12/29/12

Gratitude


Gratitude is an important part of life and being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita I am grateful every day for my wonderful, creative, fun career. 

Most importantly I am grateful to my clients.  I have the best clients around, and I want to personally thank each and every one of you for allowing me into your home and into your backyard to collaborate with you to turn your yard into a garden.  A beautiful sanctuary that is special for you and your family.  I want to thank you for trusting me, and sharing with me because that is what makes my heart sing! 


This year has been an "interesting" one for myself and my family, and if it wasn't for the support that I received from my fabulous clients and friends, it would have been a lot more challenging.  That said, it was also a WONDERFUL year, filled with beauty, comfort, love, growth, creativity, truth, and more.  I feel that having this kind of support in 2012, will allow us all to move forward into a better, brighter 2013.  Helping one another will only lead to a more wonderful way of living, moving forward - that is what it is all about.



Thank you again, I hope to share with my old friends again in 2013 and make a lot more new friends too. 



As always I'm here for you, just call me at 661-917-3521 or visit my (soon to be new and better) website

Invite me into your garden, and watch it grow!

xo,

Julie

12/26/12

Wordless Wednesdays


Lingularia 

Lingularia Flowers

Red Geraniums - 'tis the season in SoCal 

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521,  or visit my website

12/22/12

Baby It Is Cold Outside!


Being a landscape designer in Santa Clarita I think it is my sworn duty to remind you how to take care of your plants when it gets unseasonably cold, and if you are anything like me you have noticed that it is pretty chilly outside lately. 

I wrote the original post in 2010 and I run it again and again each year to remind my clients and friends that it is time to winterize, that said there are a few more tips that you should know.


1. Although most plants will benefit from watering prior to the cold (as mentioned in the post), cactus and other succulents WILL NOT. If they have too much water they will burst and are better a little under watered.

2. Check your irrigation timer!  If you have the time set for early early morning hours, now is the time to have the watering start after 8 am.  I switched mine to 9 am.   There are two reasons for this, if the plants are super cold and maybe even a little frosty the last thing you want to do is put water on them and thaw them quickly.  Let the sun or air temperature do the job. And... if you water your landscape early in the morning you will create a pool of water that will quickly turn to ice.  A huge slip hazard!

Here is the link to How To Prepare For Frost.  Take a few moments to read through and get ready, you may need it more than once this year.

Happy Holidays, enjoy your time off, your friends, and your family.  You deserve it!


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, or visit my website. (And stay tuned I'm working on a re-do)

12/19/12

Wordless Wednesday



Eucalyptus sideroxylon


Heuchera 'Marmalade'

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, or visit my website.

12/15/12

Tis The Season



Holidays can be a fun time, a joyful time, and a stressful time and being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita, California I am not immune to the holiday rush.  There are a lot of commitments during the holidays, lots of shopping, cooking, and decorating to do so I wanted to drop you a line to remind you to stop and smell the roses.



Take a nature break, and fill a container with pretty plants that will make you smile and add cheer to your wintery days.

Spend a little time taking your four legged friends for a walk, or stroll the trails alone for a walking meditation.  Look up at the  sky, down at the ground,  watch the leaves turning and falling, enjoy your life!



The days fly by much too quickly, things change, so embrace what you have and what you are.  'Tis always the season for that!

xo,
Julie


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521 or visit my website.

12/12/12

Wordless Wednesday - 12-12-12 (a window of possibilities)

Under a Eucalyptus

Plectranthus, under the pines

Jurassic Park Iris

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

12/8/12

How To Care for Achillea (Yarrow)

 photo courtesy of Worldwide Exotics Nursery

Being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita, I love using Achillea (Yarrow) in my designs so I thought I’d put together some tips for taking care of it after you have planted it in your garden.  Here in Southern California the yarrow is still up and green, and may be much of the year depending on our weather.

Achillea is a drought tolerant, California native perennial that grows by rhizomes and is supposed to go deciduous in winter. Well, there is still time because technically it is not yet winter – but the yarrow I’ve seen lately shows no signs of deciduosity! (No probably not a word, just thought it was cool). Yarrow is hardy from zones 3-10, so it is a very versatile plant, and yes I’m sure it is deciduous by now in the lower numbered zones.



