Native plants have become increasingly popular choices for the landscape due to the fact that they not only survive, but thrive with little fuss.
On a visit to California last month, our family decided to spend a morning exploring the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
The city of Santa Barbara has always held a special place in my heart. When I was a child, my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived in Santa Barbara. We only an hour away, so we made many trips there throughout the year for family gatherings, including Christmas.
Aside from being a special place where I spent many happy times as a child, I also fell in love with Santa Barbara. I attended a small Christian college called Westmont, which is located in the hills above Santa Barbara, where I met my husband. So, it’s not surprising that we often find our way to this picturesque city whenever we can.
We were visiting our daughter, who is stationed with the Navy a short distance away and we had come out to spend a long weekend with her. Her service with the Navy is due to end soon so we wanted to take advantage of spending time in Santa Barbara. The decision to go to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden was an easy one. Surprisingly, I had never been there before and wanted to experience its beauty.
Anyone who has visited gardens with me knows that I am always lagging behind as I observe the beauty of plants close up and pause to take a lot of photos. I just tell them to walk on ahead as I do my best to keep within visual range of them.
The first part of this garden consisted of open meadows planted with native wildflowers. Being that it was January, most weren’t flowering yet, but it was easy to imagine how beautiful they would look in just a month or two.
Looking off in the distance, you could see the ocean and the Channel Islands.
One of the things that are unique about this garden is that they only grow California native plants.
‘Arroyo Cascade’ Manzanita
Santa Barbara has been hit very hard by drought several times in recent years and as a result, residents are looking for drought-tolerant alternatives.
Erigeron divergens
Botanical gardens who feature native plants serve as inspiration for homeowners, landscape architects and designers to help them create landscapes with plants that thrive in the local climate with no little to no fuss.
My family waiting patiently for me to catch up.
In addition to wanting to learn more about California native plants, I was also looking forward to exploring the California landscape that I grew up in with its graceful oak trees and stately redwood trees.
The garden trails are winding and go up and down hillsides. It often felt like we were on a camping trip while hiking through the mountains.
At first, the trail is level, but then you are faced with steep steps, called the Indian Steps. This steep trail is thought to be the trail taken by the Indians who built the dam that is located farther in the garden.
We had brought a stroller for my one-year-old grandson but soon learned that it wouldn’t make it down the steps with him in it, so I carried him down the steps with his mom following with the stroller.
At the base of the steps, we were greeted by the sight of tall coast redwoods, shading the pathway.
As much as I love oak trees, as a California native, visiting redwood forests scattered throughout the state has always been a special treat.
The sheer size, age, and beauty of redwood trees are truly majestic, especially when you realize how small you are when you stand next to one.
As we journeyed on, I was excited to see the old dam, which was built by the Indians to funnel water down the mountain toward the historic Santa Barbara Mission.
The redwood trees weren’t the only large things in the garden – the boulders were very big too.
The Mission Dam and Aqueduct were built in 1807 to help direct water toward the mission.
This old aqueduct had to be cleaned out frequently to keep debris out so that the water could flow freely.
As we continued our journey through the garden, I must tell you that it was a beautiful, sunny day in the upper 60’s.
I took a moment to take a photo of my daughter and grandson in front of a fallen tree. As you can see, my grandson is having a great time!
So were my husband and I.
Eventually, our path took us to a ‘fork’ in the road where we had a decision to make – walk further on and take the bridge back to the entrance or walk across the marked creek crossing.
When you are with a 13 year-old boy, there is no question about which way you will choose.
I was especially excited to see the Home Demonstration Garden section, which showcased ways to use California natives in a residential landscape.
The house was built onsite in 1926 from a Sears Roebuck kit. It now houses the offices of the garden.
There were nicely designed garden beds filled with California natives, clearly marked.
It was easy to envision seeing oneself landscaping their house in natives that are equally as beautiful as the more flashy non-natives.
Newly planted landscape beds.
After seeing a wonderful example of a residential garden planted solely with natives, it got me to thinking again why so many people in the desert southwest coddle gardenias, hibiscus, and even queen palmsin order to get them to do well in our hot, dry climate where they struggle.
As I walked around to the back of the house, I found my husband.
I did tell you that I always lag behind whenever I visit gardens, didn’t I?
My husband is always so patient and doesn’t complain. I always keep this in mind when he gets excited about looking at cars and motorcycles.
At the end of our tour through the garden, the fun was just beginning for me because they have a nursery filled with California natives grown on site.
My camera and I went on an expedition, exploring the different natives.
Like many desert natives, these California natives aren’t very exciting in their containers, which can sometimes cause shoppers to skip them in favor for high-maintenance, flashy non-natives.
Erigeron cultivar ‘Wayne Roderick’
But, once planted and given a little time to grow, they put on a show.
I was drawn to the different colored California poppy seedlings, ready for planting in the spring wildflower garden. I would have bought a white and pink variety, but have some already planted in my garden.
There were a number of California native plants that are also native to Arizona including desert marigold(Baileya multiradiata) and globe mallow(Sphaeralcea ambigua).
If you ever find yourself in Santa Barbara, I strongly recommend that you take an hour or two to explore the garden. It is a wonderful walk through the California countryside filled with the beauty of native plants.
I came away with three California native plants that I am unfamiliar with. Since many aspects of our climate are similar, I am wanting to see how they perform in my garden. The biggest test will be how they handle the summer heat. My hope is that they will be fuss free and beautiful.
I’ll be sure to let you know how they do.
**If you love to grow and cook fresh vegetables there is still time to enter the free giveaway for the fabulous book, Growing For Flavor.**
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Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the television camera?
What we often see is just a small portion of what goes on behind the scenes as I have learned during my occasional appearances on television.
Today, I thought that I would let you see what goes on behind the scenes getting ready for a gardening segment on television. I documented what went on behind the scenes of my television appearance last Friday.
