City of San Francisco Roses

They’re gorgeous! This photo was taken a few weeks ago. I recommend this rose to anyone curious about a fairly low maintenance rose. TIP: Water every few days, feed every other month, and deadhead as needed. I haven’t had pest or disease problems with this rose. It’s a reliable and heavy bloomer and it keeps getting taller each year, with [...]

Color Explosion!

The colors of lantana and lavender are very complementary! Lantana can withstand irregular watering and still flower profusely. I took this photo (left) earlier this evening. It gets tall and quite lush with leaves so they have to be pruned occasionally. TIP: wear gloves and long sleeves when coming into contact with this plant since it irritates the skin.
Salvia [...]

Gopher Management Revisited

This week, gophers have seemed inactive in my flower garden. No new holes to report. My current strategy has been to place heavy objects, such as large rocks or bricks atop new holes (filled in with soil beforehand). I’m hoping that the inability to easily break through the soil will sufficiently frustrate the gophers and spur [...]

Dwarf Snapdragon

I really enjoy dwarf snapdragons. SHOPPING TIP: They’re often available in multipacks at home improvement places and, although they’re annuals, several have come back this year. They’re a nice flower to have next to roses. The one in this picture is planted adjacent to the hybrid tea rose, Perfect Moment (pictured in the May 26 [...]

Follow Up on Tree Bark “Lawn”

It’s been a few days since installing the tree bark “lawn,” for lack of a better word. It looks great, but it seems also to have drawn interest from birds, primarily house sparrows. I’m not sure if they’re thinking that the bark may be hiding places for insects, insect larvae, seeds, or any or none [...]

Cymbidium Orchid

I’m not sure exactly which cymbidium orchid this is (it was a gift), but it’s the last one standing in my collection of cymbidiums! The colors are truly breathtaking and the curves exquisite. Cymbidiums have been very easy to grow. I’ve had and enjoyed these plants for nearly 10 years now.
TIP: I grow all of [...]

Succulent: Mother of Pearl or Ghost Plant

This is the same plant that is growing next to my acorn squash (see May 26 post)! This is my best guess for this plant, since I bought it at the 99 Cents Only Store without a label (SHOPPING TIP: this is a good place to shop for very young plants without breaking the bank). [...]

Roses in the Springtime

I love roses, though in my early days, was concerned about their maintenance. In particular, I’d always hold my breath after pruning them, just hoping that this time, I didn’t deliver a fatal cut. But they’ve soldiered on, thriving and rewarding these efforts with reliable and gorgeous flowers. I took these photos earlier this afternoon. Clockwise, [...]

Silverado Rose

This is a lovely Silverado rose, which appeared to be incognito! I had just finished watering my garden only moments earlier. This rose has a very nice fragrance.

Tree Bark Instead of a Grass Lawn

Originally, I thought that the rectangle-shaped space encased within my backyard flower garden would be filled with grass, either from seed or sod. However, the gophers in my yard forced me to reconsider other possibilities. I wanted to put in something that was cost-effective, low maintenance, attractive, and possibly ergonomically sound. Landscaping rock and bricks [...]