tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:10:22 +0000Garden JournalKitchen GardenFlowersOrnamental GardeningSucculentsFruit treesObservationsGardening TipsRosesFruitsRandom TopicsHortiCOOLtureCymbidiumPlant of the WeekHort ArtScientific NameHerbsHort 101PestPest ManagementFertilizersGarden DesignGardeningSeedsWaterdefinitionsCaliforniaEffects of TemperatureEntomologyvegetablesBirdsBloggingFlowering TreesInsectary PlantsOrchidsOrnamental PlantsPhotoperiodismPlant DiseasesPotatoSoils ScienceToxic PlantsWild LifeWinter GardeningBeyond my GardenBotanical IllustrationEpiphytesFlower PartsFlowering PlantsNewsTomatoescyclamenAVRDCAdventitious RootsBinomial NomenclatureBitter GourdBitter MelonCitrusClematisClimbing RoseConservatory of Flowers - SFFallFernsFountainsHedgesHouseplantsHummingbirdsPermanent Garden StructuresPollinatorsPomegranatePublic ParksSaving PlantsSeed DispersalSpecial OccasionWeathercloningfloweringguttationnew plantpandemic gardening'Delstriro' RoseAfrican violetAnnualApical DominanceAvesBlotanicalBoxwoodBrugmansiaCabbage WormCactus OrchidsCampanulaCampanula punctataCarotenoidsChlorophyllColombiaDahliaDaily HorticultureDaturaEffects of Light IntensityFailuresForcingFoxtail FernFruit SetGarden AccentsGarden PetsGarden RabbitGround CoverHen and ChicksHibotanHort Art;HydathodesInsectary GardenJapanese GardenJapanese MapleJapanese Tea GardenLady BanksLawn CareLessons LearnedLiliumMicroclimateMini Garden BedsMomordica charantiaMoon CactusMulchMultitasker PlantMutation; CactusMythsNew Year 2011New Year 2012Night ShadeParallels of LifePerennialsPestsPhilippinesPhilippines 2010Plant SouvenirPlantsPoisonous PlantsPollination;PruningPublic GardensSeedless FruitsSelf-seeding PlantsShade PlantSoil MoistureSpring 2018StomataTaiwanTaxonomyTranspirationTravelsTrichomesTypes of fruitsWater FeatureWater PlantWater-Wise PlantsWeedsWildlifeWoolly RoseWormsZepherine Droughinagave attenuatabroccolicallusdifferentiationdividingethylenehybridizationintergeneric crossinterspecific crosslemongrassregenerationseed tuberssempervivumsun exposuresuperstitionstropical plantstype of fruitsvegetative propagationvegetative propagationnwatercolor Science and art expressed through gardening. http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)Blogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-2945688606754963537Fri, 26 Jun 2020 00:41:00 +00002020-06-25T17:41:14.264-07:00agave attenuatadividingpandemic gardeningSucculents   Fox Tail Agave (Agave attenuata)  If you are familiar with Agave attenuata, you are aware that they are beautiful plants to have. They make a dramatic statement wherever they are in the garden.  In addition to that they are also easy to grow.  However, they tend to get woody and heavy.   Like most succulents, the leaves serve as water storage and so you can http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/06/dividing-fox-tail-agave.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-4645688399337306785Tue, 23 Jun 2020 22:04:00 +00002020-06-23T15:04:49.340-07:00pandemic gardening Tulip "Angelique" (April 2020) 2020 is now halfway over.  Covid-19 pandemic has presented the world situations we have never experienced all our lives.  We all had to adapt in our own ways to the threat of the virus and its effects on what we've considered normal.  "Sheltering in place" was something we had never known.  But then one day in March, Governor Newsom of http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/06/gardening-amidst-pandemic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-4711364224626676957Wed, 14 Nov 2018 20:24:00 +00002018-11-14T12:24:07.293-08:00 During the last month and a half, we traveled all over (the world) for one reason or another.  As a result the garden was left to tend for itself most of the time.  Thanks to automated irrigation system, the plants are all fine.  The only problem was that there are some plants scattered all over the yard that are normally hand-watered, just because I like doing it.  Some http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/11/survival-of-fittest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-3935881326422424525Mon, 19 Mar 2018 01:16:00 +00002018-03-18T18:16:23.510-07:00Garden JournalWildlife Finch: Dining in style In every garden some life form beyond the gardener's design will appear, thrive, provide, consume, destroy, or invade .  The garden can be artificial in the sense that some things abound beyond the natural.  As a result life thrive there - not only the things we put and plant there but also some others.  One gardening action is not an end but a http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/03/some-random-thoughts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-2749408277890834304Sun, 11 Mar 2018 02:11:00 +00002018-03-11T15:43:45.076-07:00Garden JournalGardening The first daffodil flower this year. Things we did in the yard today: My fellow gardener (aka husband) and I took the time to do some work in the yard on this overcast day. 1.  Remove all old leaves around the yard.   There some areas in the yard where a layer of leaves might be used as mulch.  However there are also areas that are intended to be kept neat and clean - at http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/03/garden-chores.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-6011386286871440776Sat, 10 Mar 2018 01:34:00 +00002018-03-09T17:34:08.016-08:00GardeningKitchen GardenSpring 2018vegetables Pea 'Super Sugar Snap' (Pisum sativum) Seeds Today marks the beginning of spring in my garden because the first seeds that would grow in my little garden this year just got planted.  Our weather here can change swiftly from cold (Foothills-cold) to hot (Inland-hot) which poses a challenge in  scheduling to plant any of the cool season crops such as peas.  