You may be surprised to find that appearing on camera is the easiest part. Here is how it all happens…
– Typically a week ahead of time, I am contacted by the producer of the show I am being asked to appear on. They give me a general gardening topic and then send me a guest sheet to fill out. On the guest sheet, I list general questions for the host to ask and send in photos for them to use in the segment as well.
– Two days before my scheduled appearance, I visit my local nursery to get the plants and other ‘props’ that I will need.
– The day before, I am busy ‘cleaning’ up the plants – removing any dead leaves and/or flowers and wiping down the nursery containers with a wet rag to remove any dirt. Often, I plant some of the plants in decorative pots. Believe it or not, I have a stash of ‘props’ that I only use when I appear on television, which I will show you later.
The next day begins with an early arrival at the television station. Plants are unloaded onto large plastic carts located in the television station’s lobby for transporting props.
I usually bring someone with me to help me set up. For me, it’s usually a family affair with various members of my family accompanying me. This time, my nephew came along to help. He recently graduated from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences and I thought that he would like to experience the workings of a television studio.
There is security in the lobby and only those on the list are allowed to enter. Guests are expected to arrive 1 hour before the show airs.
After entering, you are shown to the ‘green room’ where you wait with others who will also appear on the program.
Most often, I bypass the green room as I am shown directly to the outdoor area in back of the studio where I will set up. Along the way, we pass the newsroom.
In the outdoor area there is typically a rectangular table set up for me and I get to work on setting up my props.
When selecting props, color is an important element, so I always try include colorful flowers whenever possible.
In this case, I was asked to talk about what to plant in winter, so I picked out the most colorful annuals that my local nursery had – in this case, primrose.
Earlier, I mentioned that I have a stash of ‘props’ that I use when I am to appear on television. Well, I used three of them; a hand shovel, a hand rake as well as a galvanized steel container. I don’t use them in the garden so that they will always look nice and I’m not having to clean them. A nice pair of leather garden gloves usually appear alongside my other props as well.
Setting up my props is called ‘staging’ and I must admit that it’s not my strongest suit. In general, tall plants go in the back with smaller ones in front.
My sisters and mother are very good at staging and have been especially helpful when they have come with me when appearing on television.
However this time, I was on my own when it came to arranging my plants and props.
This is the perspective from where I will stand when talking in front of the camera. The small TV shows a live feed of what is currently being broadcast and is helpful when being interviewed since I can see what the viewers see – especially when the photos I sent in are shown on screen so I can speak directly about them.
About a half-hour before my segment, a producer comes out and sets up my mike, which is threaded through my clothes and clipped to my collar.
After a busy morning of getting up early, loading plants, driving to the studio, unloading plants and staging plants and getting ‘miked’ – it’s time to sit and wait until it is time for my segment to go on.
Since my segment is being filmed on the back patio and not inside the studio, I usually spend my time in the break room waiting until the television host comes to find me to talk about the upcoming segment.
It’s interesting to note that I never know before I get to the station, when I will be on. I’ve been on at the beginning, middle and end of the show – I prefer to be on at the beginning instead of waiting.
Shortly before my segment, a ‘teaser’ is shown with close-ups of my plants being shown after which, a commercial is shown.
During the commercial, the host talks to me about what I brought and we both go over what I will talk about.
Finally, it is time for my live segment. At this point, everything goes very fast.
My four minute garden segment feels like it only takes one minute to do. I admit that this is the part that I like best – helping people learn how to enjoy their garden and hopefully inspiring them to try something new. In this case, we talked about adding lettuce and other leafy green alongside colorful annuals in pots.
If being on camera makes you nervous, it helps to just talk directly to the host and try to ignore the camera. I do that most of the time, but I do try to talk directly to the camera a few times as well.
After the segment is over, I load my things back onto the plastic cart and leave. Sometimes, I make it home before the program is over.
Later in the day, I receive an email from the producer with a link to my garden segment. I don’t like to watch myself on TV a lot, but I do watch it once to make sure that I didn’t make any mistakes. Every time I go on, I find myself becoming a little more comfortable with the process.
And so, that is a behind the scenes look to filming a garden segment on television. I hope that you enjoyed it.
**If you would like to view this particular garden segment, click here.
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In my humble opinion, the actual test for many plants is how they perform during extremes. If a plant looks great in the blistering heat of summer as well as when temps dip below freezing in winter, then it deserves a prime spot in the landscape.
Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Thankfully, there are quite a few drought-tolerant, flowering plants that do well with both the heat and cold for those of us who want a beautiful, fuss-free landscape filled with colorful plants.
I shared 10 of my favorite cold and heat tolerant, flowering plants in my latest article for Houzz.
Hopefully, you will find some new favorites to try in your own garden.
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Most of the time when you walk through a parking lot, you are often greeted by the appearance of islands scattered throughout overplanted with badly maintained shrubs. Last month, I drove into a parking lot that was quite unusual in that it was planted with attractive succulents and not ugly shrubs.
Attractive Succulents
Instead of shrubs, the medians were planted with beautiful agave specimens.
In addition to different types of agave, were gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) succulents, which added a welcome respite to the crowded and over-pruned shrubs that usually characterize most parking lots.
In addition to the agave and other succulents were flowering shrubs such as Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), which was allowed to grow into its natural shape.
This parking lot was located in front of a hospital where my husband had an appointment for a routine procedure. Our walk through the parking lot took twice as long as it would normally take with me pausing every few seconds to take pictures of the plants.
It was so refreshing to see succulents such as these in parking lot islands instead of struggling shrubs. They thrive in the hot, reflected heat while needing very little water.
Maybe we should rethink what we plant in parking lot islands and ditch the high-maintenance, thirsty shrubs?
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This year, the anniversary of a very important date in our family’s life quietly snuck up on us.
