‘Ballerina’ Rose & Hollyhock
I’m in love with a ballerina — a ‘Ballerina’ rose, that is. ‘Ballerina’ is a hybrid musk rose and hybrid musks, for reasons beyond comprehension, are seldom seen in the nursery trade. Hybrid musks ar...
California’s Worst Weeds
If there is one daily activity that unites the human race above all others, it’s weeding. Most people on Earth still grow at least some of the food they eat and, in order for their seeds to grow into...
Gardenias in Southern California
If you see yellow foliage on your gardenia bush and, after trying everything to ameliorate the situation, still see yellow and, even worse, fear that your plant may soon be ready for the compost heap...
Monocarpic Plants
For those of you who are into botanical trivia, see if you can answer the following existential (having to do with life and death) question: What do carrots, radishes, lettuce, agaves, fishtail palms...
Garden Design Basics: The Hardscape Makes The Landscape
Turning an untamed jungle into a habitable outdoor space may take years, especially when you do the work yourself. But if you have a vision of orderliness and a simple color scheme, you can slowly f...
Myrtle is The Perfect Shrub
When it comes to shrubs, the common myrtle is about as close to perfection as it gets. It was not by chance that, for the ancients, its diamond shaped leaves represented the all-seeing eyes of wisdo...
Biological Pest Control Made Simple
Biological control of undesirable garden pests is the desirable way to go Biological control is a garden management tool that encourages natural processes by bringing one living organism into the ga...
Perfumed Hydrangeas and Other Delights
Kate Karam says she has the greatest job in the world. Karam edits newsletters and authors a blog for Monrovia Nursery, in addition to dialoguing with people in the media about what the world’s larg...
Growing on Trellises
She may be 81 years old — with a good excuse for sitting around and not doing much — but Gina di Nino never stops working, and even makes her own pasta by hand from semolina flour. ̶...
Zinnias Are My Favorite Flowers
Zinnias are my favorite annual summer flowers, and I say this for four reasons: • They are as colorful as a kaliedoscopic rainbow. • Their many petaled blooms, like those ruffled collars seen on 17th...