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...
Category Archives: Flowering Trees
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 ...
Yellow Flowers of Early Spring
SO MANY of the late-winter and early-spring blooming plants native to dry climates, like our own, have yellow flowers. One of the most captivating plants presently in bloom is the sea dahlia (Coreops...
Deciduous Trees That Flower Before They Foliate
Deciduous trees that flower each year before they produce leaves bring unique drama to the garden. In Los Angeles, more of these special trees come into bloom in February than in any other month. At ...
Saucer Magnolia Brightens Even the Dullest Souls
Even the dullest soul has been known to brighten at the sight of a saucer magnolia in full bloom. The saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangeana) is the favorite tree of Valley plant watchers. There are m...
Saucer Magnolia: Harbinger of Spring
In Los Angeles, spring begins earlier than in most other American cities. Spring comes as early as the beginning of February, by which time ornamental peach and almond trees are already in bloom. Or,...
Learn Patience from a Saucer Magnolia
Could patience be a vanishing virtue? Could expectation soon be a relic, replaced by the demand for instant gratification? When evaluating a plant for placement in the garden, the length of time it b...
Mellifluous, Pulchritudinous Plumeria
They say the most truly memorable moments in a person’s life can be compressed into the space of a few minutes. For gardeners, those extraordinary moments would no doubt include the sight of fi...
Lucky Nut and Friends
When you are a student of plants, you learn wherever you go. Just the other day on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles, I saw the most stunning display of two plants, alternating as they bo...
Unforgettable Elephant Fig
Two recent e-mails raise several general questions on the subject of tree selection and care in the Valley: Q: We live in Porter Ranch, and up until six months ago had a spectacularly large coral tre...