Exactly 11 years ago in a hotel lobby in China, my life was changed when our son Kai, was first placed in my arms.
He was 2 1/2 years old and wasn’t sure what to think about me at first. But, by the next morning he was calling me “mama” and was following me around our hotel room.
The first photo we ever saw of Kai, which captured our hearts.
Kai wasn’t our first child adopted from China, he was the second. However, he was and still is our only son.
Our two oldest daughters came with us on this journey to China as well as Gracie who was excited to have someone her own size to play with.
We spent 2 weeks in China completing the adoption paperwork, which was filled with touring the sights as well as enjoying our newest family member.
My husband was fast learning that little boys take wrestling more seriously than little girls do.
Kai spent the first year of his life in an orphanage and then the next 18 months in a foster home.
It was obvious to us that he had been well cared for.
Our Chinese guide saw us through the maze of paperwork as well as showed us around some beautiful places in China. We traveled in January and it was cold!
We took some time to visit the orphanage where Kai grew up and say “thank you” to the nannies who helped raise him.
As we neared the end of our trip, we paused to take this family photo before we left to fly home. Little did we know that we would be back to adopt again 2 1/2 years later.
After a long flight home, we stepped off the plane and into the arms of family who were anxious to welcome the newest member of our family.
Our first day home was spent with Gracie showing Kai some of her favorite things to play with – a yard stick and a wooden spoon 😉
The age difference between these two is only 6 months (Gracie is the oldest) and it’s funny to see how much taller that she used to be. Now, Kai towers over her.
Kai had some severe special needs involving his feet, hip and hands. He has been through countless surgeries and doctor office visits. But through it all, he has shown us how resilient he is and the joy that he finds wherever he goes.
I can hardly imagine life without him.
“Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son
Kai and Gracie still get along (most of the time) and he knows what she loves most for Christmas – ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate.
So, “Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son! We will enjoy your favorite dinner and dessert tonight 🙂
**If you would like to learn more about Kai’s incredible journey along with the other challenges that he has faced, you can click here.
In my humble opinion, a garden should be filled with plants that benefit wildlife. Imagine a garden that not only rewards you with beauty but also has the wonderful side benefit of allowing you to observe wildlife up close when they come and visit.
Butterflies are so ethereal and you’ll find most people stop and stare whenever they are fortunate enough to have one fly nearby.
Queen butterfly visiting a desert milkweed plant at the Desert Botanical Garden
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the plight of Monarch butterflies and their declining population and how plants belonging to the Milkweed family are so important to them.
Did you know that the Southwest has their own native species of desert milkweed? In fact, it is the only milkweed species in the United States that is evergreen.
This milkweed is a succulent that thrives in full sun, provides a unique vertical accent in the garden and needs little care.
Want to learn more? Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.com and see more reasons why you’ll want to add this plant to your garden.
January is off to a busy start. We have gone from a house bursting at the seams to one that seems suddenly spacious after my two oldest daughters left for home with their children. While I do miss them, I must admit that I never thought a house filled with 3 teenagers would seem quiet.
Enjoying last minute cuddle time with Lily before she flew back to Michigan.
As I drove my oldest daughter and her family to the airport, I felt that familiar tickle in my throat and knew that I was getting sick. I wasn’t too surprised with all of the busyness of the holidays that my resistance was low.
A few days later, I was due to make an appearance on the television show, Arizona Midday, which airs on our local NBC television station. The topic was to be about winter gardening tasks.
While I have been on television a few times before, this was my first time on this particular program.
As with the other times, I made a trip to the nursery for plants and other things for the television spot since the producers like a lot of props to make things look more interesting.
I came away with a bare root rose (my favorite Mr. Lincoln red rose), leaf lettuce and kale, parsley and cool season annuals for color. Other props included different types of frost protection including frost cloth, old towels, and sheets.
Unfortunately, as the date of my television appearance neared, my cold got worse and evolved into a full-blown sinus infection.
So on a brisk winter morning, loaded up with cold medicine and a pocket full of kleenex, I loaded up my plants and other props and headed to the TV station along with my mother who came with me to help me stage the table and provide moral support.
We spent a delightful time waiting to be escorted to the studio in the green room with a pair of chili cooks who were talking about an upcoming chili cookoff.
Television show, Arizona Midday
Finally, it was time for the gardening segment, which went quite smoothly – I didn’t cough or sneeze once. The host was kind, gracious and most importantly – laid back and relaxed.
After returning home, I got on my favorite pair of sweats and got back into bed. I am determined to kick this cold!
I hope that your January is off to a great start!
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Do you write a family Christmas letter telling people what has been happening in the past year? I confess that I have never done this before. But today, I thought that I would write one for you that talks about our Christmas celebration and what the coming year holds in store.
Christmas was spent with a house filled with my 5 children (including my oldest daughter from Michigan and my second-eldest from California), my son-in-law, 2 grandchildren, my husband, me plus our 4 dogs. So that makes 10 people, not counting the dogs.
While things have been busy and chaotic, juggling bedrooms and bathrooms, keeping the dogs from eating wrapped Christmas gifts, cooking dinners for 10 people, picking up stray toys and finding time to take the grandkids on grandma and grandpa dates- I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The Christmas tree has since come down and most of the holiday decorations are stored away and our house has begun to resemble its former self, which allows time to reflect on the past month and look forward to some exciting things happening soon.
My daughter Ruthie, my twin nephews and my niece, Sofie.
Every year, I host our annual cookie baking day for my nieces, nephews, grandkids as well as my own kids. The kids look forward to it every year and it is fun to see them decide what cookie cutters they will use and how messy they get decorating their cookies.
My granddaughter Lily, nephews and my son Kai (the tallest one).
While their parents sit and visit, I scramble to keep up with the kids helping them find the right color frosting and sprinkles to create their masterpieces.
After they have finished, each one can pick one cookie to eat and the rest we save to eat together when we gather with extended family on Christmas day.
