Today began like any other chilly January day, wandering through my garden while appreciating the subtle beauty of the muted winter garden. This was before all sorts of chaos erupted. But I digress – let’s get back to the pyracantha. For the past week, I had been admiring one of my favorite shrubs growing in […]
It’s a new year and with it comes the oh-so-familiar new year’s resolutions. And while I rarely keep the ones I make, this is a resolution that’s long overdue and one that I’m thrilled to undertake: getting rid of my unused front lawn. With California’s lowest recorded rainfall in its history (that’s over 160 years!), the timing is perfect to practice […]
As a designer, I’m often asked how I go about deciding how and where to begin when it comes to transforming a garden bed. While visualizing where to begin is relatively easy for me (it’s what I do for a living, after all!) I realize that’s not necessarily the case for others. In fact, I experienced […]
There’s something magical about fall colors in the garden, isn’t there? My favorite time of year is the moment I open my front door and see my Japanese maples and Crepe Myrtle trees have turned their fiery shades of yellow, red and orange. These colors signal the calm before the storm (the storms from both […]
I’m thrilled to announce that one of the gardens I designed for a client is featured in this month’s Sunset magazine. In today’s post, I thought I’d talk about another aspect of this garden – using the very-gray colored dymondia margaretae as a lawn substitute. And not just the ground cover itself, but the tricks […]
I’m over-the-moon with excitement to announce that my new book, Refresh Your Garden Design with Color, Texture and Form is officially finished and will be available in bookstores next month – Oct. 20th, to be exact! After seeing a review copy for the first time last week, I can honestly say that I’m immensely proud of this […]
When spotting the smooth and shiny foliage of a colorful coprosma, it’s only a matter of seconds before my client asks ‘What IS that plant?’ Commonly known as a ‘Mirror Plant’, coprosma’s foliage looks like someone meticulously shellacked each perfectly shaped oval leaf. Yes, they’re that shiny. Finding foliage with smooth and reflective surfaces isn’t always easy, which […]
There’s no doubt about it, Debra Lee Baldwin certainly knows her succulents. But while visiting her Escondido, CA garden again a few months ago, I was struck by something else – the flowers! Not succulent flowers, but perennials, annuals, and native flowers that are planted throughout the garden. Sure, she’s known as an expert and […]
The other day my parents and I were reminiscing about the time I decapitated their very first little garden. I was only two years old, and my dad was anxiously waiting for the day when the new seed mat (that he and my mother had carefully tended over several weeks) would transform into the lush […]
To celebrate the release of Pam Penick’s new book, Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard, you’re all invited to attend her Lawn Gone Book Party – with some very cool party prizes! Six garden blogging friends and I are hosting 7 great giveaways this week, all related to the theme of – […]
There’s something magical about a winter garden, and I never pass up an opportunity to visit one. Especially one that’s known for looking it’s best during the bleakest months of the year. While in Seattle this past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the J. Witt Winter Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum. I […]
I’m thrilled to introduce one of the best books to hit the stands this year – Why Grow That, When You Can Grow This, by my good friend Andrew Keys (Timberpress, 2012). Now you may be thinking “Oh – she’s clearly biased, no doubt, since she just said they’re good friends.” Fair enough. But if […]
