blackberry – The Smarter Gardener

Edible Gardens and Fruitful Vines

August 6, 2014 no comments

Edible gardens are sprouting up everywhere. Boysenberry and blackberry are taking over where bougainvillea once was king, snap peas are usurping the territory of snapdragons, and potato patches are p...

Ramble through the Brambles

July 23, 2014 no comments

If you are looking for a safe haven, start spending time in a garden. The word “garden” comes from Old French and Old English words for “enclosure.” Evidently, the garden has ...

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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...

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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...