Oaks and Acorns
If you have a dog, you should be extra diligent these days about examining its fur for ticks. My wife, who works next to a park resplendent with mature oak trees, brought attention to the fact that ...
The Curse of Asparagus Fern
Two weeks ago, I suggested drought tolerant asparagus fern (Asparagus sprengeri) as a possible ground cover for somewhat shady slopes. I cautioned that it is “an extremely aggressive plant” and that...
An Amazing Celosia, Dying Algerian Ivy
Imagine an annual plant that grows with weed-like abandon, yet its multitude of flowers can last for months in dry arrangements. Flowers are violet-purple and bloom from late spring through fall. L...
Planting on Slopes
Slopes. All over the greater Los Angeles area, from Santa Clarita to the Anaheim Hills, from San Bernardino to Santa Barbara, you have them. Slopes. I do not envy people with slopes. Aside from th...
California Native Garden in Studio City
When visiting the Studio City residence of Beth and Alan Dymond, I was not only delighted at the sight of a California native hybrid I had never seen before, but also impressed by the presence of the...
Dog Proof Plants that Deter Dogs
Do you have any recommendations for plants that repel dogs or do you have a suggestion for something to sprinkle on the lawn that would be helpful to the lawn but repellent (but of course not harmful...
Lilacs Love Cold Winters
The unusually hot and dry weather we have experienced this winter is causing consternation in some quarters. What if there should suddenly be a deluge of rain or a cold snap? Would this radical wea...
Plants That Attract Honeybees
I was wondering if you would please write about the plight of honeybees. Considering our current drought and the enormous amount of water a lawn requires, I was thinking that people might consider r...
California Natives at Exposition Park
Imagine packing all of your green debris – from grass clippings to fallen tree branches – into a compost wall, constructed from wooden beams and wire, that surrounds your property. Imagine building ...
Australia and South Africa Come to Los Angeles
I was recently privileged to visit the garden of Lavi Daniel in Cheviot Hills. Daniel has aesthetically assembled an astonishing collection of Australian and South African native plants. A studio ar...