This is the aftermath of a successful cookie baking day. After an hour and a half, I am exhausted. However, each year I am pleasantly surprised that the older kids still look forward to participating and it is so much fun seeing my young grandkids now taking part.
This Christmas was extra special because it was my grandson’s first one. What also made it especially happy was that my daughter was able to spend Christmas with us for the first time since she joined the Navy.
The kids all enjoyed their gifts, including Gracie who especially liked the ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate bar that her brother gave her – food that her mother doesn’t buy her 😉
The day after Christmas was a big one for me. I turned 50 this year and we celebrated with extended family at my sister’s house.
To be honest, it wasn’t as much of a milestone for me as I thought it would be. The reason is that I have spent the entire year thinking about turning 50, so I might as well as have skipped over being 49 years old.
I do feel great and am embracing my age and being in the position to have lived long enough to have learned quite a few things and young enough to still be able to do just about anything I still want to do.
I look at my mother as she spends time with my grandchildren and am thankful that I will probably be around when these two have children of their own.
This is my newest wallpaper for my phone. My husband and I took this picture when we took Lily and Eric out on a date to McDonalds. One nice thing about little kids is that McDonalds is as fancy as you need to get and they love it.
The coming year is filled with a lot things to look forward to.
I have several test plants growing in my garden, which were given to me by growers who want to see how they will perform in the desert Southwest. Of course, as a horticulturist, I am interested in seeing how they do as I like to be able to recommend a greater variety of plants to both you and my clients. It also doesn’t hurt that they were free 🙂
My former side vegetable garden is planted with wildflower seeds, many of which, I am growing for the first time such as different colors of California poppies.
New roses are also on their way, which will also be added to the side garden amongst the wildflowers. (I still have two other vegetable gardens, which grow plenty of produce for us.)
On the business front, I keep getting busier each year helping others create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes using plants that thrive in our climate. In 2015, I had over 85 consultations – I so enjoy meeting with people and helping them with their landscape.
Later this week, I will be appearingon a local television program, Arizona Midday, to talk about winter garden tasks. Frost protection, planting roses, bare root fruit trees and other winter chores will be covered.
Travel will be another big part of this year with trips planned to Seattle, California, Georgia, and Michigan already planned. I’ll be sure to take you along with me as I blog from the road.
Speaking engagements are also filling up my calendar with the first one happening the end of January. Later in the year, I will be a landscape instructor for an upcoming Landscape Design School given by the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs.
Of course, I will continue to write garden articles for Houzz and for other companies as well.
**I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. It means so much to me and I look forward to sharing more with you the coming year!
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For most of us, the answer is decidely “no”. That is also true for many of us who live in warmer climates as the shorter days often slow down plant growth.
However, for those of us who are rose lovers, winter is a time of rejoicing as nursery shelves begin to be filled with bare root roses. Even when I’m not shopping for new roses for the garden, I still find myself being pulled toward the new roses, seeking out my old favorites and checking for the newest varieties.
Showing my sister the rose bush at our first home in Phoenix. (I am wearing the sweater.)
For those of you who have followed me for some time, you may recall that my love for roses got me into gardening a long time ago when high-waisted pants and permed hair were ‘cool’. It was my love affair with roses that inspired me to get my degree in horticulture.
My backyard garden space is always changing. I used to have three vegetable gardens, but am now downsizing to two. The main reason for the change is that the third vegetable garden was somewhat further out and with my busy schedule, it wasn’t always easy to harvest and keep a close eye on it.
So, the former vegetable garden will now serve as my new mini-rose garden. It has enriched soil and its own irrigation line. What is even better, is that it is located outside the kitchen window where I can view my roses daily.
Now for the wonderful dilemma of deciding what types of roses to plant. Back in our first home in Phoenix, I planted 40 different roses, which I lovingly cared for.
But, my life now is busier and somewhat more complicated:
– I have 5 children now vs. 2 back then.
– I work full time helping others with their landscapes, which leaves precious time for my own.
– My landscape now is much larger than in my first home.
– My second oldest daughter is living with us along with her 11 month old son temporarily.
So, I tend to gravitate toward roses that are lower maintenance needing pruning and fertilizing only twice a year.
The first rose for the garden will be Graham Thomas, which is an English or David Austin rose, courtesy of the rose growers at Heirloom Roses, which is where I have gotten my roses from for years. They have a delicious fragrance and bright yellow blossoms. They are disease resistant and relatively fuss-free.
There will be at least 2 more roses going into the garden. One is the newest English rose introduction from David Austin roses, which is being given to me courtesy of them.
The next rose will probably be a hybrid tea or floribunda. I’d love to hear what are your favorite roses!
I will share both choices with you once I get them.
**********************
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Last week, I had one of my best days at work. I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.
While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.
Why you may ask?
Well first of all, it can be quite exciting. Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks. There is always danger of damaging nearby structures. You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.
But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.
Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that. After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked. Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared 😉
landscape design
But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design. Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.
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Garden Travels: Native Plants Delight at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Garden TravelsNative plants have become increasingly popular choices for the landscape due to the fact that they not only survive, but thrive with little fuss.
On a visit to California last month, our family decided to spend a morning exploring the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
The city of Santa Barbara has always held a special place in my heart. When I was a child, my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived in Santa Barbara. We only an hour away, so we made many trips there throughout the year for family gatherings, including Christmas.
Aside from being a special place where I spent many happy times as a child, I also fell in love with Santa Barbara. I attended a small Christian college called Westmont, which is located in the hills above Santa Barbara, where I met my husband. So, it’s not surprising that we often find our way to this picturesque city whenever we can.
We were visiting our daughter, who is stationed with the Navy a short distance away and we had come out to spend a long weekend with her. Her service with the Navy is due to end soon so we wanted to take advantage of spending time in Santa Barbara. The decision to go to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden was an easy one. Surprisingly, I had never been there before and wanted to experience its beauty.
