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Sunwriter7@cox.net DEBRA'S PHOTO ESSAYS | |
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Blue-Ribbon Succulents August 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
The annual cactus and succulent show at the Los Angeles Arboretum is the largest in the world.
It’s a 2-hour drive for me, but I wouldn’t miss it. When I see a plant I’ve never seen before or a perfect specimen
of something I’m familiar with, I go slack-jawed and stare. And this year there were dozens. Faerie Tales July 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Next time you’re in the garden, close your eyes, breathe deeply and recall your first encounter with fairies.
I have my mother to thank for explaining to me, when I was five, that rainbows caused by sunlight shining through prisms indicate the presence of fairies.
Smart woman. A Salute to Saguaros July 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Saguaro (pronounced “sah-hwah-roh”) cactus evokes Arizona and the desert Southwest.
With arms raised to the sky, each tall cactus has great personality. The Joys of Cholla June 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Recently when I addressed the Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society,
I made the mistake of saying I don’t recommend that anyone grow cholla (pronounced “choy-ah”).
I mean, look at it. Could there be a more unfriendly plant? Well, you’d think I’d insulted a favorite son.
Oh, My, Malibu! June 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
While on the Malibu Garden Tour recently, I hoped for high-end gardens that incorporated my specialty:
succulents (plants with juicy leaves and stems).
Garden Photo Shoots May 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
My garden, near San Diego, has been in Better Homes & Gardens, Sunset and the San Diego Union-Tribune, among others.
Sunset was the first. I interested them by sending the editor this shot of my succulent sitting area. Fierce Color May 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Why are we so shy about color in our gardens?
What’s with all those pastels? Give me loud hues, fierce and bright.
Like this pair of ice plants, which is anything but icy.
April Fool Garden Photos April 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
In anticipation of a day famous for pranks and spoofs,
I offer a few garden photos that are not at first what they seem. Like this pagoda.
What exactly are you looking at? If you guessed a reflection, you’re right. In fact, most of the photos below are reflections.
I hope you’ll have fun with them and perhaps be fooled by a few.
Nasturtium Nostalgia March 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Nasturtiums are boisterous annuals that shout with vivid hues of orange, yellow and red.
Sophisticated gardeners distain nasturtiums, and I can see why: They tend to take over the spring garden,
engulfing prized plants that also are newly in bloom.
Tiny Vases February 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
I collect tiny vases, but seldom buy them unless I’m out of town.
There’s something about being on the road that revs me up for shopping, but that’s also the worst time to buy anything big.
So I browse antique and gift stores for tiny vases. Even wrapped in tissue, they take up no room at all.
Hearts in the Garden February 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Have you noticed your garden has been sending you Valentines? Once you start looking for heart shapes,
you’ll see them everywhere. In addition to the flapjack plant (Kalanchoe luciae) above,
here are a few Valentines from my garden (and others) to yours Evolution of a Cover January 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
This is my newly released book, Succulent Container Gardens. Ever wonder how a garden book’s cover comes about?
Consider: A cover has to be eye-catching and effectively illustrate the title, and convey that the book is the definitive source of information on that topic.
Ideally, it also entices readers with appealing plants and an engaging idea. A book’s cover story begins with the author’s proposal,
about two years before the book becomes a reality.
Great Garden Gates January 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin
The door has swung open on a new decade, so I’ve decided to swing open some garden gates.
See if you don’t agree that each gate hints at the garden beyond and the owner’s personality and style.
Great Books for Gardeners December 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Santa, baby, are you listening? Bring me some reading material to curl up with.
Literary nonfiction would be lovely—such as all those books I’ve enjoyed by Susan Orlean, Scott Calhoun, Amy Stewart, and Diane Ackerman.
I’ll take a great garden reference tome, too, like The American Meadow Garden by John Greenlee and GGW regular contributor/ace photographer Saxon Holt.
Shadowplay November 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
When I run across something visually engaging in a garden, I take a photo of it, even though I’m there to see or shoot other things.
