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[...]

  With a new book to launch, I accepted numerous speaking engagements this spring. The thing is, though, events are scheduled six to 12 months in advance. You check your calendar, and if there’s a blank date, you blithely scribble it in. But as the date approaches, OMG, there are SO many details to corral: Tailoring the presentation to the group[...]

When I arrived at Louisa’s garden, the first thing I noticed was a mother hippo and her baby, made of metal, in the driveway. Well, if you had a couple of hippos, where would you keep them?

The desire to get rid of water-thirsty, high-maintenance lawns has led to the rise (no pun intended) of dry creek beds. After all, you have to replace all that garden space with something. Rocks and boulders are fairly inexpensive and create a natural setting. A dry stream bed can add a sense of motion (rushing water)[...]