Waterwise Blog
Gardening in Southern California
Stay in the loop
Looking for waterwise gardening tips, upcoming events, and info on garden tours? Stay in the loop with my newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every month or so!
Years ago, a neighbor introduced herself to me as “the plant pincher.” I must have looked surprised because she explained that whenever she saw a plant she liked, she pinched a piece and took it home to try to root it. And, she continued, would I mind if she pinched...
Read More >>I had a delightful morning as I welcomed the crew from Growing a Greener World into my garden. Growing a Greener World is the new PBS television gardening series hosted by Joe Lamp’l, one of my co-authors on my latest book, Waterwise Plants for the Southwest. Theresa Loe, associate producer...
Read More >>When Maury and Heather Callaghan moved to their newly built Olivenhain home in 2001, they carpeted the two-thirds-acre lot in sod. The New Zealand natives had lived all over the world, most recently in Kentucky where they had a large, woodland garden. Both had gardened with their parents as children....
Read More >>My intent for tonight was to write about starting seeds for my summer garden. The weather is nice and warm now, days in the 70s, nights in the 50s, just perfect for starting seeds outdoors, which is my preferred way to do it. I have a potting shed – well,...
Read More >>People constantly ask me how much and how often to water their plants. There is no definitive answer. It depends on your microclimate, the type of soil in your garden, the type of irrigation you use (drip, overhead, etc.) and more. That said, figuring out how to water your plants...
Read More >>Ever drive along the roadways of California and notice a huge, fountainy grass with big, feathery, buff-colored plumes? To the untrained eye, pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) looks like a statuesque, beautiful grass, but oh! Beware! Pampas spreads out of control In her wonderful horticultural history, Southern California Gardens, Victoria Padilla...
Read More >>Now that was strange! When I walked through the garden this morning, it was like walking through a pop-up book. Everything seemed to be in super 3-d. The shrubs stood way out against the fence. The pathway meandered in a way I never saw before. I wouldn’t have been surprised...
Read More >>Thanksgiving leftovers are almost eaten, my guests have all gone home, and it rained last night. It was the first rain of the year. Granted it was only a tenth of an inch, but to my rain-deprived brain, it sounded like a deluge. The skies have been gray all day,...
Read More >>One of my greatest honors is to have my work inspire others. When students email me with stories and photos of their water-wise gardens inspired by one of my classes, for example, I am thrilled. Imagine my delight, then, to discover that my book, California Gardener’s Guide vII inspired a...
Read More >>I’ve read dozens of books, visited museums, seen countless exhibits, heard many many stories about the Holocaust. Still, each time I encounter the realities of what the Nazis did to millions of innocent people just like me, a deep pit develops in my gut, along with feelings of anger, horror,...
Read More >>Hidden Pleasures Plants are so amazing…. Last night, my husband and I took an evening stroll and as we stepped out the front door, I was struck by a sweet fragrance. I couldn’t quite pinpoint its source, and since my husband was already half way up the street, I...
Read More >>What’s the surest way to get the most flavor from vegetables and fruits? Grow em yourself…..from seed! Starting vegetables from seed was the topic of the talk I gave at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s Festival of Flavors this past Friday. The topic seemed fitting since the...
Read More >>