Anyone who has visited gardens with me knows that I am always lagging behind as I observe the beauty of plants close up and pause to take a lot of photos. I just tell them to walk on ahead as I do my best to keep within visual range of them.
The first part of this garden consisted of open meadows planted with native wildflowers. Being that it was January, most weren’t flowering yet, but it was easy to imagine how beautiful they would look in just a month or two.
Looking off in the distance, you could see the ocean and the Channel Islands.
One of the things that are unique about this garden is that they only grow California native plants.
‘Arroyo Cascade’ Manzanita
Santa Barbara has been hit very hard by drought several times in recent years and as a result, residents are looking for drought-tolerant alternatives.
Erigeron divergens
Botanical gardens who feature native plants serve as inspiration for homeowners, landscape architects and designers to help them create landscapes with plants that thrive in the local climate with no little to no fuss.
My family waiting patiently for me to catch up.
In addition to wanting to learn more about California native plants, I was also looking forward to exploring the California landscape that I grew up in with its graceful oak trees and stately redwood trees.
The garden trails are winding and go up and down hillsides. It often felt like we were on a camping trip while hiking through the mountains.
At first, the trail is level, but then you are faced with steep steps, called the Indian Steps. This steep trail is thought to be the trail taken by the Indians who built the dam that is located farther in the garden.
We had brought a stroller for my one-year-old grandson but soon learned that it wouldn’t make it down the steps with him in it, so I carried him down the steps with his mom following with the stroller.
At the base of the steps, we were greeted by the sight of tall coast redwoods, shading the pathway.
As much as I love oak trees, as a California native, visiting redwood forests scattered throughout the state has always been a special treat.
The sheer size, age, and beauty of redwood trees are truly majestic, especially when you realize how small you are when you stand next to one.
As we journeyed on, I was excited to see the old dam, which was built by the Indians to funnel water down the mountain toward the historic Santa Barbara Mission.
The redwood trees weren’t the only large things in the garden – the boulders were very big too.
The Mission Dam and Aqueduct were built in 1807 to help direct water toward the mission.
This old aqueduct had to be cleaned out frequently to keep debris out so that the water could flow freely.
As we continued our journey through the garden, I must tell you that it was a beautiful, sunny day in the upper 60’s.
I took a moment to take a photo of my daughter and grandson in front of a fallen tree. As you can see, my grandson is having a great time!
So were my husband and I.
Eventually, our path took us to a ‘fork’ in the road where we had a decision to make – walk further on and take the bridge back to the entrance or walk across the marked creek crossing.
When you are with a 13 year-old boy, there is no question about which way you will choose.
I was especially excited to see the Home Demonstration Garden section, which showcased ways to use California natives in a residential landscape.
The house was built onsite in 1926 from a Sears Roebuck kit. It now houses the offices of the garden.
There were nicely designed garden beds filled with California natives, clearly marked.
It was easy to envision seeing oneself landscaping their house in natives that are equally as beautiful as the more flashy non-natives.
Newly planted landscape beds.
After seeing a wonderful example of a residential garden planted solely with natives, it got me to thinking again why so many people in the desert southwest coddle gardenias, hibiscus, and even queen palmsin order to get them to do well in our hot, dry climate where they struggle.
As I walked around to the back of the house, I found my husband.
I did tell you that I always lag behind whenever I visit gardens, didn’t I?
My husband is always so patient and doesn’t complain. I always keep this in mind when he gets excited about looking at cars and motorcycles.
At the end of our tour through the garden, the fun was just beginning for me because they have a nursery filled with California natives grown on site.
My camera and I went on an expedition, exploring the different natives.
Like many desert natives, these California natives aren’t very exciting in their containers, which can sometimes cause shoppers to skip them in favor for high-maintenance, flashy non-natives.
Erigeron cultivar ‘Wayne Roderick’
But, once planted and given a little time to grow, they put on a show.
I was drawn to the different colored California poppy seedlings, ready for planting in the spring wildflower garden. I would have bought a white and pink variety, but have some already planted in my garden.
There were a number of California native plants that are also native to Arizona including desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) and globe mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua).
If you ever find yourself in Santa Barbara, I strongly recommend that you take an hour or two to explore the garden. It is a wonderful walk through the California countryside filled with the beauty of native plants.
I came away with three California native plants that I am unfamiliar with. Since many aspects of our climate are similar, I am wanting to see how they perform in my garden. The biggest test will be how they handle the summer heat. My hope is that they will be fuss free and beautiful.
I’ll be sure to let you know how they do.
**If you love to grow and cook fresh vegetables there is still time to enter the free giveaway for the fabulous book, Growing For Flavor.**
A Look Behind and In Front of the Television Camera
AZ Plant LadyHave you ever wondered what goes on behind the television camera?
What we often see is just a small portion of what goes on behind the scenes as I have learned during my occasional appearances on television.
Today, I thought that I would let you see what goes on behind the scenes getting ready for a gardening segment on television. I documented what went on behind the scenes of my television appearance last Friday.
You may be surprised to find that appearing on camera is the easiest part. Here is how it all happens…
– Typically a week ahead of time, I am contacted by the producer of the show I am being asked to appear on. They give me a general gardening topic and then send me a guest sheet to fill out. On the guest sheet, I list general questions for the host to ask and send in photos for them to use in the segment as well.
– Two days before my scheduled appearance, I visit my local nursery to get the plants and other ‘props’ that I will need.
– The day before, I am busy ‘cleaning’ up the plants – removing any dead leaves and/or flowers and wiping down the nursery containers with a wet rag to remove any dirt. Often, I plant some of the plants in decorative pots. Believe it or not, I have a stash of ‘props’ that I only use when I appear on television, which I will show you later.
