My neighbor’s hollyhocks are blooming again. They tower over her garden with huge flowers and I admit to being a wee bit jealous. The old-fashioned garden hollyhock of my childhood storybooks is also called Althaea rosea. They are native to the Mediterranean region which means they make perfect flowers for a low water yard. See? Read More…
Category: california garden
What’s Blooming In Southern California This April
Wondering what to plant now that will bloom next spring? Here are a few heat-resistant, drought-tolerant ideas for you. All of the plants in my garden are growing on rainfall alone. Umm, OK, when it was 120 degrees last year I may have given them a little extra water, but that was it, really. I Read More…
Hot Pink Flowering Bougainvillea
Here’s a quick late night Friday Floral for you; the bougainvilleas are blooming here in southern California, and putting on quite a show. Their colors can range from purple to reds, pinks or white, but my favorites are the hot pink versions. This one is climbing over a fence in my neighborhood. Once they get Read More…
Awesome Aechmea Bromeliad Flower Performance Continues!
Just in time for #FloralFriday on theGardenPages; the flowers on my Aechmea (Urn Plant) just keep getting better. I showed you the prickly pink flowers when they first emerged from my Urn Plant. Now they have continued flowering with added features! The blooms develop what look like extra flowers consisting of deep blue petals deep Read More…
Three Quick, Easy Shade Ideas to Keep Plants From Burning in Hot Summer Gardens
During the heat of summer even plants who like full sun may need a little break. If it has been in the 100’s for a few days, like it has here in Southern California, the plants will be starting to show the stress. Your first impulse may be to water them more. Sometimes that helps Read More…
Growing Kalanchoe for Drought Tolerant Gardens or as House Plants
You may not think of kalanchoes as succulent plants, but they are. Kalanchoes are another member of the Crassulaceae or Stonecrop family. They are reliable dry garden bloomers known for their bright flowers. Most varieties are perennial and evergreen, making them perfect candidates for my hot, dry landscape. Their flowers bloom in small bouquets of Read More…
Hopseed Bush Or Dodonaea Viscosa, Fast Growing Drought Tolerant Screen Plants for So. California
These lacy shrubs are also called Hop Bush or Hopseed Bush after their seed pods that resemble hops. Hop Seed bushes come with leaves in either bright, lime green or dark purple.
Eureka! California Black Gold In My Back Yard, Compost That Is
Yes, it does exist! I have found it! Compost can be made in California and here’s a giant chunk of that wonderful black gold in my hot little hand. I just dug some of my delicious compost out of the pile. I am getting ready to fill my bin up with a bunch of new Read More…
Euryops: Drought Tolerant, Fast Growing Winter Flowering Shrubs For Southern California
If you are looking for a nice drought tolerant shrub that flowers almost year-round try Euryops. I planted these as a quick fix for a bare bed about four years ago. I knew they were fairly fast growing and flowered in winter. The plan was to get something started quick and fill in the blank Read More…
Free Trees and Discount Garden or Landscape Equipment for Los Angeles Gardeners
There are a few great deals and information out there for southern California gardeners if you know where to look. I’ve dug up a few cool deals for your garden right now. L.A. city and county both have great information about planting native or other drought tolerant plants, composting, and other ways to save water Read More…