Garden Surroundings

May 1

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: April Showers Bring May Flowers

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

Apr 3

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Wisteria Brings Joy Every Spring

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

Mar 1

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Creating Your Own Flower Arrangements

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

Feb 1

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Spain - Basque And American Traditions

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

Jan 1

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Meyer Lemons For Your Home Garden

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...

Dec 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Dazzling Amaryllis

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

Nov 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Are spider mites taking over the world?

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...

Oct 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Fall Into Fall

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

Sep 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Easy to Create Butterfly Sanctuary

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...

Aug 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Magnolias

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

Jul 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Amaryllis

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

Jun 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Using Garden Structures Makes Exciting Gardens

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

May 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Lady Banks Roses

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...

Apr 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: The Joy Of Growing Wisteria

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

Mar 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: March Is A Work Horse Month In Our Gardens

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

Feb 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: ‘A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose’

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...

Jan 1, 2022

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: The Joy Of Gardening With Succulents

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

Dec 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Joy in the Garden

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...

Nov 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Worm Castings For A Vibrant Healthy Landscape

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

Oct 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Butterflies & Host Plants In The Garden

By Francesca Filanc for Let's Talk Plants! October 2021. I receive so much joy by planting flowers, plants and vines that attract...

Sep 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Tussie-Mussies

By Francesca Filanc for Let's Talk Plants! September 2021. The first time I was taught how to make tussie-mussies, also spelled tussy...

Aug 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Gardenias; My "First Love"

By Francesca Filanc. First Love® Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides 'Aimee'. A strong memory from my childhood is of being beautifully...

Jul 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Mom and Apple Pie!

By Francesca Filanc. “Saturday in the Park, I think it was the Fourth of July ..." - song written by Robert Lamm and recorded by the...

Jun 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Happy June!

By Francesca Filanc. We, who love gardening and gardens never cease to appreciate and enjoy the beauty inspiration, knowledge, love and...

May 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: April Showers Bring May Flowers

By Francesca Filanc. In the time of climate change, at present, we are back in a drought and having a La Niña year. The last couple of...

Apr 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Wisteria In All My Gardens

All my life I have had a “love affair” with wisteria, passed down from Mum, Pat Welsh, who has written numerous books and articles and also

Mar 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Find Me In The Garden

We are having a La Niña this year according to the weather bureau. La Niña usually means less rain in Southern California. But we have had s

Feb 1, 2021

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: In The Garden

When I first moved to this property five plus years ago, I knew I wanted to make large changes in the garden. I started right away building

Dec 1, 2020

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: How Our Collective Gardening Passion Helps Us

Today is November 29, 2020. This has been a difficult year for all of us in one way or another, and yet, we are all so lucky to have the pas

Oct 1, 2020

GARDEN SURROUNDINGS: Sunflowers, the Funflowers!

Sunflowers are so much FUN to Grow! If you have a place where you can put them every year they give so much joy. I smile every time I walk o