The next day begins with an early arrival at the television station. Plants are unloaded onto large plastic carts located in the television station’s lobby for transporting props.
I usually bring someone with me to help me set up. For me, it’s usually a family affair with various members of my family accompanying me. This time, my nephew came along to help. He recently graduated from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences and I thought that he would like to experience the workings of a television studio.
There is security in the lobby and only those on the list are allowed to enter. Guests are expected to arrive 1 hour before the show airs.
After entering, you are shown to the ‘green room’ where you wait with others who will also appear on the program.
Most often, I bypass the green room as I am shown directly to the outdoor area in back of the studio where I will set up. Along the way, we pass the newsroom.
In the outdoor area there is typically a rectangular table set up for me and I get to work on setting up my props.
When selecting props, color is an important element, so I always try include colorful flowers whenever possible.
In this case, I was asked to talk about what to plant in winter, so I picked out the most colorful annuals that my local nursery had – in this case, primrose.
Earlier, I mentioned that I have a stash of ‘props’ that I use when I am to appear on television. Well, I used three of them; a hand shovel, a hand rake as well as a galvanized steel container. I don’t use them in the garden so that they will always look nice and I’m not having to clean them. A nice pair of leather garden gloves usually appear alongside my other props as well.
Setting up my props is called ‘staging’ and I must admit that it’s not my strongest suit. In general, tall plants go in the back with smaller ones in front.
My sisters and mother are very good at staging and have been especially helpful when they have come with me when appearing on television.
However this time, I was on my own when it came to arranging my plants and props.
This is the perspective from where I will stand when talking in front of the camera. The small TV shows a live feed of what is currently being broadcast and is helpful when being interviewed since I can see what the viewers see – especially when the photos I sent in are shown on screen so I can speak directly about them.
About a half-hour before my segment, a producer comes out and sets up my mike, which is threaded through my clothes and clipped to my collar.
After a busy morning of getting up early, loading plants, driving to the studio, unloading plants and staging plants and getting ‘miked’ – it’s time to sit and wait until it is time for my segment to go on.
Since my segment is being filmed on the back patio and not inside the studio, I usually spend my time in the break room waiting until the television host comes to find me to talk about the upcoming segment.
It’s interesting to note that I never know before I get to the station, when I will be on. I’ve been on at the beginning, middle and end of the show – I prefer to be on at the beginning instead of waiting.
Shortly before my segment, a ‘teaser’ is shown with close-ups of my plants being shown after which, a commercial is shown.
During the commercial, the host talks to me about what I brought and we both go over what I will talk about.
Finally, it is time for my live segment. At this point, everything goes very fast.
My four minute garden segment feels like it only takes one minute to do. I admit that this is the part that I like best – helping people learn how to enjoy their garden and hopefully inspiring them to try something new. In this case, we talked about adding lettuce and other leafy green alongside colorful annuals in pots.
If being on camera makes you nervous, it helps to just talk directly to the host and try to ignore the camera. I do that most of the time, but I do try to talk directly to the camera a few times as well.
After the segment is over, I load my things back onto the plastic cart and leave. Sometimes, I make it home before the program is over.
Later in the day, I receive an email from the producer with a link to my garden segment. I don’t like to watch myself on TV a lot, but I do watch it once to make sure that I didn’t make any mistakes. Every time I go on, I find myself becoming a little more comfortable with the process.
And so, that is a behind the scenes look to filming a garden segment on television. I hope that you enjoyed it.
**If you would like to view this particular garden segment, click here.
My New Garden Video
Flowering Plants That Can Take the Heat and Cold
Drought TolerantIn my humble opinion, the actual test for many plants is how they perform during extremes. If a plant looks great in the blistering heat of summer as well as when temps dip below freezing in winter, then it deserves a prime spot in the landscape.
Pink Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)
Thankfully, there are quite a few drought-tolerant, flowering plants that do well with both the heat and cold for those of us who want a beautiful, fuss-free landscape filled with colorful plants.
I shared 10 of my favorite cold and heat tolerant, flowering plants in my latest article for Houzz.
Hopefully, you will find some new favorites to try in your own garden.
A Look Behind and In Front of the Television Camera
A ‘Different’ Kind of Parking Lot Island
ShrubsMost of the time when you walk through a parking lot, you are often greeted by the appearance of islands scattered throughout overplanted with badly maintained shrubs. Last month, I drove into a parking lot that was quite unusual in that it was planted with attractive succulents and not ugly shrubs.
Attractive Succulents
Instead of shrubs, the medians were planted with beautiful agave specimens.
In addition to different types of agave, were gopher plant (Euphorbia rigida) succulents, which added a welcome respite to the crowded and over-pruned shrubs that usually characterize most parking lots.
In addition to the agave and other succulents were flowering shrubs such as Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica), which was allowed to grow into its natural shape.
This parking lot was located in front of a hospital where my husband had an appointment for a routine procedure. Our walk through the parking lot took twice as long as it would normally take with me pausing every few seconds to take pictures of the plants.
It was so refreshing to see succulents such as these in parking lot islands instead of struggling shrubs. They thrive in the hot, reflected heat while needing very little water.
Maybe we should rethink what we plant in parking lot islands and ditch the high-maintenance, thirsty shrubs?
Plant Palette For New Landscape: Perennials and Succulents
Happy 11th Gotcha Day!
az plant lady familyThis year, the anniversary of a very important date in our family’s life quietly snuck up on us.
Exactly 11 years ago in a hotel lobby in China, my life was changed when our son Kai, was first placed in my arms.
He was 2 1/2 years old and wasn’t sure what to think about me at first. But, by the next morning he was calling me “mama” and was following me around our hotel room.
The first photo we ever saw of Kai, which captured our hearts.
Kai wasn’t our first child adopted from China, he was the second. However, he was and still is our only son.
