Note: This post was scheduled for 3 weeks ago, but I live in Sonoma county, Calif. where wildfires devastated huge areas of our county. Our home is located 1 mile from the neighbor that was completely burned down. We were evacuated for four days but returned to a house that is still standing for which we are extremely grateful. While… Read more →
Fall can be a scraggly time in the garden. Each year I itch to pull out old plants that have faded beyond their glory days to replace them with something fresh. But, when I wait, and put up with the dead looking, seed loaded plants, I am always rewarded! A few days ago a quick movement in the garden caught… Read more →
Summer means bruschetta, salsa and fresh sliced tomatoes…right? But somehow the tomatoes I grew were never quite right for the bruschetta I loved to make…..until now! When I saw that Burpee Seed Co. had a tomato called “Fresh Salsa Hybrid” I imagined plump, firm, flavorful tomatoes that weren’t so juicy they watered down my bruschetta. And when I saw they… Read more →
The area along our back fence hadn’t been touched much in 30 years. Plants had come and gone and ivy had begun to take over. It was beyond our skills and strength so we hired a pro to tear out all that ivy deep enough that it wouldn’t come back. Next, we borrowed stones from the front yard to outline… Read more →
During a fall color trip back East a few years ago we kept seeing what looked like the hydrangeas we grew at home in northern Calif., but different! After asking around we found out what we were falling in love with was a paniculata hydrangea named Strawberry Vanilla. A few months later a friend bought one for my birthday! While… Read more →
Have you ever wondered where and how the plants you buy at your local nursery are grown? I’ve driven by Gaddis Wholesale Nursery for years and always enjoyed the view of the flower filled greenhouses. So today I went there to talk to James Gaddis about how the plants we buy at garden centers begin life in a wholesale nursery.… Read more →
A simple house on a busy street, a walk along the drive and suddenly….an unexpected surprise! It’s hard to believe the garden that unfolds in this unlikely space. Fifteen years in the making, the gardener and mom lovingly added little “rooms” as a place for her large family to have quiet spots to read or relax. Vintage pieces placed throughout… Read more →
When I was a little girl I spent summers with my grandmother in Selma, Calif. . Everyday began with sweeping the sidewalks in front of her big old home, followed by hours of moving the hose from one precious flower or tree to the next. She was always up before daybreak and I remember the sound of her clippers as… Read more →
I love to discover new gardening books for children! After finding “Grow” online I requested a copy to share and I’m so glad I did! The best way to test a new kid’s book is to use it with a kid so off to the garden I went with my 4 year old granddaughter Emma. We went through the book… Read more →
Hydrangeas are tricky to prune. Old style mop head hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so if you cut them way back after blooming, you are likely cutting off next year’s blossoms! The newer mop head varieties, such as Blushing Bride or Endless Summer, bloom on new wood so you can trim them back a little further and still see blooms… Read more →