Brilliant mesembryanthemum groundcover above geranium, poppies, and other bulbs. Amaryllis galore. Golden mini-rose. Purple freesia. Richly brown iris. Lilac iris. Lemon yellow iris. Blue iris. Yellow and white iris. Purple and yellow Dutch iris, and rich blue one in the background. Mini-gladiolus. Lobelia latifolia. Pink sweet pea. Purple sweet pea. Euphorbia above nasturtium groundcover. Dinosaur kale and mustards and chard.      It’s raining yet again.  Even though we’ve had so much over the last several months, I continue to apprec ..read more

Iris and paperwhites Daffodils August Pride peach Ferrarria crispa Freesia Copper Spoons, Kalanchoe orgyalis Chasmanthe Duckittii Chasmanthe aethiopica Plectranthus Calla lily Dragon Arum, Dranunculus vulgaris Bulbine Stock, Matthiola incana Borage Grape sprouts Perennial artichoke sprouts Cymbidium Lush nasturtium "ocean" Nasturtium overgrown in beds is pulled up and spread into pathways as mulch to smother weeds Grape Hyacinth "waterfall". White freesias at top are super fragrant; supposedly the species from which all colors derive (but sadly lost ..read more

Sweet violets brighten shady areas. As do begonias. Veggie seedlings getting ready for transplanting. Veggies seeded a month ago finally germinating in this warm weather. Paperwhites. Sunflower. Tomato hanging on with much foliage and even some blossoms. We'll see how soon a tomato will set. Single chard plant resprouting galore. Wando pea set. Sweet Pea Shrub - Polygala × dalmaisiana. Poinsettia, bladderpod, and upcoming chasmanthe. Statice, Limonium. First camellia. Begonia backlit and frontlit ​ Amaryllis just potted up. First alstroemeria. Other firs ..read more

    With more rain - however minimally drizzily - promised, it continues to keep garden soil moist and receptive to sowing seeds and transplanting small plants.        And, as we get closer to Thanksgiving and the chill encourages some leaves to change color and other fruits to color up, some of my past blogs are timely to review. See the full listing of the "Fall" grouping on my homepage. ​ Here're two blogs that are especially worth reviewing now: Holiday Decor From Your Garden - 11/19/19 Cool-Season Plant Problems and Solutions - 3/14/21 ..read more

Antirrhinum seed pods Aristolochia salvadorensis Hydnellum peckii Veggie Man Historical sign at the Shelburne Museum of art, design, and Americana in Shelburne, Vermont     Here we are, at our first major Fall holiday, Halloween, and the weather continues to be perfect for sowing and transplanting.  With mid-80s during the day and mid-to-high-50s at night, seeds will germinate well and baby plants will establish healthy root systems as long as we keep the soil moist.  Another benefit of climate change, I guess, having this great weather this late in the c ..read more

Begonia time in the filtered shade garden! Exquisitely red plumeria. White amarcrinum. Light pink amarcrinum. Bright pink amarcrinum. Beautifully mixed lilac and blue...the tag disappeared. Purple People Eater Angel's Trumpet. Another bulb I don't know the name of. Lycoris. Gaura lindheimeri in pink. Purple Zebra huge plant overflowing its cage and setting blossoms. Letting the volunteel plants finish maturing their tomatoes. Garlic chives blooms. Chard resprouting with young growth and setting seed. Another weirdness for this summer - Oro Blanco grapefruit sp ..read more

Warm-season summer harvest. Artichokes just harvested. Time to harvest asparagus. Many kinds of basil, some better for culinary uses and others better enjoyed as ornamental or fragrance uses. Keep harvesting beans to encourage more production. Beets come in colors and nuanced flavors. Fully ripe boysenberries fall into your hand when tickled. Broccoli's main head has been cut, and secondary bite-size headlets continue developing for long continuous harvest. Cabbages are a one-time harvest crop. Carrots come in sizes and colors and flavors. Try several to see which you p ..read more

Grape vine leaves sunburned on the surfaces that were angled perfectly to get too-intense sun rays. Burned edges. Burned individual leaves. Sunscalded Silver Dollar plant rootings. Succulent leaves "melted" in the heat. At least 2 branches are still green. Don't prune back anything until you see what's really dead in a month or two when new growth emerges. You'll probably be surprised at how much original foliage is still viable. Fig tree sprouting new growth after all of its original foliage "fried" and drooped. I soaked the entire rootball when I found the container on its ..read more

Brunfelsia purples and alstroemeria surrounded by with nasturtium. Nasturtium cut from pathways and laid down as mulch for fruit trees. Begonia bloom. Mini rose flourishes. Brugmansia in 3 colors. Lucille Ball rose is supposed to be the exact color of her hair. Matilija Poppy. Carefree Delight shrub rose. Statice - Limonium perezii. Gaura. Variegated plectranthus foliage. Pink and white alstroemeria. Red alstroemeria. Purple alstroemeria. Yummy boysenberries. Arctic Star nectarine. August Pride peaches. Chard maturing at different rates from the same ..read more

Bladderpod and statice and poinsettia Nasturtium ocean Epiphyllum Bearded iris and freesia Spuria iris Sun star - Ornithogalum dubium - and statice Boysenberry loaded with blossoms and fruit Artichoke, 6' tall Fava beans attractive blossoms  ​     All that winter rain – totaling some 41.45 inches here in Pasadena – has certainly enabled the garden to explode in bounty and brilliance.  The veggies I sowed and transplanted last Fall turned into exquisite tastiness all winter and early spring, and the flowers so far this spring have never been so ..read more