“What is this white-flowering tree I see all over Southern California right now? Cherry tree of some sort?” This is usually how it goes when you first see the impressive blooms of the Evergreen Pear Tree (Pyrus kawakami). When in flower, you just can’t miss this popular landscape tree that can be found planted throughout coastal and southern…
A rainy day garden: often a curse in the tropics, but a rare treat in Southern California. I can honestly tell you that I have never said, “Oh, darn. It’s going to rain” while I have had my garden here in Vista, California. If you do not live in a low-rainfall Mediterranean climate, you can not really understand why rain…
Perhaps it’s just me, but I love potting stuff up. I enjoy watching the plants I grew from seed, seedlings or cuttings get too large for the containers they are in and require a new home. I also realize that with each new pot I put them in, they come closer to being able to live outside in…
Not long ago I decided to join the San Diego Horticultural Society (SDHS). I have been told by a few that it provides a great opportunity to view some amazing gardens and meet some interesting people from the world of plants. The first garden I would tour with the SDHS turned out to be a doozy. Dubbed…
Some readers may have taken note that the last few posts I have uploaded have been posts in which I am catching up on my Madagascar trip. That trip is almost a year and a half old now. Work, kids, life, etc., all got in the way of me finishing those posts back then. I can…
Echeverias from Korea? Why? Well, if you want to grow the latest and greatest from the world of orchids and plumeria, you order out of Thailand. If you want a crazy new aloe hybrid, South Africa has them. The latest palm trees available, you purchase from Hawaii. If you want the newest echeverias, right now they come out…
Welcome to the new year. Welcome to Bob’s garden. Last year I wrote a post about aloes, with a spotlight on hybrids. Those plants were all from the exceptional garden of Bob De Jong. That post received a lot of positive feedback and came with many private requests to see more. Wanting to oblige, I have waited…
Here in Southern California my local forecast shows another two days of rain coming starting tomorrow morning. Considering the fact California is in a state of serious drought, all rain is welcomed. Last year was to be the year of the drought-breaking El Niño, but that never happened. Earlier this fall a few long-range forecasts guessed for…