The Magic Mural

Written and illustrated by Pat Welsh with photos by Betsy Schulz, published in 2005 by the Friends of the Del Mar Library, ($14.95) Tells the story of the Del Mar Library Multi-Media Mural, a 92-foot-long creation covering a formerly bare 4-foot-tall...

Formal Garden and Informal Plants

Great gardens have a breathtaking quality and the gardeners who make them always do so in coordination with a concrete plan or wholly mental dream. Whether they know it or not, these garden geniuses have a philosophy of gardening or an ideal, and they...

Adding Color And Excitement To The Landscape

Adding Color And Excitement To The Landscape  Many spectacular trees and shrubs from mild regions around the world are well adapted to growing in our coastal Mediterranean climate. Nonetheless, when housing developments are originally landscaped, planners...

Finding Your Own Style

The ideal garden is a place in which nature can revel within an artistically arranged design. Every garden can benefit from having a few formal aspects or well-defined boundaries—a few straight lines, a spiral or a square, a triangle, or a circle. Vita...

Finding Your Garden’s Path

So ephemeral and symbol-filled are gardens, they might be thought of as the stuff that dreams are made of. Dream of a fruit or vegetable garden, and it’s said your diligence in life will eventually bear fruit. By actually creating such a garden, you...

Evergreen street tree for Zone 14

Question from Tony: I am looking for a tree to plant along the front of my house next to the sidewalk, Sunset zone 14, clayey soil. Preferably evergreen, drought tolerant, carefree, not taller than 25 feet. From your website, I’ve found Rhaphiolepis...

Great Garden Combinations

Question from Susan: I am new to gardening and would like to know if you could suggest some good combinations of plants. I think I will eventually learn how to do this, but right now I don’t have a clue. Answer from Pat: I agree with you that when...

Steps From Concrete Bags

Question from Arline: Back from day two of jury duty…it is a most interesting case…thank you for the detailed response to my construction questions…i must ask… how long before you should step in these bag steps???? Answer from...

Making Garden Steps From Bags of Concrete

Question from Arlene: I need to make about 4 steps to go up a small incline to get to my fruit tree…I remember you telling about an easy way to make steps using cement bags….do you have those instructions??? I am also thinking of having...

Planting for Fall and Year-Round Color in Southern California

Question from Chris: Interested in adding some flowers for the fall – any suggestions?  live  2miles from the ocean in redondo beach – i’m not a native, so I need guidance! Answer from Pat: You live in an excellent climate zone. You...

Concrete Bag Steps for Cold-Winter Climates

Question from Monetta: We’re going to our cabin in Idaho with all the family over the July 4 week and thought we might try your concrete bag steps on a steep hillside down to the river. If we do it, I’ll take some photos for you to see. Answer...

Multi-media Garden Mural: How to Create

Question from Heidi: I was hoping to speak with you at the Master Gardener Fall Seminar on Oct. 2. Unfortunately, with the room changes & my duties as a “badge checker” in other classes (your’s is always the first to get fully...

Heesey Residence Slope Failure

Question from Denise: Dear Pat….these are the problems I emailed you about… they have since been cleaned over and jute stapled on….I will send some more current pictures this afternoon when the weather clears…(of the new repairs) I...

Correcting Erosion on a Steep Bank in Encino

Question from Denise: Our hillside, steep and large area was covered in ivy and was just fine and holding. We are not sure what happened, but due to either improper draining of the pool, a broken pipe, or years of slow erosion, the last years caused the...