HAWAII OR BUST!!!

So, YES....the above is true!!! I am going to Hawaii in a few months....and am so excited!! Boy, do I need a vacation....a much needed and much belated vacation. I deserve this one.

So, here are some places I am going to visit...of course they are gardens and such....yes there will be the typical "hula show" with a burning pig in the ground (which freaks me out anyway)...then the hiking and the scuba diving and the beach laying w/ pina coladaz....but the botanical garden tours are for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_botanical_gardens_in_the_United_States#Hawaii

http://www.mnbg.org/

http://www.kulabotanicalgarden.com/

Let me know if I am missing a place, but since there are only 2 people who read this....tell me in class!! :) xoxo

Sweet, Sweet Ladybugs!!

So while at a park on a beautiful day, a friend of mine asked me “what do ladybugs do”? And my response was….. (in my cool voice) ….“Well they eat aphids, which are a pest & ladybugs are a beneficial insect”. I also proceeded to tell my friend that “boy ladybugs have spots, but not the girls”. At that moment I was't lying, but while driving away I was thinking about our conversation and I second guessed myself….and found out I did lie!!!! I am a jerk!!! In other words I thought I knew a lot…but to be honest I know nothing!!! So, my friend, here is my way of making up the lie…+ I learned something and now so can you!!

Coccinellidae AKA The Ladybug
Beneficial garden ladybugs for controlling pests in your garden are the most popular and widely used beneficial insects for commercial and home use. Ladybugs are capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day but will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, mites, and various types of soft-bodied insects. Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are a very beneficial group of insects. Ladybugs are natural enemies of many insect pests and it has been demonstrated that a single ladybug may consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime.

Do the spots on a ladybug tell what sex they are?
Nope, that is another interesting idea and fun to pretend but ladybugs of either sex can be found with the same number of spots and same type of spot pattern. You can also find ladybugs in a given species with varying spot patterns and shell color variations having nothing to do with the sex of the ladybugs. Several colors within one species are called color morphs. Realistically you need to be a ladybug expert to the sexes apart and even then many times this can't be determined without dissecting the critter.

More interesting ladybug facts:
In the past, doctors would mash ladybugs and put them in your mouth to cure a toothache
In Switzerland, ladybugs are called “good God’s little fairy.”
You can fit 80,000 ladybugs into a gallon jug
Male ladybugs are smaller than female ladybugs Ladybugs are the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio and Tennessee
They can live for as many as three years
A ladybug beats its wings 85 times per second when it flies
Their spots fade as they get older
The spotted wing covers on ladybugs are made from a material called chitin, the same as our fingernails

Helpful Websites
Ladybug Spots: http://everything-ladybug.com/ladybug-spots.html
Ladybugs are a garden solder: http://www.beneficialinsects101.com/ladybugs.html

L.A. Arboretum

This is the same place where the LA Garden Show takes place in April of this year. It has a great greenhouse for high humidity loving plants as well as a huge orchid greenhouse.

301 North Baldwin Avenue

Arcadia, CA 91007-2697

626-821-3222

arboretum.org

Vertical Garden AKA Succulent Walls……

So, besides the Eco Graffiti, this has to be another favorite thing of mine! They are so pretty to look at and add so much texture to your outdoor space. The succulents are also drought tolerant and make maintenance so easy and low key!

I did attempt to make one of these but had little luck. I build the box and bought the plants and filled in the 3' x 3' box with soil. And that equalled it being WAY to heavy to hand let alone move. But is was still pretty and looked great. I am talking about it in the past because the rain this past week flooded out the soil and all that's left is the cuttings. So, yes I will try again...with a lighter soil medium. Anyone have any ideas?

Are you a Native?? Plant lover that is!!

CA Poppies with Sky Lupine - http://www.montereybaycnps.org/

I know you read the "Ricky Raindrop" posting...if not, STOP scroll down and read it! Now, we have all read it and understand the importance of being water wise. A piece of doing your part is gardening with plants that are suitable for your zone. If you are unsure what zone you are check out - http://www.ahs.org/pdfs/05_heat_map.pdf.

Living in Southern California you know that we are hot and dry allot of the time so planting with drought tolerant plants seems to be the easiest and most logical way to go in your garden. You will use WAY less water to keep you garden green and since you have native plants in your landscaping you will also attract native birds, butterflies and other wildlife that only benefits your landscape.

Helpful Websites:

http://www.californiagardens.com/Lists/native.htm

http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/easy.html

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/gardening-by-region/southern-california/top-native-plants-of-southern-california/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_native_plants

http://www.bewaterwise.com/great_native.html

http://www.cnps.org/

http://www.cal-ipc.org/landscaping/dpp/planttypes.php?region=socal



Coming Soon - Gardening with Succulents

Diamond in the Rough?? No....It's a Pearl!!

"There's always gonna be obstacles. The thing is, you don't let those obstacles determine where you go." - Pearl Fryar

About a year ago is when I saw this documentary on this man who has changed his whole entire yard from dirt to the most beautiful topiary garden around. His name is Pearl Fryar and the cool thing is besides him being really down to earth and just an all around great guy from letting the public come see his garden to donating to charity for underprivileged kids...is that he is untrained!! This vision he has for his garden is all from his ideas and from trial and error. He works in his garden from sun-up to sun-down everyday. You really do need to read about him and see his works, it is truley amazing!

Other great websites:

http://www.amannamedpearl.com/

http://www.fryarstopiaries.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Fryar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wPmw9l3euA

L.A. Garden Show

SAVE-THE-DATE in 2010:

Friday, April 30 — Sunday, May 2, 9:00 am — 4:30 pm

"Discover new ways to live a green gardening lifestyle and make sustainable choices in your home garden. Whether you garden in containers, small plots or vast landscapes, the LA Garden Show offers something for everyone who wants to live a little bit greener." www.arboretum.org

My sister and I went last year and it was SO much fun. We had never been before and were unprepared on what to expect.

So here is what we learned:

• Bring a wagon - carrying your "stuff" to the car is a pain - you park about 1/4 mile away.
  
• Bring some cold water - at least 3 bottles
  
• Bring some snacks - who wants to sit and eat when there are plants to see!!
  
• Bring extra money
  
• Wear a hat
  
• Wear sunscreen

It was a lot of fun and there is allot to see!!! Landscaping ideas, cheap plants, cheap pots and meeting a bunch of people who know more then you!!

Here is the website for you to check out:

http://www.arboretum.org/index.php/la-garden-show/

Another show that might interest you is:

http://www.springgardenshow.com/ <--- this is the show where my class will be designing a plat inside the mall for judging.