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No need to dream of a White Christmas, we’ve got one!
No need to dream of a White Christmas this year. We have one! Originally, we had planned to drive to my mother-in-law's house in Mount Shasta, in the mountains of far northern California, on Friday...
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Happy Holidays from Succulents and More!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, or whatever else you might be celebrating at this special time of year!Relax with friends and family, and forget about the turmoil in the real world for...
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After the freeze
On Saturday, Sunday and Monday night our temperatures dropped below the dreaded 32°F mark. Readers in chillier climes, go ahead and mock us all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that freezing...
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Freeze ahead—time to dig out the frost blankets
The inevitable is about to happen. Temperatures will drop down to freezing or even below tonight and again on Sunday and Monday. Although the weather folks can’t seem to agree on how cold it will...
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The storm door is wide open
Whatever you think of the weather people on local TV (I get my weather online, so that tells you something right there), they're often quite entertaining. One phrase I vividly remember from years past,...
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Aloes in our front yard getting ready to bloom
It’s that time of year when the days are short and the heat of summer nothing but a hazy memory. Some people love winter, others would rather skip it (me!), but many of the aloes in our front yard are...
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Before and after: what a crew of professionals can do in 5 hours
Today the tree service came and removed two bamboos and an Artistocrat pear tree. Now I can continue with the overhaul of one of the side yards in the backyard and finally do some planting outside the...
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Garden visit: succulents—and rare fruit trees
I’m happy to report that I have a new gardening friend. Her name is Marta, and she lives not even ten minutes away. Marta contacted me after reading my post about ×Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’. Last week, I...
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Sunday stroll through UC Davis Arboretum (part 3)
Time to wrap up last Sunday’s stroll through the UC Davis Arboretum before it’s Sunday again. The Australian Collection at the downtown end of the Arboretum is the section most people see when they...
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Sunday stroll through UC Davis Arboretum (part 2)
Let’s continue our stroll through the UC Davis Arboretum, which began here.Unlike other botanical gardens affiliated with a university, the UC Davis Arboretum is not in a separate location but fully...
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Sunday stroll through UC Davis Arboretum (part 1)
One of my resolutions for 2016 was to visit the UC Davis Arboretum more often. I did spend more time there but still not enough, considering all there is to explore ( 17 gardens/collections on 100...
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Superior California mountain magic
Superior California is the northernmost part of California. Its fiercely proud residents claim they’re superior in many ways to their fellow Californians further south. I won’t get involved in that...
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Listen to the trees
“Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind. Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things. Their...
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Rainy Saturday trip to Annie’s Annuals
Last Saturday started out gray and drizzly but I felt so stir-crazy I simply had to get away for a few hours. A trip to Annie’s Annuals was just what I needed. The forecast for Richmond, a little under...
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What is this agave up to?
Take a look at this dwarf cowhorn agave ( Agave cupreata) near the front door. I’ve had it for just a little over a year, which isn’t much in the life of an agave. But something curious is happening....
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A little grevillea action to brighten your pre-Thanksgiving weekend
I love fall in Davis. The days are still warm, and many plants come into their own again after slowing down in the summer. Case in point: grevilleas. These Australian shrubs, members of the Proteaceae...
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More R&R in the front yard
Not rest & relaxation. The other R&R: removal & replacement.Before, there were two sprawling salvias: Salvia mexicana ‘Limelight’ and Salvia canariensis. I love both of them, and I wouldn’t...
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×Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ living the single life again
Two years ago I planted a × Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ I had gotten from a friend. It was solitary (and beautiful) until this spring when it bloomed. I had expected the mother to die, like most agaves do,...
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Ruth Bancroft Garden in early November (2 of 2)
Moving right along, here is part two about my recent Sunday outing to the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. If you missed part 1, click here to start at the beginning.Another favorite garden...
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Ruth Bancroft Garden in early November (1 of 2)
In a typical year, I make it to the Ruth Bancroft Garden (RBG) three or four times if I’m lucky. This year has been anything but typical. Just since July, I’ve been to the RBG six times already!A...
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