In Fall 2019 we made kokadama at the monthly club meeting. I chose to use Easter cactus, Schlumbergera gaertneri, since it is an epiphyte and could do well with organic mix and in a hanging posture. Kokadama do dry out quickly in SoCal and it can be hard to remember to water regularly. But… 6 months later, Easter arrived and so did the flowers. Posted by BB.
Related Post
My Spring BarometerMy Spring Barometer
Daffodils (Narcissus sp.) are classics of spring but not so common outdoors in San Diego gardens because of our warmer climate. Many years ago, I planted the bulb from a (supermarket) potted gift bouquet into my garden. Each year if it flowers (like this year) I know it has been cooler and wetter than normal. Most years only the leaves emerge without a flower.
Monterey PineMonterey Pine
Pinus radiata is native to the California coast. In the mid-19th century seedlings were sent to New Zealand for evaluation. The example you see here is from one of those original test plantings in Wellington, New Zealand and is approaching 175 years old. Pinus radiata is now the foundation of commercial forestry in NZ and in Chile because in these locations this species grows faster and larger than in California with trees ready for harvesting in just 30 years.
Toyon and Hollywood?Toyon and Hollywood?
It appears to be a favorable winter for the fruiting of red Toyon berries as patches of red have appeared on our chaparral hills. The berries while technically edible are very unpleasant if eaten raw. Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon, or California Holly is native to coastal ranges of California and southern Oregon. Although it grows on the hills around Hollywood that is apparently not the reason for the name.
California Holly: How Hollywood Didn’t Get its Name | Natural History Museum (nhm.org)