Blogs
Fiesta Extravaganza Succulent-scape in Mission Hills, San Diego, December 2021, by Lila (property owner) and Michael Buckner
Submitted by gbm on Sun, 02/13/2022 - 10:48pm In Mission Hills, December 2021
My description: James Bond mid-twentieth-cenury old-nouveau-rico-suave house and landscape, with Woodwardia radicans ferns
Submitted by gbm on Thu, 10/07/2021 - 8:24pm
Hugging House Trees
Submitted by gbm on Thu, 10/07/2021 - 8:06pm
A few trees of Metrosideros are planted within one foot of the house, and, a Ficus benjamina tree is also planted within one foot of the house on the right side just in from the arch-arbor. Planting the trees practically right up against the house is a very daring strong-minded design sense. This is a big deal, done in a high quality manner. Mission Hills, 2021.
Tropical Pink fleshed Guava - Psidium guajava - 'South African Pink' cultivar available through La Verne Nursery
Submitted by gbm on Tue, 12/01/2020 - 2:06pm(Click underlned title for more info) Excellent guava, nice balance of medium sweetness, medium low / low medium acidity and classic aroma, flavor, pink flesh, yellow skin, medium firm-soft texture. This is a grafted plant, but growing this guava (and all guavas, basically) from seed is a fair bet for high quality fruit also. Ripens late autumn to early spring. Photo above and the pre-cut / whole guava photo immediately below, are both late March 2020.
Asian Pear Multi-graft bush-tree: Shinseiki, Nijisseiki, Hosui, Chojuro
Submitted by gbm on Thu, 11/19/2020 - 8:28am(Click on underlined title to see more info and pictures) Four Asian Pear varieties grafted onto this pear roostock, as shown in the photo (Pyrus calleryana is apparently the rootstock).
Mango 'Florigon' growing and fruiting great near the ocean, near the beach
Submitted by gbm on Mon, 11/02/2020 - 8:32pm (Clikck underlined title for more info and photos)
Florigon mango does great at my location in south OB, in sandy-ish garden soil. Usually true from seed without grafting. Basically no or minimal disease, strong growth rate, nice upright trunk and upright rounded branching structure, more drought tolerant than Citrus, leaf burn potential is less or similar to Avocados in that regard. Polyembryonic seed.
'Anacapa Pink' Calystegia macrostegia island morning glory vine growing over Dendromecon harfordii / Island Bush Poppy
Submitted by Scott on Fri, 04/10/2020 - 5:18pm Showing the Island Morning Glory 'Anacapa Pink' variety growing over and through Island Bush Poppy. The daisies at left are Leptosyne, most likely a hybrid of L. maritima and L. gigantea, given that it has an in between morphology of being bushier, wider, and more floriferous than either species.
Gambelia speciosa growing on / through Prunus i. lyonii. Island bramble snapdragon growing on / through Island Cherry
Submitted by Scott on Fri, 04/10/2020 - 3:30pmIsland Bramble Snapdragon (red flowers) growing on / through Island Cherry, blooming height from about 3 feet to 9 feet. The white flower raceme-clusters are the Island Cherry flowers. In Pt. Loma, two blocks from the ocean.
Gambelia speciosa growing on / through Dendromecon harfordii. Island bramble snapdragon growing on / through Island Bush Poppy
Submitted by Scott on Fri, 04/10/2020 - 3:22pm Island Bramble Snapdragon (red flowers) growing on / through Island Bush Poppy. Leptosyne maritima daisy growing at left, which gets tall when growing amongst taller plants, as here. Trunk in mid-background is Guadalupe Palm. In Pt. Loma.
Grapes in San Diego area
Submitted by Scott on Sun, 07/28/2019 - 12:08pmBeginning now, July 28, 2019, I'm sharing some of my observations with growing grapes here in the San Diego area since the early 1990's, with emphasis on home garden growing. I only grow grapes with seeds, - to me with-seed grapes have a more nutritive feel to my body,... apparently a more nutritive effect on my body. These are all grown with reference to fresh-eating.

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