I am getting back to my roots for this week’s blog post. When I started Married to Plants a few years ago, many of my posts were written to introduce readers (particularly in Southern California) to new plants that I have had success with and that they might enjoy growing as well. This post will…
I didn’t know it before my visit to Oaxaca, Mexico, but this state is the location of the widest tree trunk in the world. Once I found this out, it of course became a must-see stop. Sadly, my traveling companions were not as excited. After a very long day touring the ruins of Monte Albán and sightseeing around…
“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…
This past weekend I had the pleasure of hosting the Southern California Hibiscus Society (SCHS) for their monthly meeting and garden tour. I usually don’t open my garden up for larger groups, so this was a first. From their website: “The Southern California Hibiscus Society is a group for aficionados and growers of the genus Hibiscus, its species, hybrids…
There are always a few plants that get placed in my garden that I wish I hadn’t purchased. Maybe I knew they would be too cold sensitive but tried anyway. Maybe I knew they would grow too quickly for a selected spot in the garden. Perhaps some were just ugly and grew nothing like I imagined they would. However, very seldomly…
This past week I gathered the wife, kids and dogs and loaded up our trailer for a camping trip to the Kern River. The long-range forecast when we planned the trip months prior didn’t show that it would be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit each day we were there. Let’s just say it was a very hot week, but the temperature…
Rafflesia is a plant that few have ever heard of. How could you, as it has never been cultivated outside its native habitat in the rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. To see it in the wild involves some serious effort – and luck. From my home in San Diego I had to travel for two days to arrive at…
A first in the garden is always an exciting time. I have been fortunate to have quite a few rare firsts over the years in my garden. Some of my most memorable are when a tropical flowering tree finally reaches maturity here in my Southern Californian garden. For example, when I had a first in the garden when…