Submitted by twig on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 7:20am
Submitted by twig on Fri, 02/01/2013 - 7:20am
Submitted by twig on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 7:20am
Submitted by twig on Wed, 01/16/2013 - 7:27am
Submitted by twig on Tue, 01/15/2013 - 7:30am
Submitted by twig on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 7:30am
Ajania pacifica (formerly Chrysanthemum pacificum)
Gold and silver chrysanthemum
Look closely (click on the image to enlarge it) and you'll see that the leaves are all edged in a silvery white that makes them look hand-painted. The tiny flowers (only about an inch in diameter) bloom in the late fall/early winter, just when a garden needs a little color. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Tue, 10/16/2012 - 7:30am
Yet another mystery plant. These flowers are in a hanging basket, but they weren't identified. They look like dime-sized nasturtiums, but the leaves are completely different. Look familiar? Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 7:30am
Acacia cultriformis
Knife leaf acacia
A multistemmed tree that grows to about 15 feet in height. The name comes from the leaves' resemblance to paring knives, although in this shot they look more like little shark fins.
There are dozens of different kinds of acacias, with about 30 or so actively grown in Zones 9 through 11. The flowers are fragrant, the trees are drought tolerant once they're established, and they're great at holding up hillsides, something we like a lot here in earthquake country. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Mon, 08/20/2012 - 5:30am
Mystery plant
Here's an odd one: This plant was marked "Angelica," but in looking at pictures of Angelicas online, this one looks nothing like them. In this shot, the flowers resemble kalanchoe, but I'm 99% certain this is something else. The question is -- what?
Since I don't have an image of the foliage, the only other clue I can offer is that the plant was in a garden center and clearly intended for outdoor planting, not a houseplant. Anyone recognize it? Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Wed, 08/08/2012 - 7:30am
Hydrangea macrophylla
Blue-tipped green hydrangea
One of the prettiest hydrangeas I've ever seen! Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Tue, 07/10/2012 - 7:30am
Nicotiana glauca
Indian tobacco
Welcome to the second installment in the "will she ever figure out how to focus that camera" series! Fortunately, this isn't a drop-dead gorgeous flower, but more of a weed. No one plants it in the garden, but it's everywhere here in greater LA. It's one of those plants that likes "disturbed" soil, so whenever hillsides are cleared, up comes the Indian tobacco. The plants are big -- 6 feet high and sometimes more. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Mon, 07/09/2012 - 7:30am
Mirabilis jalapa
Four O'clocks, Marvel of Peru
Very easy to grow and fairly drought tolerant! In fact, four o'clocks are so easy to grow that they're practically invasive here in Zone 10. Plant the tubers just about anywhere there's some sun and they'll do the rest. If you're in an area that freezes in the winter (that still happens some places, right?), you'll have to dig up the tubers and take them inside during winter, or whatever it is you normally do with tubers. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Thu, 06/21/2012 - 7:30am
Tuberose begonia
Rose begonia
Happy (late) Summer Solstice! I thought it was today, but apparently yesterday was the real solstice. My excuse (of course I have one!) is that it's been so fracking cold here in Zone 10 that summer seems like it must be months away. We barely broke the 70s here in LA yesterday. Meanwhile, it was nearly 90 in Chicago, and 94 ("feels like 100") in New York City! Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 7:30am
Diplacus aurantiacus or Mimulus aurantiacus
Sticky monkey flower
A California native that grows wild here in Zone 10, but makes a good garden plant, too. It's drought tolerant and bee friendly, but deer avoid it. Sticky monkeys do best in mild climates, like Zones 6 or 7 through 10. Read below the fold...
Submitted by twig on Fri, 05/25/2012 - 7:30am
Verbascum thapsus
Mullein
Thanks to Corrente's Valley Girl, we have a near-mystery plant. To really see what it looks like, though, you need to click on the image to get the larger one with more detail. Anyway, up until just hours ago, this was going to be a mystery plant. VG shot it in Maine, during one of her summer sojourns. But some flickr friends spotted it and id'd it right down to the variety -- possibly. It's hard to be definitive with a family this huge and just one image. But for now, I'll take their word for it. Read below the fold...
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