The Earwig’s Tail
When I was a child in Southern California in the 1930s, I spent my summers at my grandparents’ Victorian home in Los Angeles. Large trees,…
Topics: Perspectives
Fearless Color Gardens
Have you ever found yourself taking your garden too seriously, paying far too much attention to the names of the plants, looking over the same-old-place…
Quarryhill Botanical Garden: A Sanctuary for Asian Plants
Quarryhill Botanical Garden is a hidden gem in Sonoma County's tranquil Valley of the Moon. This verdant garden is not only a world-class botanic gard…
History of the West in an Altadena Garden
Our home sits on a south-facing alluvial fan at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains in Altadena, California. We designed and installed a semi-formal…
Garden Allies: Solitary Bees
Bees played a central role in increasing this biodiversity. Unlike the highly social honey bee, native bees usually live a solitary existence. Solitar…
Western Azalea: Beauty and Fragrance
Western azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) is a plant of great beauty and captivating fragrance that appeals to virtually everyone who comes upon it. T…
Smith-Mossman Western Azalea Garden
Britt Smith and Frank Mossman were passionate about our native, deciduous West Coast azalea (Rhododendron occidentale). The Smith-Mossman Western Azal…
The Explorer’s Garden: Shrubs and Vines from the Four Corners of the World
The beauty of Dan Hinkley’s writing is that it has matured as his personal aesthetic for plants has grown more defined. The wild world is…
Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities
Azaleas and rhododendrons, hydrangeas and alstroemeria, daphne and even my favorite Robinia…all grow vibrantly in my garden adding beauty and delight, without the slightest hint…