Our two oldest daughters came with us on this journey to China as well as Gracie who was excited to have someone her own size to play with.
We spent 2 weeks in China completing the adoption paperwork, which was filled with touring the sights as well as enjoying our newest family member.
My husband was fast learning that little boys take wrestling more seriously than little girls do.
Kai spent the first year of his life in an orphanage and then the next 18 months in a foster home.
It was obvious to us that he had been well cared for.
Our Chinese guide saw us through the maze of paperwork as well as showed us around some beautiful places in China. We traveled in January and it was cold!
We took some time to visit the orphanage where Kai grew up and say “thank you” to the nannies who helped raise him.
As we neared the end of our trip, we paused to take this family photo before we left to fly home. Little did we know that we would be back to adopt again 2 1/2 years later.
After a long flight home, we stepped off the plane and into the arms of family who were anxious to welcome the newest member of our family.
Our first day home was spent with Gracie showing Kai some of her favorite things to play with – a yard stick and a wooden spoon 😉
The age difference between these two is only 6 months (Gracie is the oldest) and it’s funny to see how much taller that she used to be. Now, Kai towers over her.
Kai had some severe special needs involving his feet, hip and hands. He has been through countless surgeries and doctor office visits. But through it all, he has shown us how resilient he is and the joy that he finds wherever he goes.
I can hardly imagine life without him.
“Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son
Kai and Gracie still get along (most of the time) and he knows what she loves most for Christmas – ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate.
So, “Happy Gotcha Day” to my wonderful son! We will enjoy your favorite dinner and dessert tonight 🙂
**If you would like to learn more about Kai’s incredible journey along with the other challenges that he has faced, you can click here.
Drought Tolerant and Beautiful: Desert Milkweed The Butterfly Magnet
Drought TolerantIn my humble opinion, a garden should be filled with plants that benefit wildlife. Imagine a garden that not only rewards you with beauty but also has the wonderful side benefit of allowing you to observe wildlife up close when they come and visit.
Butterflies are so ethereal and you’ll find most people stop and stare whenever they are fortunate enough to have one fly nearby.
Queen butterfly visiting a desert milkweed plant at the Desert Botanical Garden
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the plight of Monarch butterflies and their declining population and how plants belonging to the Milkweed family are so important to them.
Did you know that the Southwest has their own native species of desert milkweed? In fact, it is the only milkweed species in the United States that is evergreen.
This milkweed is a succulent that thrives in full sun, provides a unique vertical accent in the garden and needs little care.
Want to learn more? Check out my latest plant profile for Houzz.com and see more reasons why you’ll want to add this plant to your garden.
What plants do you have in your garden that butterflies love?
Some of my Favorite Things…..Butterflies
Television, Frost, Plants and a Cold That Won’t Go Away
ArizonaJanuary is off to a busy start. We have gone from a house bursting at the seams to one that seems suddenly spacious after my two oldest daughters left for home with their children. While I do miss them, I must admit that I never thought a house filled with 3 teenagers would seem quiet.
Enjoying last minute cuddle time with Lily before she flew back to Michigan.
As I drove my oldest daughter and her family to the airport, I felt that familiar tickle in my throat and knew that I was getting sick. I wasn’t too surprised with all of the busyness of the holidays that my resistance was low.
A few days later, I was due to make an appearance on the television show, Arizona Midday, which airs on our local NBC television station. The topic was to be about winter gardening tasks.
While I have been on television a few times before, this was my first time on this particular program.
As with the other times, I made a trip to the nursery for plants and other things for the television spot since the producers like a lot of props to make things look more interesting.
I came away with a bare root rose (my favorite Mr. Lincoln red rose), leaf lettuce and kale, parsley and cool season annuals for color. Other props included different types of frost protection including frost cloth, old towels, and sheets.
Unfortunately, as the date of my television appearance neared, my cold got worse and evolved into a full-blown sinus infection.
So on a brisk winter morning, loaded up with cold medicine and a pocket full of kleenex, I loaded up my plants and other props and headed to the TV station along with my mother who came with me to help me stage the table and provide moral support.
We spent a delightful time waiting to be escorted to the studio in the green room with a pair of chili cooks who were talking about an upcoming chili cookoff.
Television show, Arizona Midday
Finally, it was time for the gardening segment, which went quite smoothly – I didn’t cough or sneeze once. The host was kind, gracious and most importantly – laid back and relaxed.
After returning home, I got on my favorite pair of sweats and got back into bed. I am determined to kick this cold!
I hope that your January is off to a great start!
AZ Plant Lady’s Christmas and New Year Newsletter
az plant lady familyDo you write a family Christmas letter telling people what has been happening in the past year? I confess that I have never done this before. But today, I thought that I would write one for you that talks about our Christmas celebration and what the coming year holds in store.
Christmas was spent with a house filled with my 5 children (including my oldest daughter from Michigan and my second-eldest from California), my son-in-law, 2 grandchildren, my husband, me plus our 4 dogs. So that makes 10 people, not counting the dogs.
While things have been busy and chaotic, juggling bedrooms and bathrooms, keeping the dogs from eating wrapped Christmas gifts, cooking dinners for 10 people, picking up stray toys and finding time to take the grandkids on grandma and grandpa dates- I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The Christmas tree has since come down and most of the holiday decorations are stored away and our house has begun to resemble its former self, which allows time to reflect on the past month and look forward to some exciting things happening soon.
My daughter Ruthie, my twin nephews and my niece, Sofie.
Every year, I host our annual cookie baking day for my nieces, nephews, grandkids as well as my own kids. The kids look forward to it every year and it is fun to see them decide what cookie cutters they will use and how messy they get decorating their cookies.
My granddaughter Lily, nephews and my son Kai (the tallest one).
While their parents sit and visit, I scramble to keep up with the kids helping them find the right color frosting and sprinkles to create their masterpieces.