In previous years, thehttp://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/03/super-sugar-snap-pea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-5104207433016403262Tue, 16 Jan 2018 04:10:00 +00002018-01-15T20:12:50.428-08:00Plant of the Week Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima) is a unique plant with silvery and lacy leaves which varies with variety.  which made it useful in creating contrast and accent against the predominantly green or red foliage in the garden.  It's neutral color makes it a great choice for as a filler plant in any border. Last season, I planted dusty miller along with marigolds and blue lobelia http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/01/dusty-miller.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-4901903124810138351Tue, 05 Dec 2017 18:33:00 +00002017-12-05T10:33:12.179-08:00Garden JournalSucculents Fig. 1    Aeonium haworthii 'Pinwheel'  Aeonium haworthii (Pinwheel) is a succulent species in the Crassulaceae family. Because this plant has been growing in my garden for so long, I am a witness to the behavior of this plant at least in our USDA Zone 9 area.  It is a sturdy plant which can thrive with minimal care.  The winters here are harsh and http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/12/aeonium-haworthii-survival-mechanism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-4413261225376333967Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:19:00 +00002017-11-30T10:19:23.185-08:00FallGarden JournalSucculents Kalanchoe panamemsis flowers:  dimpled heart-shaped pendants. Since I started painting, I have become more observant of the little details of plants.  The desire to portray plants parts accurately, summons me to look at them more intensely than I used to.  Yesterday as I was walking in the secret garden (one section of my yard) where some succulents grow, I noticed something http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/11/kalanchoe-panamensis-hidden-flowers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-6075559427822397298Thu, 30 Nov 2017 05:55:00 +00002017-11-29T21:55:34.470-08:00 Pomegranate 'Wonderful' That' right, it's been almost six months since I posted here.  For those who have been following this blog, I apologize for the long silence.  Last year sometime in April,  I picked up a pencil and started to draw plant parts.  Then I realized I was challenging myself to learn botanical art without any training.  In other words I was and http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/11/its-been-awhile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-442813818861069838Fri, 26 May 2017 00:40:00 +00002017-05-25T17:40:41.455-07:00HerbsKitchen Garden Chives and Garlic chives Herbs play a significant role in the flavor structure of a given dish.  The world, although geographically separated, are defined by the culinary flavors as determined by the indigenous herbs on top of the food available in the land.    Modern technology has allowed plants to  cross geographical borders and to be cultivated far from their places of http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/05/herbs-spice-up-your-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-7664597379363514553Sun, 07 May 2017 22:55:00 +00002017-05-07T21:26:41.273-07:00Climbing RoseRoses Rosa 'Eden': Beautiful romantic rose. The glorious time for Eden rose has come to my garden once more.  It is blooming!  It is a beautiful romantic rose.  However, the subtlety in its color and fragrance is offset by its exuberant growth habit and the extravagant inflorescence.  The flowers are composed of thick piles of overlapping  petals - making them so heavy http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/05/eden-rose-2017.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-7251114905790008276Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:00:00 +00002017-04-26T12:04:09.698-07:00Plant of the Week Botanical Name:  Banksia integrifolia Common Name:  Coastal Banksia Family:  Proteaceae Country of Origin:  Possibly Eastern Australia Named after Sir Joseph Banks This picture was taken at the UC Davis Arboretum.   The flowers were very striking and hard to miss. I noticed at least two specimens of Banksia during our recent visit there but I am not sure what http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/04/banksia-integrifolia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-6944419238087598751Tue, 25 Apr 2017 05:51:00 +00002017-04-24T22:51:52.338-07:00BirdsWild Life Hummingbirds eat nectar and small insects.   "If you feed them they'll come..."  That is true to most of nature.  Living things can sense the direction of the source of good things and tend to gravitate towards it.  Life was designed that way for survival.  In the case of plants, their roots grow toward moist areas and the leaves towards the light.  If plants http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/04/wildlife-refuge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-2211582112605185100Tue, 17 Jan 2017 19:47:00 +00002017-01-17T15:18:25.410-08:00Botanical IllustrationHort ArtSeed DispersalSeedsTypes of fruitswatercolor Fig. 1   Arbus precatorius seedpods in watercolor.  It is a plant that grows as a weed in the coastal areas of my hometown in the Philippines.And for the sake of nostalgia, I decided to draw it based on a picture I saw on the internet. One the subjects I have enjoyed painting recently have been some dehiscent fruits.  These are the fruits that http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/01/dehiscent-fruits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-5898386575461881585Sat, 14 Jan 2017 06:59:00 +00002017-01-13T22:59:43.422-08:00 Older leaves turning yellow while the flower stalk remaining bluish gray. Kalanchoe luciae 'Flapjacks' are very interesting succulents because of their flat leaves with colors that seem to change with the seasons.  