I needed a quick post for this week as I will be in North Carolina for our family reunion at the Outer Banks. So before heading out with the wife and kids for a 3 AM departure, I went outside the day before and shot some late afternoon garden photos. Likely the most popular request…
It’s about time for a quick update regarding my “Massive Garden Project” I informed readers about two months ago. To be expected, the project was delayed. So for those who were waiting for this garden project update, I apologize. Large-scale projects never start on time and this one was no exception. The concrete guy I…
It is not often that you have an opportunity to visit a multi-generational garden. So when the Palm Society of Southern California (PSSC) quarterly meeting was going to be held at one of my favorite palm gardens in Southern California, I knew I would be blocking off that time on my busy schedule. The Gregg…
The gypsum outcrops that are found around the state of Nuevo León in Mexico are famous for the many unique plants which are endemic to them. Gypsum soils occupy large areas of Nuevo León and host a lot of biological diversity. It seems that each year some new species is being described that can only be found on these gypsum…
It has been 10 years now since I first embarked on a massive garden project. One that involves pouring concrete, bringing in boulders, and that will lead to me planting a whole bunch of palms, cycads, agaves and aloes. I always knew what I wanted to do in the garden, and for many years I had been…
After a great day exploring the Anza-Borrego Desert wildflower super bloom, I decided to head back out to Borrego Springs a week later to hike Palm Canyon to see the Washingtonia filifera oasis. To enjoy Anza-Borrego’s most famous hike, it needs to happen in the spring before it gets too hot. The weather worked in my favor…
It’s probably my biology degree speaking, but I am a real nerd when it comes to fertilizer. I love to research the heck out of the subject and I admittedly way over analyze. Those that regularly follow my plant blog know that I am a palm person first. So my fertilizer regimen is mostly centered around palm trees. Over the…
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…