Clik here to view.
Cleome foliosa from Kunene Namibia
This is a wonderful yellow cleome with large bright yellow flowers. Â I got the seed from Karen Petersen years ago when she collected seeds in Africa back in the early 90's after I gave her some quick...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tinantia pringlei and a Rant About Deer
This is an interesting relative of Tradescantia that I have grown for many years. Â The form I grew at the old house came from UC Berkeley and had less densely spotted leaves than the form shown in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crazy for Commelinids
Commelina virginicaCommelina virginicaCommelina sp ex Karen PetersenTinantia pringlei Berkeley formAneilema aequinoctialeAneilema aequinoctialeAneilema aequinoctialeCommelina africanaCommelina...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Some Pelargoniums in the Fall
Pelargonium multibracteatum Dalil Yemen formPelargonium candicansPelargonium candicansPelargonium aridum x quinquelobatum tetraploidPelargonium aridum x quinquelobatum tetraploidPelargonium aridum x...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Life Well Lived, Reflections on Jerry Barad and His Passing Today
Jerry on the back porchBea on the back porchA ledebouria species I think Jerry got from the Huntington ISI programJerry loved variegated things, such as this Kalanchoe thyrsifoliaImpatiens mirabilis,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Trip to Taiwan: Part I Kaohsiung to the Maolin Valley Area
Myself and Bob Oddo in his school classroom in KaohsiungCrossostephium chinenseMyself and Grace on Banpingshan (Turtle Mountain)Â Ipomoea sp on TMPassiflora sp on TMBob, Grace, and Myself with Kaohsiung...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Taiwan Part II. Taipei and Yangmingshan
Taipei Gu Kong MuseumMap of Yangmingshan ParkEpiphytic fernHamelia patens?Coniogramme sp. Alpinia spCalanthe sp.Lasianthus sp.Smilax sp?No idea, but neat foliageLarge fern spEven larger fern...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Taiwan Part III Taipei Flower Market and Hualian, then Taroko Gorge to...
Paphiopedilium charlesworthii or hybrid at Orchid show in Taipei Flower MarketJamesbrittenia bergae from Taipei flower marketOstrichIsotoma longifloraNative species of land snailRunning from T...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Erythina zeyheri, the Ploegbreker (Plowbreaker)
Erythrina zeyheriErythrina x bidwelliiErythrina is a genus of mostly trees of tropical climates. Â Some of our native species do produce a thickened lignotuber from which they can resprout after fire...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Its Dianthus time again
A minute cushion forming species which I got from rock gardening friends who got it from Wrightman Alpines. Â It was given to me as a small rooted cutting and has turned into a perfect "bun" in a couple...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Weird Dogwood
Yes there is a strange dogwood in our yard. Â I would have had it cut down as it has dieback on one major limb and is past its prime, but having seen it flower I knew it was something special so it was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Swathes of Senecios
Senecio is an overly large genus spanning just about all the continents, except Antarctica of course. No doubt it will (or has?) be broken up into separate genera by the molecular cladists. Â However at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ornithogalum magnum
I really like this different sort of Ornithogalum from Georgia, as in the Caucasus, not USA. Â It forms tall spikes that flower rather late for a spring bulb, just as the foliage is dying back. Â They...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cold hardy Crinum bulbispermum
Right now many Crinum bulbispermums are coming into bloom and/or spiking in my gardens. Â I have a number of plants grown from South African seeds from the Blomfontein area, as well as others from US...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus)
This old fashioned biennial, or really perennial in my experience, is one of the highlights of the season here. Â I grew mine from seeds, and that really is the only way to do it as the newer "sweet...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cold Hardy Osteospermums
These South African daisies are commonly grown as tender annuals in the northern states, but there are cold hardy species and selections. Â "Avalanche" is a particularly good one worth tracking down. Â I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Look Back at Spring
Its one of those wintery days where a glance at the many photos of the gardens provides cheer and hints of a promise to come in the next growing season.  My students often ask me what my home garden...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring Part 2
As spring advances, the number of plants coming into bloom increases exponentially.  Many gardens around here are primarily spring gardens with azaleas and daffodils for example. I find spring and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring part 3
We are not even finished with April yet more things come into bloom.These violas were grown from seed from Swallowtail Seeds I think, and I enjoyed the complementary flower colors of different plants....
View ArticleClik here to view.
May, A Month of Revival
May brings so much action in the garden as the pace of spring quickens.This arisaema species came to me from our friends in town but I am not sure what species it is and I don't they remember either....
View Article