Wordless Wednesday

 Iochroma and Alstroemeria


Feijoa sellowiana Flowers 


 Dahlia

 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.

Wordless Wednesday

    Clematis
 

   Hydrangea 
 


   Loquat 

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.

One Day In June

Being a Landscape Designer in Santa Clarita is an all-encompassing quest. I find that everything I do leads back to designing for my clients and my morning walks are no exception. One of the best things about blogging for me is Wordless Wednesday because one of my hobbies is photography, so my love of gardening, plants and everything beautiful naturally become my subject matter.

Since school is out I have started taking walks with my dogs in the morning (instead of driving carpool) much more rewarding. The first three days I just grabbed my pups, my phone and was on my way. We all enjoyed our walks immensely and on the third day, I saw something extraordinary that was worthy of Wordless Wednesday – the most amazing array of cactus blossoms at a neighbor’s house about three blocks away. I took a few shots with my iPhone, and vowed to bring my “real camera” the next morning.

 Much to my dismay the cactus flowers ONLY LASTED ONE DAY!!!!! I was devastated, there were a few that hadn’t bloomed the day before – but the gorgeous display of multiple blooms one next to the other was GONE. The woman that always carries her camera around in her pocketbook (me) was foiled by a desire to travel light.

So what did I learn? 

Lesson One: Always be prepared. (I’m back to carrying my camera at all times.)
Lesson Two: Don’t assume anything (I could have gone back with my camera any time that day.)
Lesson Three: I need to bone up on my cacti! (I am making a call to Worldwide Exotics!)
Lesson Four: Let it go (I did get a few nice photos, and well… there is always next year.)

I have an update to this post and therefore another lesson!

Lesson Five: Be patient (I passed by the house a few days later and a whole new set of cactus flowers were blooming!)

 So, enjoy these photos and hopefully next year they will be even more spectacular!

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.

Wordless Wednesday

    Norfolk Island Pine (Redondo Beach)

    Jatropa


   Ice Plant (Redondo Beach) 

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.

Wordless Wednesday

    Hummingbird Baby

 
    
    Gingerbread Man Day Lily 
 



 
 Squash Blossom 



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.

Wordless Wednesday - Carpinteria & Santa Barbara

Red Trumpet Vine

Agave, Hens & Chicks, Lavender

Coral Tree

For more about my designs please take a look at my website

Wordless Wednesday - Blooms & Foliage

Lacecap Hydrangeas

Merlot Bearded Iris (Greenwood Day Lily Gardens)

Lamium in Flower

For more about my designs check my website

Wordless Wednesday - Fillmore, Ca.

Onion Field

Day Lily Plants

Pelargonium Leaves

For more about my designs take a look at my website

Wordless Wednesday - Fairfax District, LA

Solandra maxima - Cup of Gold Vine

Distictis 'Rivers'

Chorisia especiosa trunk & Anigozanthus

Gardening Events & More June 2011

As always, I want to remind you to shop local, and get the freshest produce around by heading out to the local Farmer’s Markets in Santa Clarita:

Sundays 8:00am – noon
College of The Canyons Parking Lot
Don’t forget to visit my friend Sarah from Worldwide Exotics
she has a wide variety of torture-friendly plants!


There is also another great Farmer’s Market:
Thursdays in Old Town Newhall from 3-7pm.

June 14, 2011 (Tuesday) 11 am – I am speaking at Ronda Fisher’s Shine & Dine Luncheon. The Event is called “Life By Design” Ronda is going to uncover design secrets for both your private life and your public life and I am sharing design tips to help you create the garden of your dreams. We’d love if you would join us. Register on Ronda's website



June 18, 2011 (Saturday) 8 am - Early Morning Bird Hike
With summer fast approaching, spot where and how our local birds handle the heat. Beginners welcome on this easy hike. Binoculars optional. Meet at Towsley Canyon’s front parking lot. 2 hours.
Program is free; parking inside park is $7.
Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon
24255 The Old Road, Newhall, Ca. 91321

June 18, 2011 10 am – 4 pm – Spiritual & Psychic Boutique at Courtyard Marriott
28523 Westinghouse Ct. (where the 5 meets the 126) Valencia, CA. Lots of great services and vendors to chose from. This is organized by my good friend Harriette Knight, to learn more about her visit her website.



