Marigolds Self-Sow in Gas Station Planter
Note: the following was written in 2000. Some years ago, the marigold planter was converted to artificial turf. If you want to learn about the importance of soil in the life of a plant, pay a visi...
Category Archives: Flowering Shrubs
Everything You Need to Know About Camellias
In the Valley, camellias do best in a partial sun/light shade exposure. One of the best places in the world to learn about the light and shade requirements of the camellia is at an arboretum right in...
Tropical Rhododendrons for You
It is a most lamentable form of floral deprivation that rhododendrons – those magnificent relatives of the azalea – are seldom seen in Los Angeles. The word rhododendron is derived from t...
Lilacs
My 3-year-old lilac tree is doing so well and almost in full bloom. It’s still low and very bushy. My question is: When it’s done blooming, can I prune it? How do I do this? Also, please ...
Scotch Heather: Long Lasting Delight
Imagine a plant covered in tiny, pendulous pink pearls at this time of year. This plant can live for decades, growing into a bush that is 6 feet tall and nearly as wide. It actually thrives in heavy ...
Geraldton Waxflower
Imagine a six-foot shrub that blooms six months of the year in near-drought conditions. Its wiry stems, studded with white, pink or violet flowers, may be cut for mixed bouquets and vase arrangements...
Blackberries & Raspberries
Note: the following was written shortly after George W. Bush’s inauguration. The end of President George W. Bush’s first week in office seems as good a time as any to discuss the other bu...
Emu Bush: Friend of the Desert
Many plants native to southwestern Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean and Southern California look their most glorious in mid- to late winter. The reason is that i...
Euryops Illuminates Winter Gardens
As time passes, I have come to regard the euryops daisy as an ornamental plant that no Southern California garden should be without – and not only because the euryops is one of my wife&#...
Favorite Long-Blooming Plants
Q. Could you give me a list of your favorite long-blooming plants for the Valley? They should require a minimum of water and a minimum of pruning or other maintenance. -Oscar Montanez, Canoga Park A....
