Garden

← Ganna Walka Lotusland 3 WATER GARDEN If I had to pick out my favorite spot in all of Lotusland, this might be it. There is something so peaceful and serene, and it’s achingly beautiful. If I were a plein air painter, this is where I would want to...

← Ganna Walka Lotusland 2 ALOE GARDEN The Aloe Garden was started in the 1950s and today features almost 200 different aloe species, including many tree aloes which have reached impressive heights. However, the first thing I noticed when entering the...

Once upon a time, California’s Central Valley was full of valley oaks (Quercus lobata). The largest of the deciduous oak trees endemic to the U.S., the valley oak can grow to 100 ft. and live to 500 years. Over the past century and a half, 90% of the...

← Ganna Walka Lotusland 1 While Lotusland has many native trees, like coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), the most beautiful trees are the thousands of palms growing on the property. Quite a few date back to the estate’s first owner, Kinton Stevens...

Today's Greener Gardens Festival includes a self-guided tour of water-wise front-yard gardens.How "green" is your garden? Lots of water and chemical fertilizer can make any garden look lush, but that route may not be the kindest approach to o...

Together with the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Lotusland has been at the top of my must-see list for many years. Needless to say it was the destination I was looking forward to the most on our recent trip to Santa Barbara. Entrance on ...

In my recent post about Mission Santa Barbara I included a photo of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica). Ever since then poppies have been on my mind. Yesterday afternoon I visited a friend, and near her house I came across the densest mass o...

One of the highlights of our trip to Santa Barbara was visit to the mission. Founded in 1786, Mission Santa Barbara, or Misión de la Señora Bárbara, Virgen y Mártir, was the 10th of the Spanish missions built in Alta California. It’s often nickna...

If you live in California or anywhere nearby do I have a treat for you!  Waterwise Botanicals is hosting a Succulent Celebration on June 7th and 8th and it is loaded with fabulous succulent Sweetness!  Please click here to go to the web site ...

Tree Rose After Wind Storm: Bird Back 40There are gardening writers in the local blogosphere (is that even a word?) who offer helpful and handy tips of what steps to take now that a storm has come and gone.I'm here to tell you that I am not one of thos...