Plant Profiles

Sarcococca and Daphne – the stars of my February garden

by Rebecca Sweet
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Here we are February 1st, and my garden couldn’t be smelling any sweeter!  I wanted to share with you two of my winter superstars as they’re some of my favorites for adding heavenly fragrance to this typically cold and bleak month.  In my temperate Zone 9 garden, there’s still a few random leaves hanging on [...]

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Hooray for Heucheras! An interview with Terra Nova Nurseries

by Rebecca Sweet
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Heucheras (aka: Coral Bells or Allum Root) are one of my favorite perennials in the garden, whether adding spots of color in the front of the border, massed together in drifts or nestled into a container.   I’d be lost if I couldn’t use these little treasures in my designs, as their foliage comes in [...]

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Top 10 Favorite Orange Plants

by Rebecca Sweet
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It’s that time of year again when our homes and gardens are decked out in orange and black, and mine is no exception.  And what better occasion than Halloween to talk about one of my favorite colors in the garden – orange!  Last year I wrote about my favorite black plants, so it’s only fitting [...]

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Eggplant Extravaganza

by Rebecca Sweet
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I’ve been traveling a lot this summer and am so glad to finally be home!  But after nearly five weeks away you can imagine the state of my garden. Fortunately (for my garden, not for me!), my husband was home for most of the time so he was able to keep it watered and somewhat [...]

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Oxalis in my garden

by Rebecca Sweet
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I love Oxalis in my garden. No, not the horribly invasive oxalis that has taken over my lawn, but the colorful and well-behaved hybrids available in nurseries everywhere. Come and take a look….

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Knock-out Kniphofias

by Rebecca Sweet
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Kniphopfias (aka: Red Hot Poker or Torch Lily) are one of my very favorite flowers to add vertical interest to the garden.  Seeing their snake-like stalks rise from a clump of lush leaf blades is always a joy to behold as they stretch their long necks what seems like several inches a day. I don’t [...]

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Rosemary in the garden

by Rebecca Sweet
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I was talking with another gardener last week, when she told me she never plants rosemary in her garden because it’s so common. Huh? Of course everyone has their own opinion of what they like and don’t like, but not planting something just because it’s common?  Oh well – we all march to our own [...]

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Heavenly Hellebores

by Rebecca Sweet
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  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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Have you ever seen a tree’s knees?

by Rebecca Sweet
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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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Wordless Wednesday – The Aloes of Laguna Beach

by Rebecca Sweet
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A few weeks ago I spoke at the Laguna Beach Garden Club, and was thrilled when my host insisted we walk along the coastline before catching my flight home. The aloes were in full bloom, the sun was shining, artists were painting, hummers were humming, dolphins were swimming – in short, I was in heaven. [...]

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Gorgeous grasses in the garden

by Rebecca Sweet
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If you’re familiar with my blog, then you know I love grasses.  And luckily they’re becoming more and more common in most every nursery, with many selections to choose from.   Yes, grasses are all the rage and for good reason. Why?  Generally speaking, grasses will grow in just about any type of soil, most [...]

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Dutchman’s Pipevine

by Rebecca Sweet
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While visiting my friends in Connecticut last week I couldn’t help but fall in love with the massive Dutchman’s Pipevine that seductively draped over their arbor. It’s giant heart-shaped leaves seemed to glow from within when backlit by the setting sun. The tendrils gently coiled downwards, adding an almost ethereal appearance to this cozy space.

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A Phormium flowers

by Rebecca Sweet
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This year my ‘Sea Jade’ phormium surprised me by sending up a few tall stalks of flowers for me to enjoy.  Phormiums (aka: Flax) don’t always bloom around here, but I think due to our very wet spring they’ve  decided to reward our patience by showing us what they’re really capable of! Phormiums are one [...]

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Camellias in my Garden

by Rebecca Sweet
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This is the time of year when camellias, the workhorses of my Zone 9 winter garden, get their moment in the sun (so to speak). I haven’t always liked camellias, but over the years one of my favorite gardening friends has convinced me of their reliable winter beauty. As I look around my garden, I [...]

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Forcing Tulips

by Rebecca Sweet
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  Many of my clients love tulips, wanting them planted in their gardens to enjoy for years to come.  They show me catalogues that are marked with the tulips they want: frilly parrots, fancy long-stemmed varieties, or specifically chosen color palettes to fit in their garden. They always look a little crestfallen when I tell [...]

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My Francoa’s got some Funk…

by Rebecca Sweet
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  I have a new favorite plant that I’ve been using in my designs now for the past few years – it’s Francoa Ramosa and I just adore it! It’s categorized as a perennial, but in our Zone 9 climate, it’s evergreen. The snails pretty much leave it alone, it grows like mad making it [...]

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The ‘Mite-y’ Lemon

by Rebecca Sweet
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Eureka lemon trees are notorious for producing freakishly shaped lemons – especially along the cooler coastal climate (like ours in the Bay Area).  Personally, I like the occasional odd-ball that my tree kicks out – and so do kids.  But if more and more of your lemons are turning out like this you may want [...]

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My very favorite roses – and how I prune them

by Rebecca Sweet
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. Roses, roses, roses…nothing says ‘spring is right around the corner’ more than all the bare-root roses in stock right now at the nurseries. Especially when you see their hopeful, little leaves starting to emerge from their stark stems. And now’s the time to buy them, as they’re such a better deal when sold bare-root [...]

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Not your average Gingko tree

by Rebecca Sweet
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‘What the heck are these things growing on this gingko tree?’ That was the question everyone was asking a few months ago while on the Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour in Sacramento, CA.   After doing a little research, I found out that these growths are really, really rare. The Japanese call these growths Chichi (which translates into [...]

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