Misting, Elephant Food, Angel Pelargoniums
A heat wave is like a brushfire. If it gets too intense, there is really not much you can do to blunt its force. Once a brushfire turns into a wildfire or major conflagration, all the prudent firesc...
Fastigiate Trees, ‘Starry Night’
There is something about fastigiate (fass-ti’-gee-it) trees. You either love them or hate them. Or so it seems. Fastigiate means columnar and I could not help but contemplate this arboreal for...
For Colorful Leaves, Consider Alternantheras
There was a time when if you wanted colorful leaves in partial sun to somewhat shady exposures, coleus was your only option. That was then, but Alternanthera is now. Alternanthera (al-ter-NAN-the-ra...
Bower Vine, Grevillea, Queen Victoria Agave
Every now and then I see a plant that I must photograph right then and there, come what may. It might mean climbing a tree and precariously straddling a branch, or parking on the shoulder of a freew...
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...
Epicormic Growth, ‘Reed’ Avocadoes
Do you have epicormic growth? Epicormic (epi = upon, kormos = tree trunk) growth is the technical term for shoots that develop from hidden buds on tree trunks and branches. Suckers, which grow out ...
Water Features, Water Lilies, Lotus Plants
The Garden of Eden had a river running through it and, ever since, nearly all memorable gardens have had water features. The first formal gardens, planted in Egypt 3,500 years ago, were arranged in s...
The Price of Bringing Nature Close to Home
I wondered if you could give me your opinion about our deodar cedar tree and whether it is safe to keep it. I love the tree. It’s beautiful, but it is very close to the house/roof so I feel l...
The Greatness of Bulbs
Greatness may best be evaluated not by natural talent or achievement or an applause meter, but by response to adversity. The greatness of plants is thus demonstrated, since many of them can be cut to...
Low Maintenance Garden: an Oxymoron
A walk in the forest is most enjoyable yet, when you get hungry, you long for the presence of a peach or a plum or an apple tree among the pines. You realize that forest trees are a wonderful gift, ...
