All my posts right here, in one place…

Review & Giveaway – The New Sunset Western Garden Book

by Rebecca Sweet 5 March 2012

I have been dying to get my hands on the 9th edition of the New Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (Oxmoor House, 2012. List Price $34.95). Well, it’s finally here and I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been given a copy to review.  And as if that weren’t enough – Sunset is letting [...]

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Heavenly Hellebores

by Rebecca Sweet 1 March 2012

  Hellebores are typically pretty easy to grow here in Northern California, requiring partial shade, well-draining soil and moderate irrigation.  They come in a staggering range of colors, from the deepest maroon to the palest ivory.  They’re usually categorized as either having upright blooms on tall stems  (aka: caulescent) or no stems, typically with downward facing [...]

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New friends, chickens and wine – a perfect afternoon!

by Rebecca Sweet 27 February 2012

One of the benefits of speaking at different garden clubs is the chance to meet their members and visit their beautiful gardens.  One such person is Bonnie Manion, whom I met at the La Jolla Village Garden Club last fall. After a morning of touring gardens, we ended our day at Bonnie’s home where we [...]

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Happy Birthday to Fiskars – 45 never looked so good!

by Rebecca Sweet 19 February 2012

As a proud member of the Fiskars garden blogging team, I’m thrilled to be joining the 45th anniversary celebration of the Orange Handled Scissors!  So far this month, there’s been a pretty exciting line-up of guest interviews who are all raving about their love of Fiskars’ scissors (Chris March, Duff Goldman and Claudine Hellmuth) but [...]

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Flowers in February? Absolutely!

by Rebecca Sweet 15 February 2012

While visiting the garden of one of my favorite clients yesterday I was really pleased with how it looked in the middle of February.  When designing, one of my priorities is to create a garden that looks good throughout the year.  Luckily, living in Northern California’s zone 9, this is a very attainable goal.  However, [...]

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Succulent heaven at Sherman Gardens

by Rebecca Sweet 6 February 2012

I can look at succulents all day long.  I never grow tired of their colors, shapes and forms and the infinite number of ways that creative gardeners use them in their gardens. A few months ago, while rushing to get to the airport, my friend insisted we stop at Corona del Mar’s Sherman Library and Gardens, [...]

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My garden’s new birdhouse

by Rebecca Sweet 1 February 2012

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was given to me by my husband Tom – this handmade birdhouse from L’Atelier Vert. My garden wouldn’t be complete without all the birds that visit and raise their babies here (see here, and here, and here!)  so I’m hopeful one will find a new home this spring.     [...]

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Garden Designers Roundtable- My ‘Don’t Do This’ Top Ten List

by Rebecca Sweet 24 January 2012

I’ve been wanting to write about this for a long, long time – my Top 10 things NOT to do in your garden!  Having designed gardens for over a decade, I’ve seen a lot of crazy things; some funny, some not so much. Please join me today, along with the rest of the Garden Designers [...]

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Have you ever seen a tree’s knees?

by Rebecca Sweet 21 January 2012

While visiting New York’s Innisfree Garden last summer, I saw something that I’ve never seen before – the ‘knees’ of a tree.  Yes, that’s what they’re called! From what I’ve gathered, this is unique to cypress trees that are planted near water.  The roots growing under the water send up woody projections, called knees. What’s [...]

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