weeding

if your yard is like my yard all this wonderful rain has turned it into a thriving green field - of weeds! so this weekend while the sun was shining, i put on my old clothes and headed outdoors to pluck the bad plants from the good. weeds are water hogs and take from all my beautiful plants- like all my paper whites just coming up.

around my lantana, i came across a particularly virulent mass of weeds and just dug in. i love to pull weeds- one of the easiest ways to beautify any space. plus you get your hands dirty and i love the feeling when the earth releases the roots. right away, i felt the stings of many tiny invisible needles and realized these weeds were probably stinging nettles. now, i knew i should get up right away, wash my hands and find my gloves. but i was in a groove and didn't want to stop. plus, you can't get dirty with gloves on and i am always afraid that spiders have nested in the fingers of my gloves- so despite having many pairs i usually weed without them.

Plant of the Month: March 2010

Anigozanthos flavidus Kangaroo Paw is an evergreen perennial native to Western Australia. Clumps of dark green sword shaped leaves grow to 3 ft. or more. Anigozanthos come in a variety of colors: red, purple, green, or yellow; flowers are tubular shaped with a woolly texture. A. flavidus is yellow green, tinged with red. Blooms late spring to fall, but spent flowers need to be cut to the ground.


The photo shows this variety in a poolside planter bed, installed by Steven Smith Landscape.

Plant of the Month: February 2010

Cercidium 'Desert Museum'. Also known as the Palo Verde, this deciduous desert tree is very hardy and features a bright yellow floral display in spring, ample shade, and colorful bark. In 3-5 years it can reach 20 ft. tall and wide. The 'Desert Museum'is a clean, thornless tree, with few seedpods. Re-bloom possible in summer. To see more suggestions for drought resistant landscape plants, visit stevensmithlandscape.com

Plant of the Month: January 2010

Westringia fruticosa Coast rosemary. An evergreen shrub requiring little to moderate water and full sun. Green to gray-green leaves with white undersides. Small white flowers that bloom all year in mild climates. 3-6 ft. tall, 5-10 ft. wide. To see more suggestions for drought resistant landscape plants, visit stevensmithlandscape.com

Christmas Tree Recylcing

Hello! The holidays are done, now begins the clean up! One of my favorite holiday traditions is buying and decorating a large live Christmas tree. but, after carefully repacking all my precious ornaments every year, I am always left with a big, messy, outdoor plant that is now inconveniently indoors. Thankfully, the city and county of San Diego have implemented programs to facilitate the recycling of Christmas trees which is very important as the trees can be shredded into something useful instead of taking up space in landfills.

Plant of the Month: December 2009

Tagetes lemmonii Copper Canyon Daisy is in the marigold family. A shrubby perennial3-6 feet tall and wide, with 2-4" long leaves that are fragrant with a blend of marigold, mint and lemon. Golden orange flowers that peak in winter and spring.

Plant of the Month: November 2009

Prosopis alba Argentine Mesquite is a nearly evergreen and deciduous tree or shrub, requiring very little water and full sun. It is fast growing with a dense canopy of blue green leaves and spines. Some leaf drop in cold weather. Can reach heights of 30 feet.