By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! January 2026. WOW! Can you believe that it is already 2026? The new year is a time of renewal spiritually, physically, and can be a new beginning. Many people enjoy writing New Year’s resolutions. I happen to be one of those who enjoys writing down my thoughts from the last year and what I want to accomplish in the new year. But I notice as I get older that it’s more my spiritual thoughts moving forward, but the old adage of exercis

Words and pictures by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! December 2025. As a Francophile I eat outside in the garden for almost every meal and live an artistic French lifestyle . Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. The French Lifestyle Thanksgiving is just around the corner and before you know it, when you read this article,   it will be December. We have had a lot of much needed rain in California this November.  As I was driving down the country lane on the approach to my

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2025. Many of us live in our gardens. By that I mean, we spend a lot of time in our gardens. Working in them for sure, but it’s also so important to sit in the garden and appreciate the beauty of nature. I for one enjoy most of my meals in the garden. Looking at the beauty of nature while eating a delicious meal, many times containing some item from the garden, such as herbs or apples, lemons, limes, oranges, passionfruit a

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2025. One of the author’s nieces as a little girl enjoying the wildflower garden....

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! September 2025.   WiX stock photo, edited and revised. September Garden To-dos Summer is...

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Nighttime Temperatures Determine When Flowers Bloom

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2025. Salad with borage from the garden. Photo credit: Francesca Filanc. Borage, All...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2025. "If you build it, they will come." Inviting People to Enjoy the Garden There is a...

Words and photographs by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2024. Growing Clover to Replenish the Soil The gardeners planted...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2025. April Showers Bring May Flowers What a relief that we’ve had some good rain in...

Words, photos (unless otherwise noted) and art by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2025. There Are So Many Things to Do in...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2025. The author's inspiring garden. Phot credit: Francesca Filanc. Grateful For the...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! January 2025. As this year draws to a close, we are reminded about what is important in life....

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! December 2024. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/storybook-land-canal-b...

Words, artwork and photos by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! November 2024. Mexican Sage and Japanese Anemones in the Garden...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2024. Fig Trees and Passion Fruit in the Garden We are full into autumn. October is...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! September 2024. Butterflies in the Garden This time of year the garden is a flutter with...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2024. Apple Pies, Gardenias and Passion Flowers Apple Pies Summer months in the garden...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2024. Beauty In Nature Can Help Us Accept Change My daughter Erica and her husband Jared...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2024. Plein Air Artists in the Garden What is Plein Air Painting? | According to Artists...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2024. Incorporating Paths in Your Garden Have you ever noticed the way it makes you feel...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2024. Spring has Sprung in our Gardens! Being that we live in a Mediterranean climate,...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2024. WiX stock photo. French lavender, Lavandula dentata, is one of the author's...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2024. Living and Gardening in a Mediterranean Climate We are lucky and unique that...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! January 2024. New Year, Fresh Start Gosh, already it is January 2024! How time flies. The new...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! December 2023. Planting a Madrone, Arbutus menziesii This autumn I had the outside of my...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2023. Enjoy the Process Last month the painting posted in this article was brand-new...

Words and pictures by Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! September 2023. Cherry Plum and Fig Trees I hope everyone had a fabulous...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2023. Here is an addendum to July’s Garden Surroundings article about frogs. The other...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! July 2023. Fun Surprises in the Garden Here and there, I loved hearing frogs in the garden as...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2023. Editor’s note: How timely is this article for those of us lucky attendees of the...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2023. April Showers Bring May Flowers Living in the time of climate change our climate...

By Francesca Filanc for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2023. Wisteria brings pure joy every spring. I write about wisteria every April because...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! March 2023. Creating your own Flower Arrangements A friend passed away recently, and I wanted...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! February 2023. Spain - Basque and American Traditions The holidays this past year 2022, as...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! January 2023. Meyer Lemons For Your Home Garden January is the month when many of us make New...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! December 2022. Dazzling Amaryllis Editor's note: Francesca wrote about amaryllis earlier this...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! November 2022. Are Spider Mites Taking Over The World? The other night as I was putting my...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! October 2022. We fall into fall and look forward to cooler weather with leaves changing...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! September 2022. A Butterfly Sanctuary is Easy to Create in Your Garden Think of the joy you...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! August 2022. “A tree or shrub with large, typically creamy-pink, waxy flowers. Magnolias are...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! July 2022. Amaryllis "Amaryllis is a bulbous plant with white, pink, or red flowers and...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! June 2022. Using Garden Structures Makes Exciting Gardens Adding arbors, pergolas, and...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! May 2022. Lady Banks Rose has been grown for 2,000 years in gardens in China. It has no...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let’s Talk Plants! April 2022. ‘April Showers Bring May Flowers’ The expression originates from a line in an...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! March 2022. Traditionally March is a work horse month in our gardens. My mum, Pat Welsh,...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! February 2022. ‘Rose is a rose is a rose’ was written by Gertrude Stein as part of the 1913...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! January 2022. Succulents have long been good plants for San Diego County. Although many...

By Francesca Filanc, for Let's Talk Plants! December 2021. Cassia splendida. As this year draws to a close I am reminded once again of...

By Francesca Filanc for Let's Talk Plants! November 2021. Several years ago, a landscape designer friend of mine in the Olivenhain Garden...