Cacti, Agaves, and Yuccas of California and Nevada
Many of our regional cacti, agaves, and yuccas have proven themselves worthy of cultivation in a container or in a garden landscape and are sure to ad…
Regions: Southern California
So. Cal
Better in Relationship: Herbaceous Clematis
Growing only two to six feet tall, herbaceous clematis establish a sense of harmony in a garden: combined with other plants, they form a cohesive pict…
(Still) The Land of Little Rain: Mary Austin and the Eastern Sierra
More than a century later, the threads of literature, nature, and environmentalism are woven together in a seamless dialogue in this country. But it w…
Fire and Ice in a Southern California Garden
The year 2007 was an odd one for Southern California: a severe freeze in January, extreme heat in late summer, and fierce fires in October. Just a few…
The Native Gardener’s Paintbox: Green
Gardeners can benefit from a technique used by florists, who add greenery to complement both exotic and pedestrian blossoms. An assortment of bold- to…
Fragrance in Wild Western Gardens: Irises
In California, the best smelling wild irises are to be discovered from around San Jose northward to Laytonville (in Mendocino County), or Garberville …
Green—in Beverly Hills?
My grandmother’s adage “Use it up, wear it out, make it do” might not seem like a mantra that most of Beverly Hills would adopt. But award the c…
Garden Allies: Braconid Wasps
Several wasp families include species that attack aphids. The small, non-stinging wasps in the family Braconidae include aphid parasitoids, as well as…
The Arboretum Library
With the rapid expansion of the internet, are botanic garden libraries still active and relevant? Indeed they are! Here is just one of them, serving t…