Why not to Plant Magnolias and Jacarandas

If you are considering planting a tree, you might want to eliminate southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and jacaranda from your list of choices.  There is a bacterial disease that is infecting t...

Bells of Ireland and other Delights

For years, I had seen bells of Ireland in seed and plant catalogues – at least before plant catalogues, much like daily newspapers, became an endangered species. Every time I saw its picture, I imagi...

Wisteria, Soil pH, Soil Testing

My more than 20 year old Wisteria longissima ‘Alba’ hasn’t grown in over 10 years. An arborist and numerous others have given advice but nothing works. I’ve replaced the soil, enlarged th...

Yes, There’s Hope for this Esperanza

“Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.” — Erma Bombeck It’s a testimony to how tricky it is to grow plants in a doctor’s office that you hardly ever see them there.  In fact, I ca...

Whitefly Combat

If you happen to have a persistently annoying insect pest in your garden, doing absolutely nothing about it may be the best form of managing its spread long term. In due course, natural predators ...

Cruel Plant & Slope Planting

Adjacent to the Veteran Affairs complex in West Los Angeles, there is a parrot sanctuary, and opposite this parrot sanctuary there is a vine, and upon this vine there are flowers, and these flowers a...

Wisteria

Breathless in Jerusalem.  The sights.  The sounds.  But mostly the people.  The light is extraordinary.  Each person is illuminated, without and within, physically and spiritually.  Did you ever look...

Adorn Your Fences With Vines

This summer, people are shopping for vines. Fences and block walls that fell in the earthquake are being rebuilt, and vines are a common choice for adorning a new fence or softening the austerity of ...