to dry climates – and most of the woody and herbaceo...
Category Archives: California Native Garden
Red Monkey Flower
Red monkey flower (Diplacus puniceus) is an evergreen perennial that you ignore all year long for the sake of its arresting spring bloom, although it may flower on and off throughout the year. Water...
Grub Control in Lawns, California Natives, Sugarcane
In response to a recent column on keeping raccoons out of your garden, I received an email from Carolyn Arthur, a customer service specialist at Sperling Nursery in Calabasas. “What about grubs?,” s...
California Native Garden in Studio City
When visiting the Studio City residence of Beth and Alan Dymond, I was not only delighted at the sight of a California native hybrid I had never seen before, but also impressed by the presence of the...
Plants That Attract Honeybees
I was wondering if you would please write about the plight of honeybees. Considering our current drought and the enormous amount of water a lawn requires, I was thinking that people might consider r...
California Natives at Exposition Park
Imagine packing all of your green debris – from grass clippings to fallen tree branches – into a compost wall, constructed from wooden beams and wire, that surrounds your property. Imagine building ...
California Native Wonders
If you want to learn about the flowers of California native plants, now until the end of spring is a good time to do so. Already, manzanita and ceanothus, the most classic of California classics, ar...
California Natives
If you are passionate about growing California natives, you might want to consider moving to Canyon Country, located in the Santa Clarita Valley. “I moved up to Canyon Country in 1987,” wrote Jim Van...
In Southern California, It’s Never Too Late to Plant
Question: Is it too late to revamp our garden and do annual as well as perennial plantings? Our yard needs extensive work, not just a few plants here and there. I am concerned that it is getting too ...
Memorable Moments of Horticultural Discovery
The memorable moments in a person’s life may be few, but among them, without a doubt, are those moments of horticultural discovery. I remember the first time I saw a princess flower (Tibouchina...
