I showed this photo recently at one of my presentations. In the back of the room, a little girl stood on a chair to see better. I understood; as a child growing up in Southern CA, I also was captivated by brilliant ice plant blooms.
Those colors! As blindingly bright as ever a flower could be. Continue Reading →
These odd little African succulents start out egg-shaped, then split open to reveal a smaller capsule that in turn splits open at right angles to the first.
In spring, being ice plants, they produce neon-bright, multipetalled, daisylike flowers. Continue Reading →
I’m a seed-aholic. No matter how hard I try to control myself, each winter I can’t resist experimenting with new introductions. Oh yes, and I must have another variety of amaranths, nicotianas…or whatever. I convince myself that it’s inexpensive ~ after all, another $2.75 spent on what will surely be dozens of beautiful flowers …and as a steward of my piece of land, it’s important for me to do.
What started as a post on my selection of 15 top seeds for 2013 has grown into a list of the Top 42 Seeds for 2013 from some of my favorite gardeners and seed companies .
MY PICKS
Red Giant Mustard -Dan Benarcik at Chanticleer turned me on to what has become one of my all time favorites.
Red Giant Mustard at Chanticleer
Photo Courtesy of Fran Sorin
Red Giant Mustard at Teapot Garden ~ Chanticleer
Photo Courtesy of Fran Sorin
Red Giant Mustard
at Chanticleer
Photo Courtesy of Fran Sorin
One of the great things about being a horticulturist specializing in succulents is that I’m part of a worldwide community of like-minded enthusiasts. Case in point is an email I received this week from Jeremy Proctor, who lives in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. He had visited South Africa and sent me a link to a Picasa page with his photos of the marvelous succulents he saw. Below are some of the highlights, with his comments and then mine in italics.
“A kokerboom tree (Aloe dichotoma) — the first of many I saw up-close on this trip.”
And it’s in bloom! People may not realize that there are succulent trees. This one grows well in Southern CA, too, if given excellent drainage. Continue Reading →
I’ve experimented with several dozen perennials over the years. But there are certain ones that I return to ~ time and again. They are star performers, easy to grow, hardy, can handle a wide range of soils, and moisture. Each of them adds a unique element to any garden. They are classics.
The genii listed below have other species, varieties, and cultivars that are just as outstanding as these ~ several of which I’ve used in gardens (panicum has about 450 species).
Here are my Top 13 Perennials for 2013.
Achillea millefolium
Amsonia hubrichtii
