Author Archives: Kate Wiseman
When a cactus garden works
In my opinion, a cactus garden is one of the toughest to make aesthetically pleasing. This one in Hillcrest pulls it offView full post »
I’m crazy about sages
I’ve posted a few of my favorite Salvias before, but I feel that I only touched the tip of the iceberg there.View full post »
Can I save water but keep my pool?
Can I save water but still have a back yard swimming pool? Yes! The key to making a pool make sense is to reduceView full post »
Burgeoning burgundies: burgundy foliage plants
Maybe I am already wishing for fall by starting to look fordly at plants with burgundy foliage. They are such aView full post »
Want a tropical look without all the water use?
This is a question I get more than any other. People want to save water in their gardens, but above all, they don’View full post »
Crafstman garden in Northpark shows off waterwise plantings
This charming front garden in Northpark uses a lovely palette of drought tolerant plants to compliment the craftsmanView full post »
Get rid of your lawn! Part two.
Back by popular demand! I have been flooded with requests lately to either entirely get rid of, or partially remove,View full post »
Yellow variegation adds a summer glow to your garden
During May Grey we talked about grey foliage, and I posted my favorite blue foliage plants during June Gloom, so sunnyView full post »
New ResMed campus combines modern art and modern landscape
I don’t typically list commercial buildings as wonderful examples of creative landscape design, but the newView full post »
Water Authority uses headquarters as an example garden
We have all heard of the Sunroad building- it lives in infamy in San Diego as the building that had four stories loppedView full post »
Home highlight: blending perennials with succulents
Succulents and perennials mix beautifully in this front garden in San Diego, Ca. By calling attention to the plants withView full post »
Getting the planting “blues”
Blue or blue-green foliage is incredibly soothing to the eye. Adding even a hint of it to a garden can create a zen-likeView full post »
Grafted gardenias bring the gorgeous flower back to San Diego gardens
Gardenias are one of the most spectacularly scented flowers in a summer garden, but they have a well earned reputationView full post »
Geraniums are great color for a hot spot in your garden
Pelargoniums are ivy-leafed geraniums. It is a misnomer since they aren’t actually related to geraniums at all,View full post »
Sunset’s Lose the Lawn provides inspiration
Want to get rid of your lawn but not sure what other options there are? Sunset magazine’s article ‘Lose theView full post »
