California Dutchman’s pipe vines flower in winter, feed caterpillars and are native to California. Interesting flowers, easy care and ecological benefits, all in one easy to grow plant!
Category Archives: Sustainable design
The Joys of Fennel
Fennel plants are a great way to attract insects and birds to your garden.
Prickly Pruning: thinning out a specimen prickly pear cactus
Pruning a prickly pear cactus for shape.
Lights, Camera, Landscape!
What do you think about reality TV landscape programs? Are those landscapes dreams come true or nightmares waiting to happen? It’s amazing how in a matter of days an overgrown, weedy wasteland can become a beautiful new landscape. It’s nothing short of incredible. A brawny guy walks up with a plan, everyone squeals with pleasure,Continue reading “Lights, Camera, Landscape!”
Time to cut back the California asters
After months of steady growth, the asters were reaching for the sky, with an average height of about 54 inches. Time to act. Last year, some of the asters were trimmed too late, almost completely eliminating their flowers. Others were done earlier, resulting at a solid floral display held below eye height. Untrimmed, the plantsContinue reading “Time to cut back the California asters”
Removing your lawn to save water?
Replacing thirsty lawn with a colorful garden is a great way to save water and keep your landscape enjoyable even during a drought.
California natives in bloom (and leaf)
California native plants in the garden
Big storm tests the rain garden
There’s nothing like a few minutes of heavy downpour to check that the garden’s ecological systems are doing what they’re supposed to. Today brought pounding rain and hail to the garden. There’s standing water over the gravel in one area, the rain garden is filling up, and the pervious paving is definitely working hard. OnceContinue reading “Big storm tests the rain garden”
California Dutchman’s pipe at peak bloom!
It may seem strange for a plant to flower at the beginning of February, but that’s what this plant likes. Its leafless stems are covered with a profusion of strange greenish flowers that somebody thought looked like a Dutchman’s pipe. I suppose if they have to look like something, other than what they really are,Continue reading “California Dutchman’s pipe at peak bloom!”
A new native grass for the meadow
This is one of those plants whose common name – Alkali Sacaton – is only a bit more comprehensible than its Latin name – Sporobolus airoides. The Latin name is a lot more fun to say, however. We picked up a small fuzzy looking tuft of grass in a four inch pot at Elderberry FarmsContinue reading “A new native grass for the meadow”