Worldless Wednesday- Chairs on the lawn
. There’s something so inviting, so charming, and so welcoming about chairs on the front lawn, don’t you think? Here are a few of my favorites… .. . . .
Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!
. Happy 4th of July! Here’s my favorite red, white and blue combination perfect for this time of year – ‘Blue Moon’ agapanthus, ‘Fourth of July’ roses and feverfew. I must admit, this grouping wasn’t intentional on my part. The feverfew re-seeded itself snugly between the two and Voila! Serendipity at its finest!
Praying mantis nests for the tough-to-please teenager
Engaging older kids in the garden is definitely not as easy as it was when they were young. It takes a little more craftiness than having their own ‘big kid shovel’ to lure some of these kids back into the garden, so I’m always willing to try something new. One foolproof method is […]
It’s the little things in life
I love birds. From my aviary, which my husband lovingly built for me to house my canaries and finches, to the many different birds that visit my garden. I especially love spring, when I find different types of birds busily building their nests (many which return year after year to the same spot). Each […]
From ‘Ewww’ to ‘Cool’ – growing mushrooms in a box
I walked into Peets Coffee the other day (sounds like the beginning of a joke, doesn’t it?) Anyway, I walked in and saw these interesting looking mushroom kits for sale. And since I’m an avid gardener who will grow just about anything, I was immediately intrigued. So, I snatched one up for $15.00. Having […]
Succulent Container Gardens – Book Review
Since there’s already so many glowing reviews of Debra Lee Baldwin’s Succulent Container Gardens on the internet, I thought I might do something a little different – review the author first, and then review the book. I mean, really – who doesn’t want to know all about the person who wrote the book? I know […]
San Francisco Garden Show – 2010
I must have walked around this show for hours, snapping photos of all the gardens because when I came home I had close to 800 pictures! One thing I noticed was that I tend to take pictures of small portions of the gardens which really caught my eye. I rarely have a photo of the […]
What does gardening mean to YOU?
. A few weeks ago my friend, and fellow Garden Designer Susan Morrison, took an intensive 5-week film class where her final assignment was to create a 5 minute film of her choice. Susan approached me with her idea – creating a documentary style of film where I explain what gardening means to me. . […]
Sonoma’s Artefact Design and Salvage
Warning: This is not your grandmother’s typical garden shop. Welcome to Artefact Design and Salvage, located at the Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, California, and it’s just the thing to clear out the cobwebs of winter and kick-start your imagination!
Freaky Looking Lemons
‘Eureka’ lemon trees are notorious for producing freaky looking lemons (especially in cooler coastal climates like ours in the Bay Area.) Personally, I like the occasional oddball that my tree kicks out – and so do my kids. But if more and more of your lemons are turning out like this, you may want to […]
Meet Frankenstein, my wind-damaged orange tree
Meet Frankenstein, my wind-damaged ‘Washington Naval’ orange tree! It’s January here in Northern California and today I ate the first orange off my beloved orange tree. I love that first, sweet-with-a-hint-of-sour-taste from the season’s first fruit. I look forward to it all year, beginning in late spring when my garden is blanketed with the […]
Help your garden survive an unexpected freeze
I woke up this morning to a whopping 26 degrees. Yes, I know – I can already hear those of you in other parts of the country laughing at my wimpyness. But don’t forget, I live in mild-climate California! My poor little plants aren’t accustomed to this weather and are fairly miserable right now. If […]