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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
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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
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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
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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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One Gardener's Journey
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