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…
Category: california garden
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
I have been profiling a number of drought tolerant, fast growing screen plants lately and Dodonaea belongs on the list too. 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. Both versions Read More…
Acacia Tree Flowering Update
Here are a few photos of the Acacia after the flowers had fully opened up. They are so beautiful! Big, bright yellow flowers, and they smell heavenly! Bees like the blooms too, I’m glad to have them around. We like bees – they pollinate our crops. Read more about the disturbing loss of bees here… Read More…
Color Changing Succulent Plant Aeonium
I love my succulent plants. They change color with the seasons too! Here’s my aeonium. Normally it’s green with a little bit of red on the tips. In winter the centers get creamy white. I have cuttings of this plant sprinkled around the garden – but I can’t remember which ones they are until they 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…
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…
Friday Floral; My Color Change Crassula Capitella Is Flowering
I just love this succulent plant. I found it in a little 2 inch pot with no tag in the ‘novelty succulent plant’ heap at the local big box home improvement store. Since then I have been able to spread this plant down around the garden and over the patio in pots. It is named Read More…
Sprouting Amaryllis, Daffodils, Calla and Freesia, Happy New Year From theGardenPages
This New Year’s Day I have sprouting amaryllis, daffodils and freesia bulbs in the garden. We’ve had a bit of rain in Los Angeles, so there are a few bulbs that take this as their cue to get an early start on spring flowers. I am enchanted by the fragrance of freesias. I pick them 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…