In The Garden: Cooper’s Hawk In Our Birdbath [Video]

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Douglas E. Welch

In The Garden: Cooper’s Hawk In Our Birdbath

Various Cooper’s Hawks have visited us over the years. This appears to be a male, as he is much smaller than the females we have seen before. We once had both visiting together, so it was great to be able to compare them.

@douglaswelch In The Garden: Cooper’s Hawk In Our Birdbath Various Cooper’s Hawks have visited us over the years. This appears to be a male, as he is much smaller than the females we have seen before. We once had both visiting together, so it was great to be able to compare them. #hawk #raptor #accipitor #wildlife #birds #nature #wildlife #sanfernandovalley #losangeles #california #inthegarden #garden ♬ original sound – Douglas E. Welch

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L.A. wholesaler is a sanctuary for cactus, succulent fans via The Los Angeles Times [Shared]

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Douglas E. Welch

L.A. wholesaler is a sanctuary for cactus, succulent fans – Los Angeles Times

Driving down Saticoy Street in Reseda, it’s easy to overlook the spot known as the Cactus Ranch. Alert passersby might glimpse some rusty dinosaurs rising above a ramshackle fence and otherworldly plants — a moment of “What the heck was that?” — before it’s passed, replaced by endless houses, curbside retail, and whatever new distraction grabs their eye.

And that’s kind of what makes California Nursery Specialties Cactus Ranch a magical secret place, the way Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books was open only to shoppers in the know.

Read L.A. wholesaler is a sanctuary for cactus, succulent fans – Los Angeles Times

More on succulents

Percival Comes For A Visit via YouTube and TikTok [Video]

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Douglas E. Welch

Part of a series from A Gardener’s Notebook

Our neighborhood peacock wanders about on our roof

@douglaswelch

Percival Comes For A Visit – Our neighborhood peacock wanders about on our roof. ##peacock ##bird ##wildlife ##sanfernandovalley ##losangeles ##garden

♬ Stay – Kygo / Maty Noyes

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White Orchids via Instagram

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What is your favorite orchid? Leave a comment and share!

White Orchids

Orchids used to be exceedingly rare but now you can buy gorgeous ones at almost any grocery store. Knudsen and Wimber discovered the secrets of orchid growing and cloning and made these incredibly beautiful, of strange looking, plants available to everyone.

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** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out!
† Available from the LA Public Library

Mums The Word via Instagram

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What is your favorite mum? Leave a comment and share!

Mums The Word

A sea of mums at the local nursery. They had some smaller varieties on sale a few months ago and I have purple and gold varieties there. More signs of Spring.

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* 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 Library

A Poppy Blooms via Instagram

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What is your favorite poppy? Leave a comment and share!

A Poppy Blooms

Simple, delicate, and yet vibrant, this oriental poppy blooms during a recent trip to the nursery.

Spring has already arrived here in Los Angeles and I am seeing blooms in gardens, too, not just in the nurseries.

Our heavy winter rains are causing everything, including the weeds, to explode. There will be a lot of work controlling the unwanted grass this season.

When I have a chance, I stop by our local @armstronggarden store to see what is in-season, new, and perhaps, on sale.
Even when I don’t end up buying something, it is a good opportunity to take some photos to share here and on my garden blog, A Gardener’s Notebook

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* 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 Library

Bonsai via Instagram

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What do you think about bonsai? Leave a comment and share!

Bonsai

A small, simple bonsai spotted @armstronggarden near me. I am always amazed at the delicate, miniature representations of bonsai, even if I don’t think I could ever develop the skill or patience necessary to create my own. I can always appreciate them, though. 😀… and the hard work that goes into creating them.

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* 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 Library

Lavender via Instagram

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What is your favorite scent or herb? Leave a comment and share!

Lavender

We have quite a bit of lavender here in the garden. My wife loves it both for its look and its lovely scent and it grows well in the Mediterranean climate here in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.

I haven’t purchased lavender plants in years as it is so easy to propagate. Trim a few stems of their lower leaves and place in some potting soil and within a month or so you have new plants ready to pot on or plant out in the garden.

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Saucer Magnolia/Magnolia × soulangeana via Instagram

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

What is your favorite springtime flower? Leave a comment and share!

Saucer Magnolia/Magnolia × soulangeana

Each Los Angeles winter/spring these saucer magnolia trees throughout the neighborhood spring to life. They are striking for a number of reasons but I think the main reason is the fact the the flowers appear of bare limbs, before their leaves. For a week or so they are simply a tree of large colorful flowers attracting your eye at every turn.

I don’t have one myself, but I make sure to enjoy my neighbors trees for the short time they are in flower.

When I have a chance, I stop by our local Armstrong Garden store to see what is in-season, new, and perhaps, on sale.
Even when I don’t end up buying something, it is a good opportunity to take some photos to share here and on my garden blog, A Gardener’s Notebook.

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Purple Power via Instagram

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Douglas E. Welch

Do You Like Purple flowers? Yes/No? Leave a comment and share!

Purple Power via Instagram

Purple has always been one of my favorite colors and this deep purple hits the spot perfectly.

I also appreciate the simple petal arrangement. You don’t always need double or triple blooms to make something look amazing.

Sometimes that just feels like too much and they end up looking more like a Pom Pom than a flower.

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Tag Archives: sanfernandovalley

In The Garden: Cooper’s Hawk In Our Birdbath [Video]

L.A. wholesaler is a sanctuary for cactus, succulent fans via The Los Angeles Times [Shared]

Percival Comes For A Visit via YouTube and TikTok [Video]

White Orchids via Instagram

Mums The Word via Instagram

A Poppy Blooms via Instagram

Bonsai via Instagram

Lavender via Instagram

Saucer Magnolia/Magnolia × soulangeana via Instagram

Purple Power via Instagram

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