What types of gardens are you drawn to? The gardens that resonate most with me are those that are (or were) deeply personal for their owners. An exhilarating example here in Southern California is Ganna Walska Lotusland, a 37-acre nonprofit botanical garden located in Montecito, near Santa Barbara. The unique and exquisite plants of Lotusland...Read More

With their vivid torch-like blooms and sculptural forms, aloes are jewels of the winter garden in Southern California. Though most of the 300-400 species are indigenous to Africa and Madagascar, and if protected from frost, they thrive in our climate with minimal water or care. In their form, aloes range from clustering — with rosettes...Read More

Experiencing landscapes that have been consciously developed hones our senses and improves our capacity to appreciate good design. Last month I visited a beauty: The Moreland Garden is a hillside property perched high atop the Santa Monica mountains and designed by landscape architect Lisa Gimmy. This private garden was open as part of the Garden...Read More