Next problem: moving from South Tx to Houston. We have a bit more rain and really really bad drainage. Fortunately, we also have places that sell very large pots so I can have a few indulgences.

You’re right. When we first start out we gardeners want to replicate everything we admire out there no matter whether it’s suitable or not. I believe that as we gain experience and maturity we realize we don’t have to own it, we can always go pay a visit and still be enthralled (and satisfied).
xo

Over at Teza’s blog, we’ve got a new forum going as of the 7th of January, and Teza assigned ‘Zonal Denial’ as our first topic.

We’re already one week into the New Year… time is flying by.
Your videos are looking to be one of the best things about 2010.

Can you drop by Marin County on Thursday, when I giving a talk?
Wouldn’t that just be too cool. xoxoxxox tendril

Sweet Rebecca! (I will ALWAYS reverse your name, like your twitter handle. I’s just TOO perfect!) Nurseries… ARG! I have a fantasy of opening one so I can have EXACTLY what I want! And of #1 importance – only plants that thrive in the local climate! Wait, that is a lie – of #1 importance is a Cappuccino Bar, who am I kidding? BTW, I have to say that I SO agree with you about really disliking the topiary bashing thing! I find them whimsical and fun! I don’t like being mean about something that has obviously taken though. The ‘default’ shearing of all shrubs into boxes is another thing – but I loved you bringing up topiaries on your post! Kudos, Brain Twin!

Gen! Hi! I can’t even IMAGINE not worrying about water! Wonder it must be to have ROT as a concern! Having grown up in South Texas and then moving to Southern California, I really only know dry. The first time I went up to Northern California and went for a hike I almost had a seizure! I swear I’d never seen those colors of green – intense, bright, vibrant GREEN! It was like my eyes were drinking. Lucky you – gardening where you do. This bloglink has made me realize that we are ALL lucky that we garden where we do!

SusanChick! HAhahaha! You are right – Zone denial will NEVER go away! I’ve been doing the same thing as I’m looking at everyone’s posts – Tara’s photo of the hydrangea! The familiar feeling was tickling at the edges of my brain…
Not even a teensy Aeonium ‘Zwartkopf’ up there? Sigh!

Michelle D., let me know when the Hortisexuals are planning their visit, and you and I will probably end up talking plants forever! My crazy travel schedule should be letting up, so the timing should work. Thanks for the comment about the pictures – I wish my photo skills were better, but it takes a while to get to the level of someone like Pam/Digging! I admit to loving garden photos big, I like to feel like I’m almost IN the garden!

Thank You so much Scott, and thanks for wrangling this Bloglink! So fun, and I am really broadening my horizons! Internet magic!

Pam dear! You know, when I moved to LA, I never even THOUGHT about gardening! For me, gardening opened my eyes to just about everything – before that, I was strictly verbal/emotional (Like most actors) and rarely really LOOKED at anything. My whole adventure in gardening has been about sharpening my eye – now I feel like I am REALLY looking. Seeing things regionally is a big victory! We are so alike, but you had the regional revelation much earlier than me. I’m stubborn. But aren’t we so happy we had these epiphanies? And with the help of my fabulous blogfriends like you, I am still learning! XO!

Oh, Loree! But I TOTALLY support you in your zone denial! EVERYONE, listen up! Loree is allowed to have zone denial, because she has FABULOUS taste in plants! And your zone denial doesn’t cause you to waste water and use chemicals, it just gives you more work (I’m sure … “just”!) – and if you didn’t have to cover up your phormiums, you wouldn’t have that super-cool space-age front yard bondage garden!

Thanks Jocelyn! Yes, these posts have ignited my zone denial, too! What are we going to do? Gardenswaps? One week out of the year, we get to switch gardens to the zone most coveted? Hmmm…

Thank you for the sweet words, Susan! (You get to be Susan, SusanCohan is Susancohan, and Susan Morrison is SusanChick for the purposes of this reply) The desire for English gardens is powerful, isn’t it? I hope, one day, to be free of it – but I doubt it! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Likewise!

Susancohan! You instigator, you! Regionality’s ears must be burning today, thanks to you! About Zonal Envy Syndrome, what CAN we do? Sigh! All I can say is THANK GOD for pots! MWAH!

Oh, DAN! The CAMELLIAS at Descanso! Very soon, they are going to start in earnest! I must say, you opened my eyes in the biggest way – that waterfall was incredible!
If you are going to start waving your arms around, make sure that your clients are standing far away from you, because once I caused a client to spill coffee (iced, thankfully) on themselves because I suddenly had to make a crazy gesture. (adding you to my blogroll, too!)

Laura, Sister, you know I’ll be there at SFGS, Video Minion in tow!

Hey Shirley! Thanks so much for stopping by! I wonder if all of us who fall hard for garden design go through the English Garden Lust? How could we not? Until recently, almost all of the books were all England, all the time! Thank goodness things have been changing for the better, right?

Oh Jenny! You’re here! Are you enjoying the aloe blooms? They start right now, with the huge clumps of Aloe arborescens looking like they are on FIRE! You are getting a great hit of SoCal – the weather has been gorgeous! I trust your Agave desmettianas are sheltered, and I hope the freezes in Austin aren’t hurting that garden of yours I adore so much!

YAY Andrea! Hi Doll! Thanks for drooling – I accept all forms of compliments! And I’ll take a Japanese Maple anytime – but – sigh … you know… climate issues. Oh well! I’ll just look at YOUR pics and get my kicks that way! XOXO!

Sindy, stop by ANYTIME! I loved your comment! “fricasseed flora”! Hahahaha! Our journeys have totally mirrored each others- thank goodness we came out the other end not so much worse for the wear (although the same thing can’t be said about my bank account!) Your plant palette sounds scrumptious – and i think babying along a couple of whiny- but- beautiful plants is totally acceptable! We cant be ALL good, that would be boring! Please come back and keep on commenting! You’re a riot!

Hi Vanessa! The stipas are great, aren’t they? I LOVE a stipa meadow! Thank you for the lovely comment, and YES! I ADORE living in SoCal!

Love gardening and totally subscribed to all the magazines–you know the ones–showing all the fabulous and fine gardens east of the Mississippi and maybe NORTHERN California. Continual bloom, continual color, easy to grow, plant in full sun, etc.

I would order these things non-stop for years and wind up with fricasseed flora by the time Summer sizzled out with a final Fall stomp of 100 degree weather in late September.

I finally came to the really, really reluctant, but unavoidable conclusion that Southern California is not east of the Mississippi nor is it England, sigh.

So, like you, I had a change of heart and mind. I settled on plants that love decomposed granite, heat, full sun, and almost no care. Stuff like Mexican Sage, Mexican Marigold, artemisia, geraniums, society garlic, rosemary, ground cover morning glory, daylilies, coreopsis. I kept some roses that I love, even though they are constantly saying, “I’m hot! I’m hungry!” So they are the only things I baby along and it’s not overwhelming!

Thank you for the inspiration and some new things to consider for my garden–succulents!

Blessings
Sindy