"No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden."

~Hugh Johnson

Here's a gardening practice a Japanese Hawaiian gardener taught me when I was a mere grasshopper back in my 20's. Some flowering shrubs can be severely pruned back each year in order to keep them within prescribed bounds, and will stimulate profuse blooming.

One such plant this technique works especially well on is Lantana camara. It's an approach I incorporate starting April that will work in most SoCal locations. Below is a container garden lantana showing vestiges of winter doldrums, before it was pruned back hard:

-Andrew Kliss

Before

-Andrew Kliss

After

-Andrew Kliss

A little over one month later

Yes indeed it is pretty drastic, but the outcome within a short time is a beautiful bushy shrub chock full o' blooms.

Other plants that can derive benefit from severe pruning include:

• Asclepias curassavica (for reducing/eliminating Oe spore contamination and creating bushier plants)
• Buddleia davidii
• Cassia bicapsularis
• Verbena bonariensis (If I'm feeling especially frisky or the spirit moves me)

Took a casual stroll through the garden this morning just before posting. How enjoyable it is to visit living things that have become your friends; who depend on you to take good care of them, and who in return reward you with awe and beauty only creation can provide. Below are some photos I took with my smartphone (love this thing):

-Andrew Kliss

 Ruta graveolens, Common Rue

-Andrew Kliss

Fennel. Finocchio, or Florence Fennel

-Andrew Kliss

Verbena bonariensis, Purple Vervain

As an aside, I also wish to share some photos of a couple of cacti blooming in the rest of the yard:

-Andrew Kliss

Echinocereus pentalophus, Ladyfinger (taken a few weeks ago)

-Andrew Kliss

-Andrew Kliss

Echinopsis hybrid 'High Noon'

These blooms on 'High Noon' are six inches across. Some Echinopsis hybrid flowers can span 12 inches!