Gossip in the Garden

I can't believe it, but I'm coming up on the 2nd year anniversary since moving up north to Granite Bay from the Bay Area.  During the past two years, I've been having so much fun touring lots of public and private gardens in the area. It seems like a lot of my favorite gardens are linked with historical sites, which is no surprise since I live in the middle of gold rush country. The 30-acre Sacramento Historic Cemetery is one… [read more]

I’m finally able to catch my breath after my big move, and now that the suffocating summer heat has passed and I can think and write clearly again!   It’s been a hot, hot summer with temperatures averaging in the 100’s for weeks on end (definitely not the norm, locals assure me, as they see me slowly begin to lose my mind.) And while some of the plants that I hauled all the way up here have melted away… [read more]

I’m bursting with excitement, as my daughter and I are returning to NYC tomorrow for a week of fun and garden-touring. For those of you who don't know, we lived there for two months in 2014 and had such an amazing life-enriching time that I couldn't wait to return, even if only for a few days. Earlier this week I was reading my previous articles about the gardens we visited when I realized I never wrote about my trip to… [read more]

No longer relegated to the back of the garden, hidden away from sight, edibles are finally getting the respect they deserve.  Whether mingling with showy perennials and annuals in traditional ornamental beds, tucked into a patio container, or (gasp!) featured as a focal point in the front of the garden - edibles are at home in every part of your garden. And why not?  With so many varieties offering unique colors, textures and forms there's certainly one that will harmonize… [read more]

I'll admit it - I've never given much thought to caladiums, perhaps subconsciously dismissing them as an uninspired, old-fashioned stalwart. But having trialled several dozen this year (thanks to the good folks at Classic Caladiums) I can proudly say I was dead wrong - there's nothing uninspired with these plants.  I'm officially hooked! Similar to coleus in that they come in a psychedelic array of color combinations, caladiums somehow have more of an air of elegance about them. And when… [read more]

Today is the last day of summer for my daughter and one that's always a little sad for me. While part of me relishes the fact that she'll be going back to school leaving me plenty of time to write and design, part of me will really miss her company. The older Emily gets, the more fun we seem to have and with only 2 years left of high school I can hear the big clock ticking away each precious… [read more]

I think the official number of tourists who visit Lake Tahoe every summer is something like a zillion, give or take a few.  Getting from one place to another on the lake means you'll be driving along beautiful highway 89, most likely looking at (you guessed it) the lake.    However, sometimes if you turn your head the other direction, you can see the most beautiful things! One of my very favorite beaches on the West Shore is Meek's Bay Resort,… [read more]