Non-Stop Gardening Tips & Inspiration
Plant combinations can be evocative! And for me, this small front garden had me thinking about a scene in nature right away. Here in California it was a grassy meadow with an oak tree (see photo below.) But I was also excited by the 2-plant … [Read more]
For a bright show of color in spring few plants can beat these California natives - with the electric blues of Ceanothus or California lilac; or the bright orange of the state's flower: Eschscholzia californica or California poppy. There are so … [Read more]
April showers bring May flowers and also flowering cherry trees. The impact of this flowering tree is strong, and so is the association - just think of all the cherry blossom festivals around the world - and in Japan, tracking the timing (when the … [Read more]
When done right Red heats up like no other color in the garden. This fiery color, has the ability to move your eye towards it, and in a small garden setting this is especially powerful. HOW DOES THE COLOR RED AFFECTS YOU PHYSICALLY? 1. It … [Read more]
SPRING is showtime for the flowering cherry trees. These trees have a powerful impact on people when they're in bloom - more so than I've seen with any flowering tree! Last week I had to wait my turn to get some "one on one time" (and some photos … [Read more]
Recently, I went to a "talk" about the use of rain barrels and rainwater harvesting. I think the number mentioned - that really hit home - was a reminder that only 2% of the earth's water is fresh, and 1/2 of that, is frozen. When it rains on … [Read more]
1. Generally the thinner the leaf the wetter the conditions the plant can tolerate. 2. Succulent plantings...to figure out how close to plant them in the ground, you'll want to know both growth rate and the plant's ultimate, mature size. 3. If … [Read more]
If the front of your house or building melds into the sidewalk without any sort of setback, what can you possibly do to green your place up? Is it possible to include a tiny little garden? If not, are there other ideas to warm up, spruce up the … [Read more]
A: You do if you're planning on putting both plant and potting soil directly into the pot for the plant to grow. You don't, if you just want to use the planter as an attractive catch pot used to display floral arrangements and plants. I've found … [Read more]
Billbergia is an amazing plant! Pictured here, you can see it looking lovely with clusters of tubular flowers in an unusual color combination. The white trailing plant below it is, Bacopa, which is an excellent plant choice for hanging baskets. … [Read more]