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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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All Kinds of Poppies
Most poppies are in the genus Papaver, so they’re closely related. Sometime soon I’m going to write a post about scientific names –...

Julia Watson
Feb 26, 20212 min read
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Painting from the Garden - Tulips
My garden has always inspired my art, and at this time of year, when the tulips are blooming, it seems like a good time to share a couple...

Julia Watson
Feb 23, 20211 min read
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Compost - A Story
I’m not an expert on compost, so I’m not going to preach about hot versus cold, worms or starters, how and when to turn your piles....

Julia Watson
Feb 19, 20213 min read
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One Gardener's Journey
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