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Looking Back at April
Seasonal blooms from April 2021 Just a roundup of photos from the month of April ... Row 1 - We removed tulips and planted seedlings in...

Julia Watson
May 1, 20211 min read


Enjoying Spring - Ranunculus
I wrote about ranunculus back in the fall, because that was the time for planting them. But right now, in spring, we’re knee-deep in...

Julia Watson
Apr 27, 20211 min read


A Seasonal Bouquet
A spring bouquet of ranunculus Recently I watched a Masterclass cooking lesson by Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse restaurant in...

Julia Watson
Apr 23, 20212 min read


Herbs
If you cook (or know someone who does), you should grow a few fresh herbs. Here’s a list of those that are easy to grow and thrive in...

Julia Watson
Apr 20, 20212 min read


Fragrance in the Garden
This post is really just a list of my personal opinions on what smells wonderful in the garden. You can agree or disagree, but it’ll get...

Julia Watson
Apr 16, 20212 min read


Choosing Roses
There was a period in my gardening life when I looked at books and catalogs and lusted after ALL the roses. I was seduced by the...

Julia Watson
Apr 14, 20212 min read


Seasons Change
I’ve been swamped with work for a couple of weeks now, because the seasons are changing, and I have to keep up! It’s time to take out the...

Julia Watson
Apr 10, 20211 min read


From Gardening to Flower Farming
I’ll probably have many posts on this topic – the transition from gardening to professional flower farming. Gardening is something I’ve...

Julia Watson
Apr 7, 20212 min read


Begonias
I associate tuberous begonias with California. Tuberous begonias are the ones that look like roses, but come in saturated colors like...

Julia Watson
Apr 2, 20211 min read


Looking Back on March
At the end of every month I try to have a post about what happened with our flowers that month. It's as much for me as for my readers,...

Julia Watson
Mar 31, 20212 min read


Artistic Inspiration
The painting above just went to Gallery 24 in Los Gatos. I painted it from real roses in my garden - a variety called Hot Cocoa. I...

Julia Watson
Mar 30, 20211 min read


Favorite Photos
I’ve been weeding out photos on my computer and phone, so I thought I’d share some random pics of the garden and flowers in our home....

Julia Watson
Mar 26, 20211 min read


Start Early for Beautiful Chrysanthemums
One day's harvest of my 2020 mums, including Vesuvio, Apricot Alexis, Seaton's Ruby and River City. UPDATED FOR 2025 - WE NOW GROW...

Julia Watson
Mar 23, 20212 min read


Tomatoes
If you want to plant tomatoes, here's my advice: don't get too carried away! Unless you're feeding dozens of people, don't buy more than...

Julia Watson
Mar 19, 20212 min read


It's Time to Plant Dahlias
March is a busy month for Northern California gardeners. The weather is getting warmer and the nurseries are full of tempting little...

Julia Watson
Mar 16, 20213 min read


Tools of the Trade
You don’t need a lot of fancy tools to start gardening, so don’t be tempted by everything you see at the nursery or online. Buy the...

Julia Watson
Mar 12, 20212 min read


Potatoes in Pots
Last week I planted potatoes; March is a good time for planting potatoes here in Northern California. Local nurseries often have...

Julia Watson
Mar 9, 20212 min read


Scientific Names
I’ll start this post by saying that I was trained as a research scientist and my heroes are Linnaeus and Gregor Mendel. Is anyone still...

Julia Watson
Mar 5, 20213 min read


Bones
Bones may be an odd title for a gardening blog post, but if you’re planning a garden, this is important. Bones are the big, permanent...

Julia Watson
Mar 2, 20213 min read


February in Review
This was a month for watching and waiting, while things began to unfold. There were many days that were wet, windy and cold. Daffodils...

Julia Watson
Feb 27, 20211 min read
One Gardener's Journey
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