Here’s a follow up on the Blooming Acacia Tree posts. Our little flowering tree has now developed seed pods which dried fairly quickly. We’ve been having a heat wave so summer is off to a crackling start here in So Cal. The seed pods are about 2 or 3 inches long and have bumps over Read More…
Author: Laura Z
Gardener in sunny SoCal
Blooming Purple And Blue Jacaranda Trees Bloom In Los Angeles
Here’s a pretty picture from Los Angeles for you. I originally posted on my LA blog, but they are such pretty trees I thought you might like to see them too. The jacaranda trees are blooming now, the skyline is turning blue and purple. The streets and yards under these Jacaranda trees are also turning Read More…
Quick Ideas For Red, White And Blue Flowers For A Patriotic Garden
I was driving around and saw this patriotic display of petunias. I thought it would be fun to compile a quick list of red, white and blue flowers to put together for a patriotic display this 4th of July. Here are a few you can group together including a few shade ideas. RED: petunia; salvia; Read More…
Heat Wave Takes Toll On Southern California Gardens With Sunburned Plants
My plants are frying! OK, so it’s been over 100 degrees here in sunny so Cal for the past few days. That’s OK, it’s called summer, we learned about this in school. And the state of California has declared a drought, and the city of Los Angeles is asking us to reduce our water consumption. Read More…
Plant Profile: Crassula Capitella Another Color Change Plant
Here’s another succulent plant in my collection that changes color. This is Crassula capitella, sometimes called Crassula erosula. This succulent has also been called Red Flames or Campfire Plant. It has bright, lime green leaves with flaming orange red tips. It gets tiny white flowers on upright stalks in early spring. When grown in shade, Read More…
Purple Wisteria, Green Seed Pods
These are the seed pods that form on wisteria vines after they bloom. As I’ve said before, I love my wisteria. Actually, I grew to love my wisteria that was on my patio arbor before I moved in. They have the most beautiful blooms and that’s what makes the rest of the year worth it Read More…
Fruit News Roundup: A $6,000 Watermelon, $2.5 Million Cantaloupes, And A Fruit That Makes Everything Taste Sweet
I couldn’t resist putting together this post about fruit. But, don’t read it right before you go food shopping… A ‘Densuke’, watermelon recently sold for $6,000 in Japan. It was a special ice-box sized variety with a unique black skin grown in the north of Japan. The skin is actually a very dark green with Read More…
Plant Profile: Crassula Portulacea or Spoon Jade or ET Fingers or Gollum Jade
Any more names for this jade species? I’ve always appreciated it for the way it looks like coral, sea grass or some exotic undersea plant you’d find waving with the currents in Ariel’s Secret Grotto. Horseshoe or Spoon Jade is also called Gollum Fingers or ET fingers. These plants can take full sun to light Read More…
River Rock and Limestone Mosaic Garden Fence Inspiration
Looking for ways to dress up your plain block wall? Here’s a fun idea I saw driving around. This beautiful wall is built from river rocks, flat stones, limestone and other cool material. It runs for about half a city block. It is a ‘real’ wall, built out of stone. It must’ve taken forever to Read More…
How to Grow and Care for Healing Aloe Vera Plants
Aloe Vera, known as the healing plant, is easy to care for indoors or in the garden. It is a drought tolerant succulent plant which grows well in dry shade to part sun. Aloes have bright green stalks that grow up to 1 foot long and up to 2 inches thick They usually have creamy Read More…