Before my mother moved last spring, we picked loads of her peonies to take with us. The photo, left, is just a small sampling of how many bouquets we picked! Knowing we were too busy to thoroughly enjoy them, I thought I might try my hand at refrigerating them. I’ve read about this technique before, […]
Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’ Geraniums and pelargoniums may look fragile and delicate, but they’re actually some of the hardest working plants in my garden. Why? They’re ignored by browsing deer, they take our never-ending drought with a grain of salt, and I even have a some in our zone 6 Lake Tahoe garden that don’t mind […]
Every few years, when the conditions are just right, this meadow is filled with thousands and thousands of lupines. I just so happened to be visiting Lake Tahoe during this magical time and wanted to share these photos with you. This naturally occurring meadow is located just a few miles from Tahoe City, and […]
I can’t get enough of tall, flowering, towering plants, whether they’re perennials, grasses, or shrubs. In fact, when wandering through a nursery or reading a garden magazine, the words ‘oversized variety’ is my kryptonite. I just can’t resist any variety that grows taller than the others. I love walking outside and feeling embraced (and even […]
I had both the world’s worst and the world’s best manicure yesterday. For my birthday, my husband gave me an indulgent day at the spa gift certificate, complete with a facial, massage, lunch, and a mani-pedi. I didn’t really want the manicure because, let’s face it, for us gardeners, a manicure lasts about as long as a daylily’s bloom. […]
The first day of spring is finally here – HOORAY! There’s lots happening in the garden right now, but I have to say the #1 harbingers of spring are my giant Flowering Quince shrubs. There’s nothing subtle about these flowers, ushering in spring loud and clear, shouting to the world that spring is here! Bright […]
A designer once told me she never plants rosemary in her garden because it’s too common. Huh?
Of course, everyone has a right to their own opinion, but not planting something just because it’s common?
Personally, I happen to LOVE rosemary in the garden and incorporate it into as many designs as I can.
Whether it’s the upright ‘Tuscan Blue,’ mid-size ‘Mozart’ (in the photo, left) or the groundcover ‘Prostratus’ (and everything in between,) I can’t get enough of this plant.
It’s an especially treasured plant for those of us who share our gardens with marauding deer, rabbits, and gophers, as the highly aromatic leaves tend to repel them.
At the same time, because of its long bloom time, it’s a bee magnet (mason bees, honey bees, and bumblebees) as well as hummingbirds, and butterflies.
Yes, you read that right – I have FOUR seasons of salvias in my garden. Now keep in mind, I live in a temperate zone-9 climate, so my winter isn’t going to be like a Midwest winter. But even if you live in colder areas, there are salvias for spring, summer, AND fall. I went […]
I love oxalis in my garden! Before you all think I’ve lost my mind, I’m not talking about the horribly invasive oxalis weed that threatens to take over lawns and gardens everywhere. I’m talking about the many varieties of colorful and well-behaved ornamental oxalis hybrids. The ornamental varieties often get overlooked in the nurseries, not […]
I’d like to introduce you to my new obsession – Foxtail Lilies (eremurus ‘Oase’) I’ve wanted to write about these for months, ever since I bought the tubers at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show this past February. But every time I sit down to write, I look out the window and see the towers […]
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