A lot of the most GORGEOUS flowering trees and shrubs bloom during the 3-months of spring and it's hard not to be mesmerized when they're in flower. Blooms come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. The showy bracts of the dogwood (Cornus), the pea-like flowers of  both the redbud (Cercis), and yellowwood (Cladrastis.) Shrubs with red foliage and smoke-like flowers in smokebush (Cotinus), white flower panicles in both the false spirea (Sorbaria), and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea).  Enjoy this post featuring 14 all-time favorite trees and shrubs for your spring garden ..read more

Great Highway is a long street that runs parallel to Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Homes along the Great Highway face west and there's little buffer from the elements, just a large man-made berm and Highway 1. With extreme conditions such as fog, salt-laden air, and high winds, (and the bonus of tunneling gophers chewing away at plant roots) growing a garden full of plants can be challenging ..read more

It's winter and the hardwood trees have lost their leaves... A fresh view through the trees is available now and you can see another side of them - admire the gorgeous forms and silhouettes. So much architectural beauty to enjoy, and yet so often we see none of this. If you're a hiker or even enjoy a walk around your neighborhood, don't miss out on this winter's trees where you live. In this post, enjoy two urban forests ..read more

Short Fence Love! The short fence interests me particularly because the community feel still exists, as does the interplay between public and private. With a short fence, the home’s boundaries are clearly delineated and in place, while at the same time, the home garden’s aliveness and personality are still there – and sometimes – for ..read more

In this short photo post, I want to highlight the beauty of plants and life close to the waves of salty sea air. Not a lot of plants are acclimated to salt air and heavy winds. In this post, natives by way of beach grasses, perennials, and trees are included. Also,  designed home garden plantings ..read more

If you’re looking for some color this spring, summer and fall perennials are a good bang for your buck. For a definition refresher, a perennial is: A  plant that survives from year to year in a temperate climate but dies back just above or below the ground at the onset of the dormant season.  ~Source ..read more

In this short post let's have a look at Leonotus leonurus (Lion's Tail)  a 'must have' plant for the dry Mediterranean garden. This evergreen perennial does very well in mild winter climates where fast draining soils set-up for year round flowering. Though peak flowering is summer to fall - if you prune mildly ..read more

Bougainvillea is considered to be one of the most beautiful flowering vines of all! Pretty much every home owner asks about the possibility of growing one. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, these tropical thorny plants, native to South America, do great, year round, especially if planted in a sunny, warm spot like a ..read more

Looking for some flowering trailers for hanging baskets, containers or the garden? It's hard to get tired of all the blooms! Take a look a these 3 below. This is a short post but timely as it's a perfect time to get shopping and planting to get the look you want this season. This lead photo is repeated below. Though it shows blooming roses, and Lantana don't miss the Geranium incanum ..read more

It’s early spring (April 2nd) and one of the beautiful flowering trees in the garden now is Cercis Occidentalis (aka: California redbud or Western redbud). This California native tree, and also a native to South Western states like Utah and Arizona makes life colorful! What’s so striking about this tree is that it bears flowers ..read more