Two years ago I bought a plant at Home Depot that I had not seen for sale before. It was a new cultivar of Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) called ‘Purpleicious.’ At first it looked to be one of those plants that would be too good to be true. Society Garlic with purple leaves? No way. So I decided to purchase one…
If I were to choose a season as my favorite, it would be a tough choice between fall and spring. I enjoy the fall because the garden is at its zenith and I know my winter break from most gardening chores is right around the corner. With that being said, I think I would have…
This last Saturday I had the pleasure of visiting a garden that I have had on my “to see” list for some time now. Thanks to the efforts of the Palm Society of Southern California (PSSC), the garden of Jason and Virginia Dunn in Fallbrook was open to all members of the PSSC this past weekend….
Back on August 25th, 2015, famed plantsmen and palm tree growing legend Mardy Darian passed away at 82 years young. I first met Mardy in 2008 when I went with a few friends to tour his Vista, California, garden. In an effort to limit visitors and to generate some income to assist with his water bill, Mardy would charge…
Almost one year ago today, I wrote a blog post on a beautiful Handroanthus impetiginosus that I found in flower while on a mountain bike ride. This time, while driving out to a small nursery to buy my Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony‘, I ran across this gorgeous Handroanthus chrysotricha in full bloom. It is worthy of its own blog post. Handroanthus chrysotricha is…
The original plant of Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ was wild collected from habitat near Coahuila, Mexico, by John Trager and Myron Kimnach and it was first distributed by the International Succulent Introduction (ISI). Since its introduction into cultivation in early 2000, Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ has been a collector’s delight. Slower to offset compared to other Echeveria agavoides types and greater growing difficulty in cultivation have…
Aloe hybrids certainly are not a new phenomenon. Aloes have been successfully hybridized for decades. Recently, a trip to a friend’s garden just reconfirmed my belief that many true species won’t have a place in nurseries much longer. Frankly, many of the new hybrids that are coming out at an alarming rate are big improvements over the…
While admiring the various agaves I have planted around my garden on a 85 degree February day, it became quit noticeable that the one I buy the most is Agave ‘Blue Glow.’ To me, it really is the perfect agave. The blue-grey foliage edged in maroon growing on a beautifully symmetrical 2′ x 3′ solitary rosette just can’t be beat. Yes, I…