Garden blog about succulents and other low-water, drought tolerant plants. Debra Lee Baldwin's garden.


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Home Books by Debra Succulent Photo CDs Presentations Succulent Info Articles Garden Design Firewise Landscaping Awards and Clips Debra's Garden Debra's Watercolors Links	TV show host and garden celebrity P. Allen Smith named Gardening Gone Wild, the blog I share with other garden authors and photographers, his #1 favorite. My co-contributors include Fran Sorin, Saxon Holt, Tovah Martin and Noel Kingsbury. "Gardening Gone Wild sports a very impressive list of contributors, so check it out. They run photo contests and do all kinds of other interesting things as a result of having put so many clever people together in one place." -- Amy Stewart The Perfect Potting Area January 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Every so often, when visiting a noteworthy garden, I see a potting area I envy. Like this one, in Modesto, CA, which doubles as a dog grooming station. [Read more ->] Glass that Enhances Gardens December 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin I’m enraptured by anything that glistens. I enhance my living spaces, indoors and out, with prisms, rhinestones, crystals, globes, mirrors and more. As the sun shifts during the day, these objects flash and glitter. I become a child again, living entirely in the moment. Sometimes this happens in other gardens, too. Like this Aloe marlothii in Patrick Anderson’s garden, bright with mid-winter blooms and a perfectly placed golden orb. [Read more ->] The Easy Way to Paint Watercolors November 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Several years ago, I met artist Diane Palley McDonald while doing an article about her studio’s makeover for the San Diego Union-Tribune. (The news angle was that it was on HGTV’s “Designer’s Challenge.”) When I saw Diane’s paintings, I wistfully told her how much I loved watercolors. She asked, “Well, then, why not paint your own?” I said I couldn’t possibly, never having done it, not to mention being too old to learn and too busy. She showed me paintings by her students—adults who’d never before taken a class and were convinced they had no artistic ability. They were amazing! Diane graciously invited me to attend a class, and I ended up taking a dozen. Since most of my subjects are garden-related, and you might want to paint your own flowers and plants, here’s what I learned. [Read more ->] Lani's Garden November 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin I hadn’t been to Lani Freymiller’s garden for nearly a decade—not since I covered homes, gardens, architecture and interior design for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Would it be as incredible as I remembered? So few gardens stand the test of time. The occasion was a visit from Bay Area designer Rebecca Sweet, and we weren’t disappointed. If anything, Lani’s garden was better than ever. [Read more ->] The Exquisite, Elusive Spiral Aloe October 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Alan Beverly was fresh out of college and a Peace Corps volunteer when he discovered a plant that became a lifelong passion. [Read more ->] Oh, My, Aeoniums! October 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Aeoniums are native to the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa. They do really well in Southern California, because they like our dry summers. Aeoniums go dormant during the summer, and if they’re watered during that time, they may rot. Most of those shown here are cultivars. [Read more ->] Spectacular Succulent Flowers September 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Is it any wonder I’m such a fan of succulents? In addition to being easy care, low-water and having architectural shapes, they send forth spectacular flowers. Some of the most amazing are those of aloes, most of which bloom in midwinter (in temperate climates). Shown above is Aloe x ‘David Verity’, in Patrick Anderson’s Fallbrook, CA garden. [Read more ->] Heliconias in Heaven August 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden (HTBG), a 40-acre, former estate garden near Hilo, occupies a rainforest canyon. The first plant that blew me away was this bromeliad near the visitor center. [Read more ->] Succulents that Like Stress August 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin If there’s a good thing about our too-hot Southern California summers, it’s that heat makes certain succulents turn color. A case in point is Aloe nobilis, which in my garden grows in nutrient-poor decomposed granite with minimal water. [Read more ->] The Suggestion of Water July 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin These vignettes suggest water—flowing, tumbling, cascading, splashing or dripping water—yet there is none. Each illustrates the ingenuity of a garden designer in the dry, hot Southwest, where water is scarce. Yet the same concept, of creating the look of water, might apply to any garden. [Read more ->] Bling for Pots: Crushed Glass June 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Leave it to LA. Designers in that city are using crushed glass to snazz potted plants. The glass, tumbled so the edges are smooth (it’s often from recycled bottles) lends a splash of glamor. Landscape designer Laura Morton married a pink-edged phormium with an Italian terracotta pot, using a topdressing of peachy-pink glass that also draws attention to a yellow sedum’s pink tips. (Photo from Succulent Container Gardens.) [Read more ->] How to Fluff Your Succulents June 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin In about 5 minutes, you can transform an overgrown succulent bowl like this... [Read more ->] The Scent of Confederate Jasmine