Best Practices for Gardenia Care in Southern California

The gardenia comes from tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. The plant adapts well to Southern California’s benign climate and rewards the attentive gardener with fragrant, creamy white blossoms from late spring through...

What Is Compost Tea? & How Can You Brew It at Home?

Imagine a tea party where only plants are invited. No pinky-pointing socialites. No crumpets and biscuits. The tea is a home-brewed concoction of rotted vegetable matter and water. Sounds delish, right? Only your plants will love it and beg for more. What Is Compost...

Salvia Care Guide: Tips for Growing & Nurturing the Versatile Plant

Salvia is a genus of around 1,000 species, including ornamentals, wildflowers, and culinary herbs like sage. Native to the Mediterranean, Central and South America, and Asia, it has been used worldwide in traditional medicine, cooking, and cultural ceremonies. Its...

Cold Snap in LA? How to Protect Your Plants from Frost

The record low temperature in downtown Los Angeles is 28°F (-2°C), set on three occasions. Outlying areas like the San Fernando Valley have seen even colder temperatures — dropping to 18°F (-7.8°C) in 1989. While this may not raise eyebrows in Duluth, Minnesota,...

How to Grow Bird of Paradise Plants for Your Subtropical Retreat

What kind of banana plant bears flowers but no fruit? A bird of paradise, of course. Yes, that exotic-looking plant in your neighbor’s yard is actually a banana expatriate from South Africa, a country known for bizarrely beautiful flora and large carnivorous...