Last week I found myself in Encinitas, so, having a little extra time, I figured it would be a great opportunity to do a tour of the Self Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens. For such a magnificent little garden, it is amazing how few people living in Southern California actually know about it. The Meditation Gardens themselves are part…
I have been writing a lot of posts lately on the various flowering plants I have growing in the garden. Being a palm guy first, I think it is only fitting that I should do a post on that subject. It was easy to choose the palm tree to write about this week because not only…
Here comes El Niño. And no, it is not this guy. It is hard to believe that this Saturday Night Live skit featuring the hilarious Chris Farley was first shown almost 20 years ago. The year was 1997 and it marked the last time California felt the effects of a strong El Niño event. Since that time we have…
When there is little information available on a plant, especially relating to cultivation in your area, the only way to learn more about it is to simply plant it. This was just the case with my Strophanthus boivinii. As anyone who regularly reads my blog knows, I am a big fan of Malagasy plants. When looking over the…
Cycads are what I consider to be one of the most underused plant groups in people’s landscapes. Sure, some can be spiny and expensive, but the tradeoff certainly outweighs these possible negatives. For example, how many other plants can you grow in your garden that actually increase in value with each flush of new leaves? Cycads…
The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) is one of the most widely planted flowering trees in the world. You will find it growing throughout tropical and subtropical regions, mostly as an ornamental shade or street tree. It is a very fast grower in tropical climates, reaching sizes to 60 feet, but most commonly found growing to heights of…
A garden without fragrance is really no garden at all. After all, how can you create something made for the senses but leave out interest dedicated to the sense of smell? There is literally an endless supply of fragrant plants to choose from, so adding aroma to any garden should be easy. But believe it or not,…
By now I am sure you have either heard or read about the historic change in relations between the United States and Cuba. In celebration of this long overdue thaw between our two countries, I figured I would blog about the various Cuban palms found growing in my garden. Last time I checked, Cuba had 81 indigenous palm…