Crassula ovata

Blue-Ribbon Succulents

– Posted in: Garden Adventures

The annual cactus and succulent show at the Los Angeles Arboretum is the largest in the world.  It’s a 2-hour drive for me, but I wouldn’t miss it. When I see a plant I’ve never seen before or a perfect specimen of something I’m familiar with, I go slack-jawed and stare. And this year there were dozens. [...]

Firewise Plants

– Posted in: Garden Adventures

Wildfires making national news are a wake-up call for us Southern Californians who live near canyons and wilderness areas. Hot Santa Ana winds blow from the desert, desiccating already stressed plants and threatening to push backcountry brush fires all the way to the sea. We’ve had no rain for months and everything is tinder-dry. My husband and I were evacuated from our [...]