After they have finished, each one can pick one cookie to eat and the rest we save to eat together when we gather with extended family on Christmas day.
This is the aftermath of a successful cookie baking day. After an hour and a half, I am exhausted. However, each year I am pleasantly surprised that the older kids still look forward to participating and it is so much fun seeing my young grandkids now taking part.
This Christmas was extra special because it was my grandson’s first one. What also made it especially happy was that my daughter was able to spend Christmas with us for the first time since she joined the Navy.
The kids all enjoyed their gifts, including Gracie who especially liked the ‘sugar’ cereal and chocolate bar that her brother gave her – food that her mother doesn’t buy her 😉
The day after Christmas was a big one for me. I turned 50 this year and we celebrated with extended family at my sister’s house.
To be honest, it wasn’t as much of a milestone for me as I thought it would be. The reason is that I have spent the entire year thinking about turning 50, so I might as well as have skipped over being 49 years old.
I do feel great and am embracing my age and being in the position to have lived long enough to have learned quite a few things and young enough to still be able to do just about anything I still want to do.
I look at my mother as she spends time with my grandchildren and am thankful that I will probably be around when these two have children of their own.
This is my newest wallpaper for my phone. My husband and I took this picture when we took Lily and Eric out on a date to McDonalds. One nice thing about little kids is that McDonalds is as fancy as you need to get and they love it.
The coming year is filled with a lot things to look forward to.
I have several test plants growing in my garden, which were given to me by growers who want to see how they will perform in the desert Southwest. Of course, as a horticulturist, I am interested in seeing how they do as I like to be able to recommend a greater variety of plants to both you and my clients. It also doesn’t hurt that they were free 🙂
My former side vegetable garden is planted with wildflower seeds, many of which, I am growing for the first time such as different colors of California poppies.
New roses are also on their way, which will also be added to the side garden amongst the wildflowers. (I still have two other vegetable gardens, which grow plenty of produce for us.)
On the business front, I keep getting busier each year helping others create beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes using plants that thrive in our climate. In 2015, I had over 85 consultations – I so enjoy meeting with people and helping them with their landscape.
Later this week, I will be appearingon a local television program, Arizona Midday, to talk about winter garden tasks. Frost protection, planting roses, bare root fruit trees and other winter chores will be covered.
Travel will be another big part of this year with trips planned to Seattle, California, Georgia, and Michigan already planned. I’ll be sure to take you along with me as I blog from the road.
Speaking engagements are also filling up my calendar with the first one happening the end of January. Later in the year, I will be a landscape instructor for an upcoming Landscape Design School given by the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs.
Of course, I will continue to write garden articles for Houzz and for other companies as well.
**I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. It means so much to me and I look forward to sharing more with you the coming year!
New Roses for the Desert Garden
Roses in the DesertDo you garden in winter?
For most of us, the answer is decidely “no”. That is also true for many of us who live in warmer climates as the shorter days often slow down plant growth.
However, for those of us who are rose lovers, winter is a time of rejoicing as nursery shelves begin to be filled with bare root roses. Even when I’m not shopping for new roses for the garden, I still find myself being pulled toward the new roses, seeking out my old favorites and checking for the newest varieties.
Showing my sister the rose bush at our first home in Phoenix. (I am wearing the sweater.)
For those of you who have followed me for some time, you may recall that my love for roses got me into gardening a long time ago when high-waisted pants and permed hair were ‘cool’. It was my love affair with roses that inspired me to get my degree in horticulture.
My backyard garden space is always changing. I used to have three vegetable gardens, but am now downsizing to two. The main reason for the change is that the third vegetable garden was somewhat further out and with my busy schedule, it wasn’t always easy to harvest and keep a close eye on it.
So, the former vegetable garden will now serve as my new mini-rose garden. It has enriched soil and its own irrigation line. What is even better, is that it is located outside the kitchen window where I can view my roses daily.
Now for the wonderful dilemma of deciding what types of roses to plant. Back in our first home in Phoenix, I planted 40 different roses, which I lovingly cared for.
But, my life now is busier and somewhat more complicated:
– I have 5 children now vs. 2 back then.
– I work full time helping others with their landscapes, which leaves precious time for my own.
– My landscape now is much larger than in my first home.
– My second oldest daughter is living with us along with her 11 month old son temporarily.
So, I tend to gravitate toward roses that are lower maintenance needing pruning and fertilizing only twice a year.
The first rose for the garden will be Graham Thomas, which is an English or David Austin rose, courtesy of the rose growers at Heirloom Roses, which is where I have gotten my roses from for years. They have a delicious fragrance and bright yellow blossoms. They are disease resistant and relatively fuss-free.
There will be at least 2 more roses going into the garden. One is the newest English rose introduction from David Austin roses, which is being given to me courtesy of them.
The next rose will probably be a hybrid tea or floribunda. I’d love to hear what are your favorite roses!
I will share both choices with you once I get them.
**********************
‘Boss’ For a Day…
Landscape Design, UncategorizedLast week, I had one of my best days at work. I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course.
While placing boulders may seem rather boring to some, I must say that I always enjoy this job.
Why you may ask?
Well first of all, it can be quite exciting. Moving very large boulders isn’t without its risks. There is always danger of damaging nearby structures. You can also get a sense of how heavy a particular boulder is when the back tires of the backhoe comes off the ground.
But, the reason that I most enjoy placing boulders is that I have several people listening and following my directions as to where to place each boulder.
Now, lest you think that I may get carried away with my power – there is no chance of that. After a busy day in the field, I came home and tried my best to get my 3 teenagers to listen and do what I asked. Needless to say, the ‘power’ I had earlier in the day, mysteriously disappeared 😉
landscape design
But at the end of the day, I did have three nice-sized boulders to anchor my landscape design. Plants were ready to go in a couple of days later.
A Snapshot of My Crazy, But Happy Life…