Gardening with California’s Monocots: Lilies
Throughout history, gardens worldwide have been adorned with lilies. The elegant spires topped with waxy, sometimes fragrant flowers have appeared in …
Regions: Southern California
So. Cal
Creating a Southern California Garden—Slowly
After the "oohs" and "aahs," the comment I hear most often from garden visitors is "I bet this is just how you dreamed it would look!" I chuckle to my…
Gardening with California’s Monocots
Imagine, for a moment, a city or suburb in which residential front yards, commercial landscapes, parking lots, streetscapes, and public parks feature …
Trees of San Diego — Angophora costata
When is a eucalypt not a Eucalyptus? When it's an Angophora-at least according to most people. This eastern Australian genus of up to fifteen species …
Huntington Botanical Gardens: A New Place for Learning About Plants
What do people know about plants and how did they learn it? What should children understand about plants as part of the natural world or as part of th…
New Life for an Historic Pasadena Garden
In 1929, at the height of California's Golden Age of Gardens, George Washington Smith was commissioned to build a home for Archibald Young above the A…
Trees of San Diego: The Brazilian Fern Tree
Not a fern at all but definitely a tree, Brazilian fern tree (Schizolobium parahyba) is one of the most spectacular flowering trees in the world. Nati…
Trees of San Diego: The Traveler’s Tree
Many travelers to the tropics are totally amazed when they see a “tree” that looks as though it were designed for a Star Trek movie. Its full name…
Gold, Green, and Silver: Three Colorful Forms for Three Garden Functions
At some point in the design process, whether landscape professional or home gardener, we focus our attention on plant selection. With wish list or pla…