They have beautiful fern like foliage, and wide variety of colorful flower choices (white, yellow, pinks, reds, and even lavender) that rise above the foliage in flat-topped clusters of daisy shaped flowers. Achillea is deer resistant, so you aren’t planting salad for your buddies; however they do attract beneficials such as butterflies and bees. They are also are said to repel ants, flies, mosquitoes, and beetles, sounds like an almost perfectly balanced plant when it comes to insects.
 
They are great in a native California garden, drought tolerant bed, Cottage/Informal garden or even a rock garden, make a nice dried flower in an arrangement and they even make a lovely ground cover. Be careful about over watering, because they can take the water well, but become invasive.


Preferring fast draining soil and full to part shade, they are pretty low maintenance and very pest free. Achillea generally starts blooming in June, and if you deadhead regularly you should be able to keep them blooming right into the Fall (September for sure and maybe later). If you don’t deadhead through out flowering time be sure to dead head in the fall (September/October) so that they can get through the winter better.
 

They can be dug up and divided by pulling off the litte baby plantlets that you find. You can also plant any seeds you collect, but they will likely not be the same as your parent plants so instead of seed collecting why not find a friend with yarrow you love and do a little trading?

I love to plant my Achillea with Nepeta (Catmint) native salvias, sedums and even euphorbias. They look and play very well together.

So to wrap up I’ll tell you a little story, Achillea is named for the mythological Greek hero Achilles. In Homer’s Iliad his soldiers used achillea to treat their wounded comrades, this gave rise to Yarrow’s additional common names of Bloodwort or All Heal. (Sounds like a good reason to classify this as perfect for a Healing Garden)

Now I can't end this without a shout out to my favorite local Achillea grower, Worldwide Exotics Nursery in Lake View Terrace, California has a great selection of Yarrow and Sara Scissorhands takes great photos, so I had to steal one for this post.  Visit them for a great selection of  "torture friendly' plants.  

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

12/5/12

Wordless Wednesday









If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

12/1/12

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden In December



As a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita, I want to be sure that all my clients, friends, and fellow gardeners know the things to do out in the garden in December.  I lived on the east coast for much of my life, and spent the month of December pouring over seed catalogs or enjoying the bare branches getting ready for snow.  Now I am out in the dirt (and sometimes mud) and I'd love for you to join me!  To that end, here is a list of gardening chores you  might like to take care of in your garden this month.

If it is brisk outside, you know you've earned a nice warm cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa.  Get out there and enjoy!

Click on the link to get your list!


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/28/12

Wordless Wednesday







If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/24/12

I Am Grateful


This is the week of Thanksgiving, and many people have turned toward thanking others, being grateful, and generally opening their hearts.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we did that every week of the year?

We can. By living your true passion you will naturally give back to the world, become more open, and your abundance will grow.  My true passion is helping the world become a green place one garden at a time, and I feel so very lucky that I am able to do that every day with the most wonderful of friends and clients.

Today, I would like to thank you all for inviting me into your lives.  I would like to encourage you all to find your true passion, and live it! 

"Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature." —Thich Nhat Hanh

Please add your signature to our world,  you can make it a better place.

xo,
Julie

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/21/12

Wordless Wednesday

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 





If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/17/12

Autumn Veggies, Thanksgiving Treats


I love growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables and as a landscape designer in the Santa Clarita Valley, with a love for nutrition I know a thing or two about eating well. If I don’t grow it in my garden, I buy it from my local farmer’s market. I think that one of the best ways to get tuned into the season is to eat fresh seasonal foods, and since it is getting cold, there is a bounty of healthy choices out there for you.



 











For example pumpkins – they are not just for Halloween jack-o-lanterns. The are rich in antioxidants – they have vitamins A, C, and E, a host of minerals and both alpha and beta- carotene, which are great for keeping us healthy. They enhance our immune system, help maintain healthy vision, and they are said to help prevent cancer.


If that is not enough, they are both low in calories and fat and high in fiber, and don’t tell me you can’t use a little help at this time of year! Pumpkin is pretty sweet on it’s own, but you can add an extra punch by flavoring it with a little cinnamon.

Now pumpkins aren’t the only healthy delicious vegetable you’ll find these days. What about parsnips? Parsnips are related to carrots, but they are actually a little sweeter than carrots. They are a creamy white color, have lots of fiber (which helps lower your cholesterol) have vitamin C and quite a few of the vitamin B complex like folic acid, B-6, and thiamin. They also have vitamin E, and quite a few minerals including calcium, iron, and potassium.















