Red Cestrum Growing New Leaves!

In early June, I posted a few photos of my red cestrum (aka Cestrum fasciculatum Newellii), when it was looking a bit sparse. As promised, here is a photo I took this afternoon. What a difference a few months make! Check out the new leaves! Purple-red flowers and berries will eventually dot the tips of this plant, hopefully in [...]

Kalanchoe Container Garden!

It’s hard to believe but my kalanchoe (aka Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and Christmas kalanchoe) container garden is looking mighty fine at the beginning of autumn – and it only started with two plants I bought a few years ago. Look at them now! I can’t wait until Christmas, when the flowers should be making their appearance.
I [...]

Japanese Aucuba Propagation

For the empty space by my shaded front door area, I think it might be nice to plant more Japanese aucuba. Also known as Aucuba japonica, Japanese laurel, spotted laurel, and gold dust tree, this beautiful, shade-loving shrub is already under my kitchen window. For balance, and to provide a lovely match to my home’s new yellow stucco, the [...]

Brazilian Pepper Tree Seedling Removal

Every couple of months or so, one of my gardening tasks is to remove seedlings or shoots from my long-ago removed Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). These seedlings show up primarily in the area famously (!) known as my tree bark lawn. The photo is a close up of what this seedling looks like. I took this photo [...]

Makeshift Front Yard Shade Garden!

It’s all in there: (1) cymbidium orchids, (2) epidendrum orchids or crucifix orchids, (3) jade plant, or Crassula argentea or Crassula portulacea or money plant or money tree – a succulent, (4) yellow ginger plant, or cream garland lily or Hedychium flavescens Carey ex Roscoe, (5) white calla lily or Zantedeschia aethiopica or giant white arum [...]

Gray Bird Grasshopper

Also known as vagrant grasshopper and Schistocerca nitens, this grasshopper has appeared in my rose garden sporadically, and always alone. I took this photo within the half hour. A few days ago, one of these grasshoppers landed on my thigh while I was watering my garden. A few comical bursts of “Ay! Ay!” and a side-kick and it [...]

Chinese Flame Tree Triptych!

Since my September 11 post on my beautiful Chinese flame trees (aka bougainvillea golden rain tree and Koelreuteria bipinnata), several of the paper lanterns have matured into the larger-sized pale peach-pink colored gems that I’ve come to know and love.  It’s truly a treat to see these trees fill up with leaves and paper lanterns during the warmer [...]

Dracaena deremensis Janet Craig

Dracaena deremensis “Janet Craig” is often known as an indoor plant, but mine has been outdoors for many years, in light shade. Actually, it is in the same family of plants as my much-beloved dragon tree (aka Dracaeno draco or drago tree).
In the process of reorganizing my front yard garden areas, for the time being, I’ve [...]

Yellow Ginger Plants: New Shoots Emerge!

I’m cleaning up my front yard garden today and snapped this photo of new shoots emerging from my yellow ginger plants! Yay! To cover up the plant “clumps” of the my yellow ginger, I’m moving my cymbidum orchids, which are in containers, around them for the time being.
With regard to garden design, one of the nice benefits of having [...]

Chinese Flame Tree

About 5 years ago, my city removed my parkway trees because the roots were causing sidewalk damage. I was then asked what kind of tree did I want as replacement, from their approved list of acceptable trees. I selected the Chinese flame tree (also known as bougainvillea golden rain tree and Koelreuteria bipinnata) – 2 of [...]