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Summertime Delicacies: Corn and Tomato Salad
Some people are crazy about caviar. Others go nuts over truffles. For me, summer fruits and vegetables are the greatest of delicacies. Especially corn and tomatoes. Not to mention corn. And tomatoes....
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DIY Outdoor Planter: Tough Beauties That Won’t Die, Even If You Forget to Water
Before August vanishes, it’s time to get out of town. But what about the plants you’re leaving behind? There’s no need to worry if you’ve got succulents–they’ll thrive at home alone even if you abandon...
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A City Garden With a Spectacular View
When Kim Potter and Bob Miller gaze out the windows of their San Francisco home, they see a spectacular cityscape–and when they peer down into their own backyard, they’re treated to an equally...
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DIY Outdoor Planter: Pretty Enough to Eat
Fresh herbs are key ingredients in some of my favorite summertime dishes. But with leaves that are deep, dark purple, multicolored, or reminiscent of thin blades of grass, many herb varieties are just...
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DIY Outdoor Planter: Summer-to-Fall Flowers
When warm, balmy days give way to cool, crisp ones, I always plant flowers and perennials that bridge the seasons. And while many summer bloomers have passed their prime, others are still going strong....
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DIY Patio Planter: Frosty Winter Whites
As someone who always seems to feel colder than everyone else, I’ll never complain about sunny skies and daytime temps that are reliably in the high 50s. But with our relatively warm, snowless Bay Area...
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Container of the Month: New Life for Old Plants
I’m not big on resolutions, but I do spend time thinking about how I envision the months ahead and I like making a fresh start in January. I go on a mad cleaning spree, purging anything that doesn’t...
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Field Guide: Narcissus
Narcissus: “The Sure Thing” The Greek pretty boy Narcissus was universally considered beautiful, and in today’s terms might be the equivalent of People’s Sexiest Man Alive. Passing a pool, he spotted...
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Field Guide: Alyssum
Alyssum, Lobularia maritima: “Flower Carpet” Don’t be fooled by sweet alyssum’s dainty appearance. While this petite flower–often found in cottage gardens–looks delicate and charming, it was once...
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Field Guide: Cosmos
Cosmos, Cosmos bipinnatus: “Mexican Aster” With their perfectly ordered petals arranged around golden centers, cosmos flowers look a bit like planets radiating around the sun. It’s easy to see why...
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Gardening 101: Azalea
Azalea: Little Rhodie If you were to ask an azalea what her beauty secrets are, like many pretty women, she might just say that her glamour is all genetic. And it would be true. Considered symbols of...
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Steep Ravine Cabins: Million Dollar Views for $100 a Night
When friends invited my husband and me to join them for a weekend at Steep Ravine cabins, we had no idea what to expect. What we knew: the ten cabins are an hour north of San Francisco, it’s really...
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DIY Patio Planter: Dark and Stormy Shades
Here’s a hardy mix of dark and moody perennials and grasses that needs little water and makes a dramatic statement at an entryway. Photographs by Meredith Swinehart. Above: This all-foliage combo with...
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DIY Outdoor Planter: Rich Fall Hues
I was born in New York, and after we moved to almost-always-warm California during my childhood, one of the things I missed most was fall. While we do get a small dose of the leaves changing color in...
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Gardening 101: Northern Bayberry
Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica): “The Survivor” You have to admire the characters in the Swiss Family Robinson who, after being shipwrecked, not only survived but seemed to carve out a pretty decent...
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Gardening 101: Bacopa
Bacopa, Sutera cordata: “The Misnomer” When you’re shopping at the nursery, do you ever wonder how all those gorgeous plants get their names? Me neither. But it turns out it’s not a straightforward...
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Gardening 101: Amazon Mist Sedge
Amazon Mist Sedge, Carex comans: “New Zealand Hair Grass” Resembling a fabulously dense head of hair, Carex comans ‘Amazon Mist’ has always reminded me a bit of Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. It’s...
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DIY Outdoor Planters: A Cool Palette for Hot Weather
I garden in pots on my front porch, and by the time summer arrives, I just want my containers to look good…and I don’t want to spend a lot of time on them. So I always create at least one lushly...
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