West Coast Country Boy
Elvin Bishop may be rooted in the blues, but he is also deeply and happily rooted in his vibrant West Coast garden, where he grows countless fruits, v…
Seasons: Winter
Garden Metaphor
“Your garden, it’s so . . . colorful and exuberant, like it’s on steroids. Then look at Dad’s: it’s so different.” My son’s recent comme…
A Colorful, California-Friendly Garden
An award-winning, California-friendly garden in Southern California combines colorful, drought-resistant plants with responsible water management in a…
The Educational Journey of a Plantsman: John Whittlesey
John Whittlesey, of Oroville, California, is an exceptional plantsman. A naturalist in his youth, he founded a specialty mail-order nursery (Canyon C…
Orchard Trees of Rancho Los Cerritos: Cherimoya
Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a subtropical fruit, found primarily in the mountain valleys and plateaus of Ecuador and Peru. Cherimoya’s sweet fru…
The Kobrinsky Garden Experience: A Construction Perspective
A fire pit is the nucleus of the Kobrinsky garden, visible from most windows in their home and the celebrated hub of activity for both human and hummi…
Enriching Your Garden with Tree Bark
Trees with distinctive bark can contribute a great deal of visual interest to a landscape. Tree bark has ornamental value in every season of the year;…
Back-yard Birding
The cover of the January 2007 issue of Pacific Horticulture featured a female Anna’s hummingbird, in flight, feeding on nectar deep inside a flower …
Great Plant Picks 2011: A Few for Sunny, Dry Gardens
The Great Plant Picks list includes almost 800 trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, and vines, many of which withstand the dry conditions of maritime Pac…