Wisteria Potential & Primrose Jasmine
In all the world, there is no vine like wisteria. From Sierra Madre to Jerusalem, I have seen nothing that can match its seemingly limitless potential for growth. How appropriate that wisteria should...
Category Archives: Flowering Shrubs
From Woadwaxen to Miniature Anthurium
The exuberance I experienced upon the recent discovery of a new plant was tempered by the thought that this might be an invasive species that would not be wise to recommend to an unsuspecting public....
Trumpet Trees & Flowering Quinces
The unexpected April rain early this week was a pleasant surprise. Not only was the rain helpful in germinating seeds and evenly soaking the root systems of all garden plants, but the accompanying gr...
Rockrose
If there’s one plant that behaves in every way like a California native, but isn’t one, it’s the rockrose. For years, I assumed rockrose (Cistus spp.) was a native because I had see...
Winter and Spring: Descent for the Sake of Ascent
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,” that you ...
Keeping Your Camellia Pest Free
Q: I have a camellia growing under the eaves near my front door with a northeast exposure which gets no direct sun during the winter. The problem is that it gets many flower buds that form fully but ...
A Lantana Bonanza
Familiar plants often show up in unfamiliar places, pleasing you in unexpected ways. Everyone knows that purple, violet or mauve lantana, depending on how you identify the color of its flowers, is a ...
Razzleberri — notable Chinese fringe flower
Sometimes it takes a few years, or longer, to appreciate a plant. Consider the burgundy-leafed Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense ‘Razzleberri’). This shrub has probably been in...
Exciting Pittosporums & Grafted Gardenias
Once upon a time, when people wanted carefree evergreen foliage plants that came in a variety of shapes and sizes, they chose junipers. They could choose from green, blue, silvery-blue and gold-tippe...
Island Bush Poppy
For more than a decade, I had been looking for that highly prized poppy. No one had it. No one could propagate it. Yes, you could see it growing wildon the Channel Islands, and there was a glorious s...