I noticed that during seasons when the plants undergo stress, such as heat, drought and cold, the leaves tend to carry a warmer yellowish color starting from the older leaves.http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/01/colorful-flapjacks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-8483666354338556789Thu, 27 Oct 2016 21:15:00 +00002016-10-27T14:15:32.983-07:00 After we had the first real rain this month, I saw that some of the fruits from the pomegranate tree cracked.  The plan was to keep them on the tree till December so that we will have an abundance of red color in the kitchen.  But I guess we'll just have to eat some of them sooner.  :) Why do pomegranates crack or split?   1.  Sudden increase of available moisture http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/10/why-pomegranates-crack-open.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-1031413675327364219Thu, 20 Oct 2016 03:44:00 +00002016-10-19T20:44:28.510-07:00broccoliguttation Beautiful guttation!  I was inspecting my broccoli plants for bugs when I saw this beautiful beads dangling on the edges of the leaves.  They are just a reminder that we had a good amount of precipitation during the last couple of days.  And because this is California, we get some really nice sunny weather afterwards providing the conditions for guttation to occur. For more http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/10/picture-of-day-guttation-on-broccoli.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-2543649177604270300Sat, 15 Oct 2016 19:12:00 +00002016-10-15T12:14:11.433-07:00 My battle with pests continues.  When I thought the cabbage worms on the kale have been eradicated, I found another colony of insurgents on the underside of the Napa cabbage leaves -- Aphids!  What looked like soil particles are pests sucking the life out of my plants.  Aphids are very tiny insects but they are not to be taken for granted because of their ability multiply at anhttp://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/10/aphids-on-napa-cabbage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-3407770121405243803Sat, 01 Oct 2016 23:46:00 +00002016-10-01T16:55:03.820-07:00 The day is mild and almost cool.  Most leaves are grayish green from the accumulation of dust.  For some plants new leaves are emerging, flowers are blooming again and the grass is once more putting on a sharper tint of green - as if they did not get the memo. This is October in California! Apple of unknown variety.  I'm guessing it is Gala It is hard to believe http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/10/october-already.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-5952490104016550403Fri, 30 Sep 2016 19:58:00 +00002016-09-30T12:58:38.344-07:00Cabbage WormPestPest Management Cabbage Worm (Pieris rapae) on kale. The leaves of my kale and broccoli are disappearing.  I thought that they were being eaten by some earwigs but upon close inspection I saw a multitude of velvety green larvae that are camouflaged on the leaves.  These are the larvae of the adult moth Pieris rapae.  Pieris rapae is a beautiful small-sized butterfly known as the Cabbage Whitehttp://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/09/cabbage-worm-on-kale.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-1081249390939169495Thu, 22 Sep 2016 04:24:00 +00002016-09-21T21:24:15.121-07:00 Pomegranate  (Punica grantum 'Wonderful') First day of fall.  The temperature dropped about ten degrees (F) since yesterday and a few drops - literally few drops - of rain fell on the ground.  But in this part of California, any amount of precipitation is appreciated. And what better picture to mark the beginning of the season than the pomegranate fruits that are http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/09/fall-is-here.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-2074016384520830088Fri, 05 Aug 2016 05:11:00 +00002016-08-04T22:11:56.346-07:00Botanical Illustration Poppies Poppies always fascinate me.  Stilted on long skinny stalks, they dance to the slightest wind.  Delicate yet intensely colored petals wave at me Drawing my eyes to the unopened buds Demure and tender, they are blanketed in trichomes  Carefully they peep through a slit making sure the sun is out... And like parasols they unfurl to add color to the field As http://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/08/poppies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-7196633925209727739Tue, 02 Aug 2016 01:11:00 +00002016-08-04T18:40:45.901-07:00 One obvious observation in my garden this season is the susceptibility of 'San Marzano' tomato to blossom-end-rot.  All the fruits harvested so far have the distinguishing ugly black spot on the far end. Blossom-end-rot is caused by lack of available soil moisture.  It is a common knowledge that blossom end-rot is a calcium deficiency symptom.  But I say that in this area (Zonehttp://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/08/blossom-end-rot-not-all-tomatoes-were.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-875489790462053260.post-7082189409004156384Wed, 29 Jun 2016 05:26:00 +00002016-06-28T22:26:33.627-07:00definitionsEffects of TemperaturefloweringKitchen GardenPhotoperiodism Have you ever wondered why some strawberries bear fruits earlier than others?  Have you ever wondered why some strawberries bear fruits longer than other ones?  Or for that matter, have you ever wondered why some plants flower only at specific times of the year?   Definitions Before we answer these questions, here are three terms we need to define for ease of understandinghttp://masteringhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/06/strawberries-understanding-effects-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Helen Lewis)4