What can we say? We are here because we love plants. You’re probably here because you love plants. We talk a lot about the plants we love, covet, admire, have watched grow happily in our gardens, tried and failed, the ups and downs of tending our own gardens and visiting others. It’s a happy place here, join us.
Here's a plant we should see a lot more of: Datisca cannabina, or false hemp. What's so great about it? For one thing, it quickly shoots up to 10 feet tall in spring, covered in soft, feathery serrated leaves. Then in summer it dangles its elegant chains of chartreuse...
My garden is finally a place where I find myself winter engaged. I don’t advert my eyes but rather intentionally partake. Getting to this point involved a lot of visiting gardens and nurseries during the winter months. How better to see what looks good this time of...
There's nothing like sorting through old garden photos to kickstart a lust list. I meant to be working on my get-it-all-organized project, but I got distracted with what I saw. This must help with my design plans, yes? to know what plants I want. Then I'll have to...
Toward the end of a four-hour stroll through the Huntington Botanical Garden I stopped to photograph the aptly named Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer' (my visit was on December 22)… That’s when I came under attack by a rather territorial hummingbird. Once he realized I...
Last spring, after hauling several awkward (and heavy) containers up from the basement, my husband Andrew proclaimed: “you really need to stop buying agaves and buy more aloes, they’re nicer.” I have to admit he’s right, aloes have considerably less-lethal spikes than...
Here it is, one day past Christmas, and I think it's almost Spring. Apparently, the weather gods have other ideas. Colder temperatures are forecasted this week, but it's a decent today. High overcast and an occasional peek of blue. I managed a quick garden stroll and...
I always celebrate this season with a tree, of sorts. I can’t imagine not taking advantage of the occasion for a little creative display, and the opportunity to haul things from outdoors inside for a couple of weeks. I do take liberty with the definition of "tree,"...
It is my understanding, Santa, that there is no limit to what your sleigh can carry. While I don't claim to understand the underlying physics, I shall be delighted to receive your bountiful offerings of my most coveted plants on Christmas morning, nonetheless. With...
Last summer a small group of Portland garden bloggers played host to 80+ bloggers from around the world. It was a wonderful opportunity to show off our city and its amazing gardening community. In that group were the publisher and editor of my two favorite...
'Tis the season for year end countdowns, and so we look at our top ten most searched plants this year, the ones that were requested more often than the other 27,000 in our library. I would not have expected such a well coordinated collection to emerge from random...