Non-Stop Gardening Tips & Inspiration
A few years ago, I came to terms with the fact that my well used hand shears were near the end of their life (as mentioned, well used). I was about to buy a new pair, when a friend got me to try out her Japanese pruning shears. They were made with … [Read more]
Did you catch the Oscars last weekend? I did - and it got me thinking about the Blockbuster Oscar worthy plants for the February garden. With Valentine's day almost here, mid-February is an excellent time to consider what Oscar worthy plants … [Read more]
It's rose pruning season in northern California and time to suit up if you don't want end the day with hours of thorn removal. This year, besides wearing a thick, long sleeved shirt, I added gauntlet rose pruning gloves to my armor. These gloves are … [Read more]
If you're looking for a tree that captures the weeping habit of the infamous weeping willow (Salix babylonica) but without some of the headaches, including invasive roots and high water needs, consider the Mayten tree! The Mayten tree (Maytenus … [Read more]
A u t u m n is so SPECIAL. The light changes drastically from summer, the waning daylight hours, leaves changing color, flowers peaking and fading, leaves under feet. Preparation in nature for winter months is all around us. I don't like to miss a … [Read more]
A wonderful 2.5 acre garden worth visiting in Palo Alto, CA is The Gamble historic Garden. A free, self guided tour takes about an hour and there are benches and many places to sit and enjoy the day if you have the time. You can also head inside the … [Read more]
We have a "Flower Season" series in the works... This one, though, is a topic for you if you love flowers and want to see more color in your garden in winter! In this winter focused post, I've included around 16 winter blooming photos, mostly … [Read more]
We're just back from a short trip to Lake Tahoe and wanted to share a tree that is clearly one town along the Lake's favorite. The town is Incline Village- the tree - Laburnum watereri 'Vossii'. No words do justice to the visual impact of the … [Read more]
Architectural plants with interesting texture for your garden? "Restios?" Hmmm. What's a restio? If you've never heard of them, you're not alone! But like recent posts, if you're looking for new plants to know for garden/planting design, then … [Read more]
I'm crazy about conifers (see link at bottom page for past post on conifers) so today, I want to share with you more info about them -but not really -them - instead, conifer like plants! Now I know what you're thinking... What's this about?! But … [Read more]