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…
theGardenPages Gardening Blog
Plant Profile: Crassula Ovata or Jade Plant, great succulent plants for dry gardens.
Right now is a perfect time to plant your succulent garden! It’s still cool and we have rain so you don’t have to water! Jades are in bloom right now. Crassula ovata or Jade plants are shrubby succulent plants that make excellent choices for dry gardens and container plants. Xeriscaping with drought tolerant cactus and Read More…
Pink Cherry Trees in Bloom at Balboa Lake in Los Angeles
The cherry trees are in bloom in the Sepulveda Basin around Balboa Lake. Balboa Lake is in Anthony C. Beilenson Park the San Fernando Valley, on Balboa Blvd. just off the Ventura Freeway. Drop by if you’re in the area. The city planted huge swaths of matching pink flowering trees a few years ago and 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…
Fall Planting Tips: 3 Flowering Herbs to Plant Now In Southern California Gardens
It is a lucky cook who is able to pluck a few fresh sprouts from a nearby herb plant to spice up a dish on the stove. Here are a few fabulous herbs that do well in drought tolerant gardens, and Fall is a perfect time to plant them, so get out there already! Here Read More…
Future Wisteria Flowers for #FloralFriday
The wisteria in my garden is just getting ready to bloom. There is one little petal open in this wisteria photo, but I think the real star of the show are the interesting cloud formations floating around today. Anywhoo, the wisteria buds are good because this is about the time I should be chopping it Read More…
The Allure of Black Roses for Halloween
Happy Halloween! Many of us are getting our pumpkins carved and the candy ready for trick-or-treaters. And perhaps some of you will be getting or giving a bouquet of black roses. For anyone who is wondering about the history of these mythical roses I found a wonderful article for you by one of my fellow 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…
Leyland Cypress Fast-Growing Drought Tolerant Landscape Screen Plants
Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii) is a very fast growing tree that grows tall and thin, making them perfect for privacy screen plants in the landscape. These shrubs can grow four to five feet in one season! Their columnar shape helps them fit in along the back of the border or between houses. The top is a 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…