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
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…
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…
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…
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…
Care and Growth of Shamrocks on St. Patrick’s Day
All shamrocks are considered lucky and are worn and given as gifts on St. Patrick’s Day. Several different plants are sold as Shamrocks. There is some disagreement as to the exact plant, but most Irish growers will tell you Trifolium repens, or white clover are most commonly known as shamrocks. If you were lucky enough Read More…
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…
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…
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…
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…