Vine Hill Manzanita
In the 1800s, early settlers in Northern California's Sonoma County found the gently rolling sand hills of the Vine Hill area, between the towns of Se…
Regions: Northern California
Nor. Cal
Pacific Plant Promotions: Passiflora parritae
The genus Passiflora contains 465 species and five subspecies, as listed by the Passiflora Society International. Few rival the size and beauty of Pas…
Wildly Successful: Impatiens sodenii
For some years after its introduction into Northern California gardens early in the last century, Impatiens sodenii spread mainly by cuttings shared a…
Alan Chadwick Garden Celebrates 35th Anniversary
Thirty-five years ago, English master gardener Alan Chadwick first wielded his Bulldog spade and fork on a rocky hillside at the University of Califor…
Wayne Roderick, 1920-2003
The world of horticulture and California botany has lost a legendary figure in the passing of Wayne Roderick at his home in Orinda, California. Those …
Phil Van Soelen’s Garden
The giant tower of jewels (Echium wildprettii), rising above a white monkeyflower (Mimulus hybrid) beside a well-pruned manzanita (Arctostaphylos), hi…
Hot, Cold, and Wet Nursery Days
For three years after I began working at the then-new McDonnell’s Nursery in Walnut Creek, California, I lived in Berkeley and commuted to work. I h…
Robert Cowden, 1915-2003
Bob Cowden . . . just hearing his name invokes images of a dapper gentleman with a charming smile; a man whose eloquence captivated listeners and read…
The California Lavateras and Their Hybrids
In the world of mallows, the greatest hybridization effort—and most significant achievement—has involved the several compatible species in the tro…