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…
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…
It shouldn’t come as any surprise to those who frequent my blog that I am an avid grower of tropical hibiscus. Not only do I cultivate the many cultivars that have been created by hybridizers, I have even started growing my own hybrids with the goal of finding one beautiful enough to name. The jury is still…
I love growing tropical hibiscus. The many challenges that come from the endeavor are certainly subdued once you witness them in flower. The beautiful blooms attract attention from a great distance in the garden and some flowers have such unique colors and patterns that you’d think only an artist could come up with them. Currently my two favorite…
Until recently, winter was breezing by with evenings staying above the 40-degree fahrenheit Mendoza Line. Unfortunately, the new year ended my unrealistic dream of going through an entire winter without seeing temperatures drop into the thirties. Just about two weeks ago an Arctic storm pushed right through California and brought with it either frost or freezing temperatures for three straight nights. Looking…
Readers quite often request updates on the various post that I have made in the past. Sometimes it is because a post may have been left open-ended, but most the times it is because someone wants to know how things turned out. In looking over the last year of post on Married To Plants, these were the ones that I believe needed some updates. Many might…
If all goes well this post will automatically load from a pre-scheduled time right as I am touching down in Yangon, Myanmar. Between trip preparation this week and two days on a plane (thanks to the crossing of the International Dateline) I knew I wouldn’t be motivated to work on this week’s entry much. I had been asked by a few people…
When it comes to growing exotic hibiscus there is no better time of the year than right now to see them in bloom. As any gardener who cultivates these beautiful plants in the ground here will tell you, September and October are the best two months for hibiscus in Southern California. By now all the branches you artfully pruned late last…