May 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin This time of year, South Carolina’s warm, moist air is fragrant with Confederate (star) jasmine, above, and robust gardenias like those in the garden below. I was there recently to address the Charleston Horticultural Society (CHS) on my specialty, designing with succulents. Naturally I wondered if I’d see any. [Read more ->] Grow This Succulent For Its Flowers, Then Throw It Away May 2011, by Debra Lee Baldwin Prior to hosting the 2011 biennial convention of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America, a San Diego hotel replaced water-thirsty annuals in planters with succulents. After several months, hotel management discovered a surprising benefit: $4,000 in reduced water bills and labor costs. Ironically, a showy succulent used extensively by the hotel, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (dubbed “supermarket kalanchoe” in my book, Succulent Container Gardens) probably didn’t impress hundreds of cacti-and-succulent collectors who came from all over the world. [Read more ->] My Garden's White Lily March 2011 by Debra Lee Baldwin Arguably, there is no better gardening companion than a dog. My husband says he knows where to find me by which way the Westie's nose is pointing. [Read more ->] Dogs in the Garden February 2011 by Debra Lee Baldwin The above photo captures a sweet moment between artist Cathy Carey and one of her golden retrievers. [Read more ->] Art in the Garden January 2011 by Debra Lee Baldwin What defines “art” is subjective, and its forms are infinitely variable. But in general, when positioning a delicate sculpture in your garden, silhouette it against a solid surface or the sky. Otherwise, the piece may disappear. (Photo taken at Taliesin West, near Phoenix.) [Read more ->] My Calendar Adventure January 2011 by Debra Lee Baldwin Saxon’s recent post, showing gorgeous December photos from his past calendars, has inspired me to share with you the images from my first-ever calendar along with info you might find useful should you want to create one yourself. It’s easy to do through Cafe Press or Zazzle, online sources for note cards, coffee mugs, T-shirts and other customizable items—even postage stamps. [Read more ->] The Twelve Days of Cactus December 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin Feel free to hum along: On the First Day of Cactus, my true love gave to me: A dove in a prickly pear tree. [Read more ->] Succulent Centerpieces November 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin The ideal holiday centerpiece… – Is low so guests can see over it. – Is festive, in keeping with the holiday. – Has colors that convey the season. – Looks good with your decor and china. – Doesn’t take up too much table space. – Is simple to assemble and can be done days ahead. – Is in a pretty container. – Is a conversation piece. [Read more ->] Bougainvillea Boogie November 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin I have a motto: If it’s beautiful, shoot it. This has resulted in an eclectic assortment of gorgeous photos that I didn’t know what to do with…until I discovered a website that lets you upload 12 to 15 photos, select music to go with them, then alchemizes the whole shebang into a 30-second video. (Any longer, you have to pay for.) Now, this is not intended to be an advertisement for Animoto.com, but OMG, is it ever fun. And trust me, if I can do it, so can you. [Read more ->] The Sea-Sand Plants of Desire October 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin Every year, as Halloween approaches, I recall my visit to Professor Mordant’s garden on the forbidden island of Desire. I call it forbidden because it was rumored to be an eerie, inhospitable place—a volcanic outcropping devoid of vegetation. Nothing like the mainland resort where I and other garden writers had been sunning ourselves in style. [Read more ->] Sweeten Your Writing with Metaphors September 2010 by Debra Lee Baldwin One of the challenges of being a professional writer is to think metaphorically---to describe an item in terms of something else, so that readers make an association that clarifies, enlightens and perhaps also entertains. Metaphorical thinking can be learned and is a great memory aid. Food metaphors often occur to me when describing plants. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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). [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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 [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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. [Read more ->] 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? Meet mine: Mexican evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa). [Read more ->] The Flora of Rancho La Puerta May 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin Kudos to designer Sara Livia Brightwood for her work at Rancho La Puerta fitness resort and spa in Tecate, Baja California (just across the border from San Diego). The world-class resort, in a drought-prone region, is a model for low-water landscape-design. For example, fields seeded with poppies and lupines. [Read more->] California Poppies in my Garden May 2009 by Debra Lee Baldwin California poppies undress before they debut, their satiny orange petals held in place by cone-shaped, diaphanous robes. Or maybe those are hats? [Read more ->] Sharklike Agaves: Why I’m Fond of Fangs March 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 and the more wickedly fanged, the more I lean in for a closer look. [Read more ->] Aloes Sizzle in Southern California Gardens February 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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