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…
Author: Laura Z
Gardener in sunny SoCal
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…
The Gall On Some Plants, My Orange Tree Specifically
I have a nice sized gall growing on my orange tree. It forms where the rootstock was grafted to the top of the tree. Every year it sends out growth. It has to be removed but there’s a trick to doing it. Here’s my orange tree with a bunch of branches starting on the base Read More…
Window Plant Haworthia Blooms
My haworthia is blooming. It sends up these sci-fi looking stalks that open into tiny white flowers. It took so long for my first plants to bloom that now I get excited to see them in the early spring. I just love these succulent little gems and this plant seems to have developed a cult Read More…
Crassula Plant Rescue Update
As you may recall, I rescued a crassula succulent plant from the store. Unfortunately he suffered a cruel attack by a weed-whacker. I decided I needed to continue his saga, for good or bad. I was pretty sure since it was a succulent he’d recover. Also, I still have the roots in the container, which Read More…
Yellow Flowering Cactus Pear Blooming
My cactus pear is flowering! I can’t wait for the pears. Here’s a little piece I wrote for my main garden website: Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) are useful in the landscape for dramatic impact, adding a southwestern feel to any landscape. Opuntia cactus also have edible pads and provide the red cactus pears of Read More…
Excuse me, your rootstock is showing
What’s going on with this rose? It’s pink, but we have a giant branch with tiny red roses sneaking through the top of the rosebush. Is it some new variety with two colors? Nope, it’s the root stock growing up from the bottom. Most roses are bred for their looks, which leaves little time for Read More…
Don’t hate me because it’s 90 degrees
Yes, it’s hot in So Cal today. We’ve been having a bit of a Santa Ana condition so it’s been pretty warm. I felt sorry for my drought tolerant plants in the back yard so I gave them a good soak yesterday. It’s a little early in the season to be this hot. Nobody’s drooping Read More…
High tech seed spreader, or spice bottle?
Here’s something you can use as a free seed spreader that’s already in your spice cabinet. This bottle contained Italian Seasoning. The important part is the size of the holes in the plastic screen on top. These are about 1/8 inch in diameter. It’s a great way to scatter seeds in your garden for a Read More…
Have you turned your compost lately?
It’s a great time of year to start a compost pile. This spring, if your grass is growing and you’re mowing a lot, don’t forget to throw your clippings in your compost pile. Grass clippings add nitrogen to your compost. Clippings also need to be broken up in your pile. If you toss in a Read More…