Listen, whether you’re a plant/garden geek or not, these Protea family plants are an excellent choices for your dry Mediterranean climate garden. In this short post get ready view 5 wonderful plants in the Protea family. These 5 are either native to the Mediterranean regions of South Africa or Australia. You may be familiar with Grevilleas and Leucadendrons and less familiar with
You’ll Love Conifers in your Garden: Here’s Why!
Conifers pull their weight in the small and large garden like no other! This wonderful group of plants, defined by having cone bearing seeds, and mostly being evergreen, can provide you with sizes ranging from an enormous giant redwood to a tiny dwarf. In between are more modest sizes and shapes – from ground covers […]
Plant Spot Light: Cordyline for Bold, Easy Architectural Effect!
For the border or for containers, these architecturally bold plants are worth knowing – particularly if you live in Zones 9 – 11. One of the nice things about this genus is that the taller growing ones; Cordyline australis and its’many cultivars, make excellent palm-like trees, taking up little space in the small garden but giving you that exotic, tropical feel.
Spotlight on Crassula Multicava (Fairy Crassula)
Here’s an incredibly gorgeous and useful ground cover that will definitely make your friends and neighbors jealous when it’s in flower! Crassula multicava belongs on a short list of best succulents to use especially where other sun-loving ground covers won’t grow.
Spotlight: Why Aloe Is So Much More than Aloe Vera
If you’re like a lot of people… you know the aloe plant as an indoor plant growing on window sills, small and cute succulents with fleshy leaves. Best known of all is the Aloe vera plant, trusted for its healing properties for sunburn, bites, minor cuts and skin irritations.
Billbergia – Spot Light on this Easy to Grow Bromeliad
The nice thing about Billbergia is that is it an extremely tough plant. It makes an excellent container plant, which you can grow as a house plant, OR, outdoors if you live in a mild climate.
Purple Vines: Stagger Bloom Times for More Seasons in Color!
If you live in Northern California, like me, or another mild or Mediterranean climate, you can get the year going (in winter) with purple flowering vines and enjoy more blooms EVERY seasons to come.
Center Stage with Lavender Fields in the Garden
Oh no not again. It’s that time of summer when my horticultural leanings get swayed towards a favorite plant, and for the week of July 4th, it’s lavender. Are you a lavender-lover too? It’s definitely a perennial/shrub/herb to get behind, especially because you can treat SOME lavender species as a perennial in zones that go well below freezing.
When Creeping Fig Vine Gets an A+ and an F
Creeping fig vine (Ficus pumila) is one of my favorite evergreen vines and a useful plant choice for so many situations.
In this case, take a look at the two photos where creeping fig grows along brick stairs; it’s a nice detail where plant and architecture marry. One of the reasons it works so well…?
Plant Spotlight: Cool Spurge (Euphorbia) for Low Water Garden Design
Spurge, otherwise known as Euphorbia, is that cool plant you can have just one of or you can get the bug and try out several species. The ones on spotlight here are some of the most popular shrub and ground cover types readily available to buy.
