California nursery specialties – The Smarter Gardener

Reseda Cactus Ranch = Stressless Environment

February 18, 2014 no comments

David Bernstein is proud of the stressless environment he has created on his 1 1/2-acre cactus ranch in Reseda. He has more than 100,000 cactus plants on display, but you will never feel any pressure...

Succulent Paradise

December 9, 2013 no comments

Every so often, you really should visit David Bernstein’s nursery in Reseda, if only to get away from it all. Bernstein is one of the few remaining plant growers in the Valley open to the publi...

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...