A Gooseberry Affair
If the wild currants (Ribes species) of the West, are uncommon in gardens, the species of Ribes known as gooseberries are virtually unknown. Only one …
Seasons: Winter
California Native Gardening: A Month-by-Month Guide
In recent years, California gardeners have been presented with a number of excellent books on the state’s native flora and its value for gardeners and…
Insect Hotels
Insect hotels add a charming focal (and conversation) point to gardens. Part of the appeal in creating a hotel is in the artistic expression possible …
Petal & Twig: Seasonal Bouquets with Blossoms, Branches, and Grasses from Your Garden
In the most personal of her several books, Val Easton leads us gently through the seasons as she demonstrates the ease with which she brings…
Lush, Colorful, and Water-wise: An Impossible Dream?
Beauty, variety, color, shade, and water savings—all at the same time. It doesn’t get any better than this. One neighbor has already followed our …
Australian Shrubs
For those who yearn to travel to far-flung places, but are hindered by life’s circumstances from satisfying those longings, try my approach: bring t…
Two Great Flower Shows: A Comparison
Floral exhibitions and garden shows have long been a traditional outlet for growers to showcase their finest plants and superb flowers, all to be scru…
The Enchanted Hacienda: An Island of Biodiversity
I was a neophyte gardener on a cramped San Diego corner lot when a heartbroken widower offered me his thirty-year-old glass-house and a collection of …
Revealing the “Essence of the Tree”: Aesthetic Pruning of Japanese Maples
Japanese maples are among the most rewarding trees to prune because of their shape and the wide vocabulary of their branching structure—from the str…