June 18, 2011 8 am – 5 pm – Otto & Son’s Summer Solstice Sale - They are in Fillmore, so enjoy the beautiful ride on the 126 and enjoy their beautiful selection of roses, fruit trees, and other ornamentals.

June 18, 2011 9 am – noon - CLWA – Landscape Education Class
All About Turf in the SCV. Castaic Lake Water Agency on the hill above Central Park. Please RSVP to (661) 513-1230.



June 26, 2011 (Sunday) – 4:00 PM will be the first Quarterly Gardener’s Meeting for the Community Gardens of Santa Clarita. All gardeners and the Garden Council will be meeting at the Garden keep in touch, share tips, and have a forum. If you are a gardener that has a plot in the garden be sure to attend! If you are interested in signing up for our waiting list, please visit our website.

Descanso Gardens:
They have so much going on so here is a link to the June Calendar. Here are couple that I consider highlights:

Garden Chats with Mike Brown every Saturday morning at 9:30 am
June 18 & 19, 2011 - Descanso Bonsai Society & Show

LA Arboretum
Another place that has so much to do here is a link to their events. Here are some of my choices for the month:



June 4, 2011 – Organic Fruit & Vegetable Gardening
June 11 & 12, 2011 – Fern and Exotic Plant Show & Sale
And there is even Summer Nature Camp for 5-10 year olds.

I hope you find a few things to do this month, enjoy!

For more about my designs check out my website

What To Do In Your Southern California Garden In June

To keep your Coleus and Caladium plants in top form, be sure to pinch off the faded leaves and flowers, water consistently and make sure to use an all purpose fertilizer.

If you want continuous blooms from you gladiolas plant some bulbs every few weeks and you will have blooms throughout the summer.



Feed your roses!

As it gets hot, check that the water in your container and potted designs are adequate. If you have your drippers turned down, you might need to turn them up a little.

If you trim the old bloom ends from you Crape Myrtle trees you will encourage lots of new flower formation.

Fertilizing your summer annuals will encourage blooms.

Beneficials: Nematodes applied now can destroy Japanese beetle grubs that live in the ground. You can also control budworm with Bt. (budworm love petunias & geranium so keep your eyes open for holes)

Diatomaceous earth can be used to control earwigs. You need to spread it around where they live.



Be sure to keep an eye on your vegetable crops and harvest them as they reach optimum size.

Trim off old bloomed out spikes of Salvia, Pentas, and Penstemons. This type of trimming (deadheading) will encourage new blooms and extend the bloom time of the plants.



It is time to prune the spring blooming Ceanothus. Make sure that they are finished blooming and give them a nice haircut.

Palm Fertilizer Notes:
Apply slow-release fertilizers to your palms. They provide nutrients over a long period of time. The main advantage to slow release fertilizers is they are convenient. The best fertilizer regimen for palms is three applications per year: once in early spring, once in early summer (now), and once in late fall. Use a balanced fertilizer (equal numbers) with micro-nutrients.

For more about my designs: thegrassisalwaysgreener

Gardening Fun etc - June 2010 SCV & Beyond

Plant Sale! June 4 – 6, 2010 - 9:30am – 4:00 pm at Worldwide Exotics – 11157 Orcas Avenue Lakeview Terrace, Ca. 91342 818-890-1915 Tell Sara, Shelly & Ken that Julie sent you! Worldwide Exotics

***************************Santa Clarita Valley Event*********************
Memorial Garden Tour Sunday June 6, 2010 - 10 am – 5 pm Self Guided Tour Donations are a free will offering to benefit the Cole William Larsen Foundation, which supports families of fallen and wounded military. Garden tour programs are available at Green Thumb Nursery, Sunset Nursery, and Green Landscape Nursery.
Memorial Garden Tour or call 661-433-9141 – Christi
**************************************************************************


photo from beautybunch

Lavender Festival June 12 – 13 & June 19- 20, 2010 from 10am – 6 pm in Cherry Valley, Ca. (2 hours from Santa Clarita) Organic Marketplace, Organic Herb Garden, Workshops, Seminars – looks like fun and it’s Free! Lavender Festival Info


photo from essentialojai.com

Ojai Wine Festival – June 13, 2010 at Lake Casitas Recreational Area – Gates open at noon and close at 5 pm – there are over 40 Wineries & Breweries will be represented. There is also Entertainment, Arts & Crafts and Food. $10.00
Ojai Wine Festial