Glorious Gardens Nursery

Anyone who has known me for more than a minute soon realizes I have an obsession with succulents. It seems as if the rest of the world is joining me — hence we have more succulentcentric nurseries such as Glorious Gardens Landscape. Located in Leucadia in San Diego just off the 5 freeway, Glorious Gardens Landscape may carry the largest variety of succulents, cacti and tillandsia in San Diego County. Started by landscape designers Emma Almendarez and Linda Fox 2 years ago, they specialize in the unusual, whimsical  and unique. Customers can select plants and pots and the nursery will plant them while you wait. They are going to be offering classes; the first will be in February and will demonstrate glass blowing. Go to their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/gloriousgardens) to see their landscape projects. (www.agloriousgarden.com)

By the way, I know it’s painful for my east coast/midwest readers to see be able to look and not touch these succulents year round. While it’s always best to support your local nursery, in a pinch the West Elm (www.westelm.com) website is offering boxes of very interesting smaller succulents for sale. They also have information on planting a terrarium.

How to repurpose your used vehicle.…On the web:

Sales:

• Plant Depot/San Juan Capistrano has an internet coupon thru 3/16 for $10.00 on a 50.00 purchase. (www.plantdepot.com)
• Sheridan Gardens Nursery/Burbank starts a Superbowl Saturday sale today — 25% off almost everything (www.sheridangardens.com)

On the web:

Saturday, 2/4:

• Annual Camelia Festival @ Descanso Gardens/La Canada/Flintridge: Come and see the largest camellia collection in North America in full bloom. Also: Faery tours of the enchanted forest, walk and talk, tea time and more. (www.descanso gardens and more)
• Theodore Payne Foundation/ Sun Valley: “Natives: The big picture” with Lisa Novich (www.theodorepayne.org)
• Los Angeles Arboretum/Arcadia: Pacific Rose Society Annual Auction (www.arboretum.org)

An entry from last year

First of all, thank you to my friend Alice for pointing out that the Rose Parade is never on a Sunday; therefore it will be held Monday, January 2nd. For those of us who like to see sparkling fresh flower covered floats, I recommend going out to Pasadena Sunday  night sometime after about 9pm. All the floats are pulled up on Orange Grove Avenue in front of the Wrigley Mansion waiting for the parade to start the next day. (What did you think, they wait until the last minute?) They are spotlit and it is a festive scene…and you can get really close and see the detail. I took these photos last year between about 10:00pm and 1:00 am. I can only tell you my experience, and hope that nothing has changed. I drove north on South Arroyo Parkway and parked as close as possible to Orange Grove Blvd. between East Colorado Blvd. on the north and East Del Mar Blvd. on the south. The streets are closed off to the east so you will have to walk up a hill but you will see some great old homes. Take some hot chocolate, have an adventure and let me know how it goes! Happy New Year to us all!!!

Another 2011 float

On the Web:

• Thursday, 1/5, Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society talk on “Places you’ve never heard of, plants you’ve never seen” 7pm @ Sepulveda Garden Center, Encino (www.lacss.com)

Saturday, 1/7:

- Rose pruning workshop @ Los Angeles County Arboretum, Arcadia (www.arboretum.org)

- Huntington Gardens seminar held in Pomona on Sam Maloof exhibit and seasonal gardening (www.huntington.org)

A locust pod wreath

OK, I admit it. I get a serious case of the blahs over the holidays. I can’t be a hypocrite about it, although I do wish everyone else the happy holiday of their choice. The majestic wreath above kind of fits my mood. It was featured in The Wall Street Journal December 22. Every year the Berkshire Botanical Garden presents their Holiday Market Place fundraiser, including the legendary Gallery of Wreaths. Garden clubs, heads up — this appears to be an excellent way to raise funds. The designers compete to display and sell their creative wreaths.

I had never heard of the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Established in 1934, it is in Western Massachusetts (i.e. the area known as “The Berkshires”). I was looking at the upcoming programs being offered and would love to live near this group. Next summer, my very favorite time of year, I hope to visit. www.berkshirebotanicalgarden.org

On the web:

Sales: there are sales going on..be sure to check with the nurseries concerning the particulars..

• Sheridan Gardens/Burbank/www.sheridangardens.com
• Potted Store/Atwater Village/www.pottedstore.com
• Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano has a coupon on their website, www.plantdepot.com
• Green Gardens/San Diego/www.sdgreengardens.com

A hunting estate in the South Carolina backwoods

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a chapter on this home in the book Lowcountry Plantations Today, given to me by my prescient friend Lisa some years before. Last September my sister Mary Lynn and I were on our way to go kayaking at the ACE Basin near Beaufort, South Carolina when we passed this home out in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by 100+ year old oaks, the estate includes gorgeous barns as well. According to my Lowcountry book it is called Bonny Hall Plantation and was built circa 1897 on the Combahee River. Once owned by the Doubleday publishing family, it is now reputed to be the domain of a Hollywood producer. Somerset Maugham wrote The Razors Edge in the guest house there in the 1940’s.

Our kayaking guide, Kim, owns Beaufort Kayak Tours (www.Beaufortkayaktours.com) with her husband David. She is a local as well as a naturalist and very well informed about the area. We kayaked in the  swamps where the land was used for rice production before the Civil War. Now a lot of the land is owned by wealthy families who use it for hunting part time. This is a good thing because it preserves the land and saves it from development.

That’s us, kayaking away!

On the web:

Australian Native Plant Nursery (click on website at right) features Eucalyptus “Moon Lagoon”, a collectable drought tolerant shrub.

11/18:  Huntington Gardens (San Marino) offers an all day Ranch symposium on urban agriculture. (www.huntington.org)

11/19:

• Huntington Gardens (above):  Thanksgiving Flower Arrangement class.
• Theodore Payne Native Plant Foundation (Sun Valley):  3 part Native Plant Design Symposium (www.theodorepayne.org)
• Descanso Gardens (La Canada): Heritage Oak Walk (www.descanso.org)