There's no way around it. January may signal the start of the new year but most of our plants still have the day off. I need inspiration on these cold mornings when most of my plants are asleep. This is the time of year when it's doubly important to include plants in your garden that … Continue reading Native Plants for Winter Birds in the Santa Cruz Mts.
We all celebrate the holidays in different ways. Each family has their own traditions and warm memories from years gone by. Some of us celebrate Christmas, some Hanukkah, some Kwanzaa. Many of our traditional Christmas customs originate from Winter Solstice celebrations. The plants associated with each are an important part of their tradition and symbolism. … Continue reading Winter Solstice Christmas Traditions
Walking around my neighborhood I see neon red fall foliage at every turn. Japanese maples covered with vivid red, bright orange or yellow leaves steal the scene wherever they grow. Surrounded by greenery Canadian redbud now pop with burgundy and yellow color. Flowering dogwood look like they're on fire. Because we live among so many … Continue reading Fall Color Trees for the Santa Cruz Mountains
To quote Luther Burbank, "Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul". After visiting the garden of Bev Kaplan in Boulder Creek I couldn't agree more. I never tire of being invited to spend time with a fellow gardening enthusiast. Everyone creates a unique garden … Continue reading A Garden Reflects it’s Designer
I can see snow-covered Mt. Rainier from my sister's deck. Last night a rainbow bridged the Puget Sound which flows around Fox Island at the southern end of the sound. The landscape here is lush and green. Dogwoods, foxgloves and rhododendrons are still in full bloom. This temperate rain forest receives more rain than ours … Continue reading Lessons from Butchart Gardens and the Pacific Northwest
It's always a breathtaking experience taking a walk at this time of year. You might see the cobalt blue flowers nearly covering a ceanothus or a stand of dicentra formosa with their pink bell-shaped flowers backlit in the spring sunlight. These are just two of our local native plants. Everywhere you look nature is beginning … Continue reading California Native Plants in Spring 2012