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#GBFling14: JJ De Sousa Garden
We saw a lot of different gardens during the 2014 Garden Bloggers Fling ( #GBFling14) in Portland, Oregon. Some were serious, some were playful, but none quite matched the over-the-top exuberance of JJ...
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Foggy morning just before Christmas
While I wouldn’t want to live in a climate where it’s foggy all the time, I do love the occasional fog in the winter—thick like pea soup, only vague shapes visible, sounds muffled so much you can hear...
View ArticleHappy holidays!
Happy holidays, everybody! Spend time with the people you love. Or your favorite plants if people drive you crazy.
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Toppled aloe and other sightings at UC Davis
A month ago I photographed this Aloe littoralis in front of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory: Aloe littoralis photographed on November 23, 2014Aloe littoralis is a non-branching aloe that can get...
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Blooming business school agaves
We took advantage of the beautiful weather on Christmas Day to take a walk in the UC Davis Arboretum. On our way to where we parked the car we drove by the Graduate School of Management (GSM). I hadn’t...
View Article2014 Desert Trip index
This index lists all the posts from my 2014 Desert Trip to Southern California and Arizona: Huntington Desert Garden, finally (Pasadena, CA; 12/27/14) Two Palm Springs must-sees for succulent lovers...
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Huntington Desert Garden, finally
The Desert Garden at the Huntington in Pasadena, CA is one of the oldest and most revered succulent gardens in the world. It’s been at the very top of my must-see list for many years, and today I...
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Two Palm Springs must-sees for succulent lovers
Palm Springs, California has been a popular resort for over 100 years, especially in the winter when the days are reliably sunny and warm (but not blistering like in the summer). The climate is ideal...
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Return to the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ
Last year I packed three visits to the Desert Botanical Garden into my stay in Phoenix. This year my schedule only allowed time for one visit so I made it count: I stayed for almost 6 hours! I was...
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Phoenix nursery (s)hopping, with mixed results
Today I had reserved time to do some nursery (s)hopping in Phoenix. I’d compiled a list of four nurseries based on information I found online and some general recommendations in gardening forums. While...
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Two Tucson nurseries that rock—and rain!
I’m happy to report that the two Tucson nurseries I visited today more than made up for the largely disappointing experience I had in Phoenix yesterday. That means I’m ending 2014 on a high note as far...
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Snow in Tucson
So, how often does it snow in Tucson?I asked a bunch of people today, and their answers ranged from once a year to once every three years.As you may remember from yesterday’s post, it had started to...
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Follow me on Instagram
“Resistance is futile,” was the motto of the Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Well, I resisted for a long time but I’ve finally given in and joined the 150 million folks who are already using...
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Desert visions
Today I started the long drive home from Southern Arizona. I spent all day driving through the desert—Southern Arizona, Central Arizona, then Southern California. There’s something about the monotony...
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One last succulent feast before heading home
I spent my last night on the road in Palm Springs, and before I started out on the 7-hour drive back to Davis, I made one final stop: Mariscal Cactus & Succulents. This nursery is located on the...
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A walk through Tucson’s Civano community
On New Year’s day, when all the nurseries and most public gardens in Tucson were closed, I finally had time to take a walk through the Civano community located on the southeastern edge of the city.I...
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Moorten Botanical Garden, Palm Springs, CA
Moorten Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, CA is something quite rare: a privately owned botanical garden. Most are either public or run by non-profit foundations. Even more amazing: Moorten Botanical...
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Sunnylands Center and Gardens, Palm Springs, CA
In virtually every respect, Sunnylands Center and Gardens is the polar opposite of family-run Moorten Botanical Garden. The two things they have in common—both are located in the Palm Springs area and...
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Bach’s Cactus Nursery, Tucson, AZ
Bach’s Cactus Nursery (8602 North Thornydale Road, Tucson, AZ 85742) was my first stop in Tucson on my recent desert road trip. I’d visited this nursery in December 2013 and couldn’t wait to go back....
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ASDM: Cacti with dog food bags and other curious sights
When I woke up in my downtown Tucson hotel room on New Year’s Day, I saw a slight dusting of snow on the cars in the parking lot. An hour later I was in the Tucson Mountains snapping one photo after...
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