Intriguing shadows are among my favorite finds. I love the way a camera preserves something so transitory.
Sometimes shadows transform an ordinary object or scene into something magical. Wabi-sabi in the garden October 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Autumn is a good time to look at the garden in terms of wabi-sabi, the Japanese aesthetic that
finds beauty in imperfection and transience. In seeking wabi-sabi, one cultivates an appreciation for the ordinary and
becomes aware that age offers its own poignant beauty. Because wabi-sabi evokes a feeling, it sometimes is defined as the
ability to see the invisible. For me, it’s savoring what normally is ignored. Garden Adventures in Quebec, Part Two October 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
On a recent vacation to Quebec, my husband—who is not really into gardens—made sure we visited this one.
It was listed in all the guides as a “must-see” for everyone from tourists with just one day in Montreal (we had two) to horticulturists.
Comparable to Kew in London and the Huntington in Los Angeles, the Montreal Botanical Gardens encompass 180 acres, display over
20,000 types of plants, and include extensive exhibition greenhouses. Garden Adventures in Quebec, Part One September 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
I can’t help it. I turn vacations into garden-touring marathons.
So when my husband Jeff suggested we visit Quebec for our 20th anniversary, I figured he was safe.
I assumed that French Canada was, if not tundra, probably solid forest.
But it turns out Quebec City is one big garden, or so it seemed to me, coming from brown and dry SoCA.
Everywhere I looked, I saw hanging baskets abundant with flowering vines.
Back home, such things would desiccate in a day. Firewise Plants September 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Wildfires making national news are a wake-up call for us
Southern Californians who live near canyons and
wilderness areas. Hot Santa Ana winds blow from the
desert, desiccating already stressed plants and
threatening to push backcountry brush fires all the way
to the sea. We’ve had no rain for months and everything
is tinder-dry. My Matilijas August 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Long before I had my own garden, I was in love with matilija (mah-TIL-eh-ha) poppies.
A shrub of what I then called “fried egg flowers” grew near my apartment. It was one of those plants I had to have somehow, someday.
And now I do, but like most things this side of Eden, Romneya coulteri is not perfect. Even so, I exult when I see my matilijas in full,
glorious bloom every summer. Uh-oh. My agave’s blooming. August 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
I’m going to miss my toothy Agave potatorum,
shown here beginning to form a bloom spike. When an agave flowers, it is not a happy event, unless you’ve
been waiting forever to collect its offspring. Agaves are monocarpic, meaning they die after flowering. Luther Burbank’s Garden July 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Luther Burbank (1849-1926) sent this to
my grandmother, an elementary schoolteacher who had her class write
letters to the famed horticulturist. Burbank, though childless, enjoyed
children---something I learned recently while touring his historic home
and gardens in Santa Rosa, CA. Dew Drops Dazzle July 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Do you like my shot of dew on a puya? This is a flower worth seeking at Quail Botanical Gardens and at the Huntington. It’s hard to resist touching the sapphire-blue petals to make sure they’re not plastic. [Read more ->] No more primroses, please!June 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Is there a plant in your garden that you once longed for and now wish you could get rid of? The Flora of Rancho La PuertaMay 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Kudos to designer Sara Livia Brightwood for her work at Rancho La Puerta fitness resort and spa California Poppies in my GardenMay 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
California poppies undress before they debut, their satiny orange petals held in place Sharklike Agaves: Why I’m Fond of FangsMarch 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
I’ve gone from disliking thorny-edged agaves to loving them, because their leaves have embossed patterns that
are fun to hunt for. I used to overlook such shadow lines. Now, the spikier the agave Aloes Sizzle in Southern California GardensFebruary 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin
Aloes brighten Southern California gardens this time of year. Shown above is the most
widely grown aloe, Aloe arborescens. The location is about halfway between San Diego and Los
Angeles, in Laguna Beach. This is an artist’s enclave, and not surprisingly, aloe flowers against
blue sea and sky are a popular subject for paintings.
[Read more ->] |
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