Back in April I wrote about the Brown Anoles (Anolis sagrei sagrei) that had naturalized in my garden. In that post I mentioned that some herpetologist might be contacting me to come out and collect some specimens and gather some more information. Last weekend I had the pleasure of showing off my new lizard friends to a…
Growing up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you learn to appreciate many of nature’s cues that summer has finally arrived. Long, cold winters can be taxing, so when summer finally does arrive you tend to enjoy it a little more than we do here in San Diego. Heck, summer started in March in San Diego this year. Yes, we are spoiled….
Here we are into the first half of June already. My kids are out of school and it has me asking, “Where has the year gone?” In the garden it is usually a time for a massive wake up call for many of my more tropical plants. However, this year I am actually a good month or two…
This weekend I read the first quality opinion piece in some time on the phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. It came from Marla Spivak and was found on CNN of all places. It was one of the first opinions not written from the usual subjective point of view. It seems the norm the last few years for some garden bloggers…
How can we top a record-breaking winter here in Southern California? How about a second week in less then a month of high heat and brutal Santa Ana winds in spring? It is happening and I can not recall another time since I have lived here when we have had two separate weeks of high…
When it comes to lizards in your Southern California garden, chances are you know the Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentals longipes). This species of lizard is the most commonly found, as it is quite abundant around populated areas. It is often seen basking in the sun on rocks, fences, and walls, and then scurrying…
OK, so the title is misleading. Of course there is no “perfect” potting soil mix that will work well for every type of plant you grow under pot culture. I would love for it to be that simple, but it just isn’t the case. Over the years I have been tweaking my own custom mix…
With winter in full effect, my garden’s heartbeat has slowed, allowing me time to do some of my least favorite housekeeping jobs. Jobs I tend to avoid during the growing seasons. One of those jobs is Bromeliad propagation. As my garden has matured I have acquired a growing fondness for Bromeliads, so I wish to…