Recent Comments

• Re: Marty’s Minnesota Garden

  Wow! At first glance I thought I was looking at roses! Then I thought no, peonies. But no, they are Prickly Pear flowers! And so gorgeous! In fact all of your flowers shown are ragingly happy and healthy! I do agree, the iris are the bearded kind, not Siberian.. The large grouping of Lillies I found puzzling in that the leaves are two different shapes? I am familiar with the narrow leaves but the wider strap leaves? And they don't seem to be supported by anything. Mine grow so tall they flop over without support. I love the idea of plant many in a group so close together...

  Posted: 12:46 pm on February 12th 2024

• Re: Roses, Despite Fire and Clay

  Wonderful shot of so many roses. I have grown Mme. Isaac Pereire and it is beautiful and soooo fragrant. I miss those old roses. Your grouping is wonderfully full and well thought out. Love the very clever arbor also. I can imagine the feeling of devastation following such a giant loss.

  Posted: 12:13 pm on February 13th 2024

• Re: Impressionism in a Meadow Garden

  The grasses are wonderful! But, it does take space to make it work. I like to use them on banks or hillsides that can be seen from a distance. The Muhly is stunning when in bloom yet hard to convince clients on before the bloom. It takes a full year for it to settle in and make any kind of statement. After its bloom, clients tend to forgive its meagre start. I loved seeing your garden and agree, I would like to see some broader views.

  Posted: 12:23 pm on February 14th 2024

• Re: How to Design a Serene and Immersive Garden Oasis

  I am going nuts trying to figure out the botanical name for the small variegated tree in the top photo of your garden. It is spectacular and you have named everything but that! I has quite a lot of white in the leaves. I used to have a small tree that was very similar and would like another, but can't recall its name. It seems that I took a chance with it in that it doesn't normally do well in So. Calif. but I had the perfect spot for it and it was happy. Now I have moved and would like another but can't think of the name of the species. Please take me out of my misery and name it. Kathy Sandel [email protected]

  Posted: 12:43 pm on March 14th 2024

• Re: More in Sally’s Maryland Garden

  That terraced dogwood is spectacular!! There is a viburnum that manages to bloom like that in terraces. It gets me every time. Love all your combinations. I also like that ground cover surrounding the tree that you say is invasive. I am not familiar with it, but it is perfect where you have it.

  Posted: 12:40 pm on March 20th 2024

• Re: March in Carla’s Garden

  Wow! It has been an incredible year for crazy weather! So much rain and snow across the country. It is interesting to see how snow birds welcome spring surrounded by snow. We, in California see very little snow unless we decide to visit the mountain areas. And yet, I pine for summer even here in northern CA. I see spring as a teaser for what is coming. My front porch is bursting with the fragrance of Spanish jasmine and my oldest clematis has fat blooms ready to open. Our daffodils are mostly spent, but our redbud trees have garlands of tiny fuchsia flowers all along their branches.

  Posted: 12:35 pm on March 26th 2024

• Re: Native Spring Shows

  Hi Joseph, I agree, these natives are charming. In California, at least the parts I have lived in, our springs are overtaken so quickly by the heat of approaching summer that we don't get a chance to see natives that can't take the heat. Our poppies are pretty and tough and Lupin you sometimes see by the roadsides for a short time. I have a friend who is head of a mountain bike patrol, in the Santa Monica mountains that run from the ocean inland. She is also a painter who is very focused on wild flowers. She often shares photos on Facebook of the wild flowers she encounters on her daily rides. I will tell her about Fine Gardening Magazine. Kathy Sandel

  Posted: 11:50 am on April 2nd 2024

• Re: Gail’s Garden on the Side of a Mountain

  When I lived and work in Calabasas, CA, there were lots of properties that were built in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountain range. Many properties had steep hills in their back yards. I used to love planting on them because you could make it like an abstract painting only with plants instead of paints. I am trying to remember the plants I would use that might work for you. I am assuming you have snow which we didn't have to worry about, but there are many grasses that work in the snow and are colorful. Also I used various varieties of Cistus,( Rockrose) and some ceanothus. I'm not sure if ceanothus would be happy there, but they really have some fabulous blue blooms.

  Posted: 01:48 pm on June 4th 2024

• Re: Kathy’s Design for Her Son’s Los Angeles Garden

  Thank you, Sue!

  Posted: 02:01 pm on March 27th 2024

• Re: Floral Sunshine From Barb

  I also like to contrast the usual green plants with some limey yellows. Rather than euonymus, I like to use a variegated version of eleagnus. It is not as rigid in its structure. I also like to use golden heather and the yellow ceanothus ground cover. They are finicky growers, but when they are happy they really light up their space. Berberis also offers a lime colored version that takes a little less sun than the burgundy colors. I really love your tulips. Very unusual.

  Posted: 12:56 pm on February 21st 2024