So why am I telling you all of this? Well it is almost Thanksgiving and I want you to start thinking about perhaps growing some plants next year that you can harvest and use in your Thanksgiving meal and I’m going to share with you the recipe for my very favorite Thanksgiving Dish. Vegetable Pan Roast – I originally found this in Food  and Wine Magazine years ago, and have been making it ever since. I’ve changed it a little, but not much. Enjoy!


Vegetable Pan Roast  (8 Servings)

1/3 cup plus 2 T olive oil
16 small to medium parsnips (about 1 ½ pounds peeled)
2 large orange sweet potatoes (1 ½ pounds), peeled and cut lengthwise into 4 wedges
2 large red onions (1 ½ pounds) peeled and each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges with root ends intact
1 large eggplant (1 pound) trimmed and quartered, then each piece halved crosswise
2 large red bell peppers
2 large yellow bell peppers
4 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons dry red wine (you can use white – or even balsamic) but I drink red so….
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Pour 1/3 cup of the olive oil into a very large, wide roasting pan (or divide the oil between two smaller roasting pans). Add the parsnips, sweet potatoes and onions and turn to coat them evenly with the oil; season with salt and black pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 1 hour, until nicely browned and almost tender. Remove the pan from the oven and increase the temperature to 450.

2. Using a metal spatula, push the cooked vegetables to the side and add the eggplant, bell peppers, and the remaining 2 T oil. Turn the eggplant and bell peppers in the oil to coat; season with salt and black pepper. Scatter the rosemary and thyme sprigs in the pan and roast for about 40 minutes until the peppers are blistered and browned and the other vegetables are tender. (The recipe can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead. Let the vegetables cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before proceeding).

3. Preheat the oven to 350. Drizzle the vegetables with the wine, cover with foil and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes, until hot. Increase the temperature to 450. Uncover the vegetables and roast for about 15 minutes longer, until the juices in the pan have browned and glazed the vegetables. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper, arrange on a platter and serve.



If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/14/12

Wordless Wednesday









If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website

11/10/12

Autumn Planting


 
Autumn has finally seemed to hit Southern California, being a landscape designer in Santa Clarita I always enjoy when the weather turns.  We can still plant and I enjoy the invigorating mornings and the clear blue skies filled with puffy clouds.  Planting a year round garden, it is important to take advantage of all the bounty each season, so make sure you head to your local nursery to select the perennials that are available and beautiful now.  You can also select from winter bloomers too, so don't waste these shorter days, head out and pick a few beautiful plants to pop into the ground.  Here are a few inspirational, plants with colors that echo the harvest to help kick start your day.






If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/7/12

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday Daniel Jophes 







If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

11/3/12

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden In November



Being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita I know that although November is upon us and it is time to turn the clocks back, put on sweaters, pull out the comforter, and grab a nice warm beverage; still you need to remember the gardening chores are not done.    So here is your list for the month of November, be sure to get a jump on things while the weather is still beautiful - and be thankful that we can garden.

I'd like to dedicate this week's post to all my family and friends on the east coast living through the destruction of Sandy.  I hope your power comes on soon, and that you are safe and warm and with the people you love.  We are all sending love, light and help to you!

xo,
Julie


10/31/12

Wordless Wednesday

 Gaillardia 

Ornamental Peppers

Echinacea

If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website


10/27/12

The Santa Ana Winds Are Upon Us



Driving out of the Santa Clarita Valley where I do most of my Landscape Design, heading toward the city on Friday, made me realize that it is time to send out a reminder about the wind and the health of your plants.  Watching the wind whip up the dirt around the freeways, was a great wake up call for me.  So, here is some information that is perfect reading for this week.  How To Protect Your Plants From Wind.


I just took a little tour around my garden and found a need for some additional staking in more than one place! Enjoy the lovely cooler weather that October brings us, but don't forget your plants may need a little extra care.  (Yes, that is Velcro plant tape on my pretty Blue/Purple Ginger plant - gotta keep that wealth corner happy!)


If you would like help beautifying your life, think about creating a garden with me. You can call me at 661-917-3521, contact me via email at julie@thegrassisalwaysgreener.net or visit my website.

  © Blogger template ProBlogger Template by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP