Coleus: Plectranthus scutellarioides Is coleus a plant you have to learn to love? Garden trends ebb and flow—and bright, dramatically colored foliage can be an acquired taste. I used to dismiss these tropical plants because I thought their brightly tinged leaves screamed gaudiness and were unbelievably hard to mix with other flowers. No longer. Now I […]
What interesting flowers and plants do you find in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts in the comments! Rhododendron, Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanic Garden, San Marino, California I hadn’t been to the Huntington in a long time, but with our Italian family in time it was a “must see.” Danielle and Marcello had visited 16 […]
Transplanting Coleus Working in the garden over the weekend. Join the Gardener’s Notebook Mailing List and Follow Learn more about coleus † * A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public […]
A Gardener’s Notebook: The Guilty Gardener – 1 in a seriesDouglas E. Welch It has taken me a long time to write the piece. Frankly, I am embarrassed and don’t really want to share that embarrassment publically. Still, I think it is important to do so and perhaps, just maybe, you can help me get […]
Interesting Plant: Heuchera rubescens By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Alumroot. A perennial with small, grape-like leaves, only 3″ high, shade to part shade, garden conditions, good with small ferns in shady rock gardens. Heuchera rubescens is a tough plant. […]
Butterfly Mint Bush (Monardella subglabra) What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Monardella subglabra, Butterfly Mint Bush, is a one foot tall perennial covered with one inch purple flowers in Jun-Jul. Butterfly Mint bush has a mint odor but much less than many others. Native to the Central […]
Coleus Kong “Salmon Pink” On the patio this morning Follow A Gardener’s Notebook on Facebook and Follow Learn more about Coleus with these books †† * A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available […]
Interesting Plant: Shinyleaf Mahonia/California Barberry (Mahonia pinnata) By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Mahonia pinnata (syn. Berberis pinnata) is a species of shrub in the barberry family. Common names include California barberry, wavyleaf barberry, and shinyleaf mahonia. It is similar to the Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium), and is sometimes called the California […]
Interesting Plant: Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) By Walter Siegmund – Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Lonicera ciliosa (orange honeysuckle or western trumpet honeysuckle) is a honeysuckle native to forests of western North America. A deciduous shrub growing to 6 m (20 ft) tall with hollow twigs, the leaves are opposite, oval, 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) […]
Interesting Plant: Wallaces Pitcher Plant (Lepechinia fragrans) By Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link What are your thoughts on this Interesting Plant? Drop a note in the comments! Lepechinia fragrans is endemic to California. It is found in open areas in chaparral, in dry ravines, on rocky slopes and ridgetops, between 60 and 1100 meters. It is known in the […]
