Vines – Page 3 – The Smarter Gardener

Popcorn jasmine and other Perennial Spring Bloomers

March 20, 2014 no comments

One of the joys of plant watching is the reappearance of old flowering friends as winter turns to spring. A number of late winter plants that are hard to miss include the following. Popcorn Jasmine. ...

Plants to Cover a Chain Link Fence

November 6, 2013 no comments

Anyone who has ever gardened will tell you that horticulture is therapeutic. Lately, though, the practice of horticultural therapy has become a serious vocation. Teresia Hazen, who manages horitcultu...

Honeysuckle Heaven

October 29, 2013 4 comments

Q: The other day I was at Fashion Square in Sherman Oaks and noticed a huge shrub with large, tubular, yellow-orange flowers, which — like all strange flowers I encounter — I could not re...

Passion Flowers

October 28, 2013 no comments

Passion flowers, a prelude to passion fruit, have an astonishing look, unmatched by any other floral display. They have an extraterrestrial aspect and have been likened to alien spacecraft spinning i...

Mandevilla, among other colorful delights

October 25, 2013 no comments

As we settle into cooler weather, it is interesting to note that certain eye-catching perennials, not famous for cold tolerance, are blooming magnificently. Just the other day I spotted a Mandevilla ...

Vines that adhere to walls

October 20, 2013 no comments

Q. I would like a vine that will adhere to walls, stand sun and stay green all year. Ideas? -Fred Merrill, Beverly Glen A.There are vines that meet your requirements except that they ar...

« Previous 1 2 3

Recent Posts

A Glimpse of Paradise

Visitng Sherman Gardens is like spending time in a great museum. After an hour or so, you reach a saturation point and sigh, “There are just too many treasures to absorb in a single visit. I’ll just have to come back again to fully appreciat...

Why not to Plant Magnolias and Jacarandas

Peruvian Lilies

Japanese Garden in Los Angeles

California Native Ground Covers

Dragon Trees

Oxalis: Strong as an Ox, Sour as a Lemon

There is a certain plant that has remarkable strength. I always think of an ox when reading about it or hearing its name and for an obvious reason: it’s called oxalis. Yet the etymology of oxalis has nothing to do with an ox. The word is derived f...

A Living Fence of Pyracantha

I’m looking for some kind of bush or shrub or vine that will help to create a security barrier over a 3 foot high chain link fence, that will grow to around 5 or 6 feet or so, will look decent maybe with some nice blooms and if I’m lucky I can get aw...

A Living Fence of Pyracantha

Larkspur/Annual Delphinium

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 it more than once a month — even in fast-dra...