Do you remember the first time you were enchanted by cut flowers in a vase? Although each element was lovely on its own, combined they were amazing. My mother filled jars with nasturtiums, which grew in sunny patches in the avocado orchard. Unfortunately, they last only two days before they start to look tired. Aren’t we always looking for flowers with [...]
While on the Malibu Garden Tour, I hoped for high-end gardens that incorporated my specialty: succulents (plants with juicy leaves and stems). Homes in the hills of this tony enclave north of Los Angeles are huge, on multi-acre lots. My host had grown up in the area shown here, and recalled how neighbors helped Barbra Streisand protect her canyon home [...]
Nasturtiums are boisterous annuals that shout with vivid hues of orange, yellow and red. Sophisticated gardeners distain nasturtiums, and I can see why: They tend to take over the spring garden, engulfing prized plants that also are newly in bloom. I love nasturtiums, although on occasion they annoy me. They’re nostalgia flowers that remind me [...]