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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Do 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 […]
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 […]
With the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures. Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for ‘blah’ winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have a spot to grow in the landscape, many of which can survive temps down to 0 and even […]
Some of you may remember me sharing about my oldest daughter moving to a small town in Michigan back in early September – “Goodbye Arizona, Hello Michigan”. It was so hard to see them go, but at the same time, I was excited for their new future as they left to join my son-in-law who […]
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