Native heartleaf rosemallow (Hibiscus martianus) always wins hearts, including mine. With Sunday morning’s break from searing heat, a diminutive rosy blossom unfurled. Have you ever seen this on your plants? Sort of looks like foam sealant, don’t you think? This one’s not to love, though. Henry Thornton discovered it on his Shasta daisies after all | read more →

And the heat goes on. . . I’ve been dosing my young Mexican beautyberry with some slow-hose water after moving it last year, but it still shows signs of stress. Young plants need a few years to handle routine drought or freeze. Still, fall beckons and that means fresh pickings from the cool weather vegetable | read more →