Today I was thinking about Hawaii. As a lot of you know, Andy and I have the house and nursery for sale and we are planning to move to HI. The real estate market is super slow, so we are here for the immediate future. I was walking through the front garden and I was really feeling that tropical vibe; the sun was back lighting the palms and I felt totally okay with whatever the future holds. I love our garden, we've been here for nine years now and the garden is really coming into it's own. We finished the pond in the front yard last fall, which was just a big hole in the ground for over two years, (as Andy reminded me often). For me, it meant everything, it sets the whole mood for the space. The sound alone is amazing and of course the dragonflies and birds it brings in are great. I love looking at the fish and even the greenish patina forming on the sides. I know some people like that sterile, chlorinated look, but I wouldn't have it any other way. What I didn't count on was the incredible reflections on the garden structures and ever the ceiling in my living room. What a great bonus! So even though we are not in Hawaii, I feel that I've created my little bit of paradise here. I've changed my entire life this year, and while the uncertainty of our future is disconcerting, I find it very exciting. The fact the I get to live in this great house (that we just finished remodeling) and this amazing garden is just such a joy. My time is so different right now. I'm so used to working six or seven days a week. Not having a regular staff has really freed me up to do a lot of things I've wanted to do; like create this blog. For example, I started taking a 'html' class yesterday. It's so cool to be able to step out of my comfort zone and stretch myself. This is really new for me, so hang in there while I'm getting used to this. Sharing what I've learned (so freely from my mentors) with the others is what I think this journey is all about. I hope to get into some specific plants and topics, so stay tuned. tom

A new day

Been in Southern California for almost 25 years, growing, or at least trying to grow, everything I could get my hands. I'm a self confessed plant addict, and can never seem to get enough. I'm a landscaper and wholesale grower. But, things are changing here, and I've realized we have to change too. So I'm putting together a website to promote good information on horticulture and maybe sell some plants as well. Knowledgeable sales people are hard to find in local nurseries, and good landscapers are even harder to find. People who are good gardeners here are few. I think everyone is busy, and it's easy to find cheap labor, what we call mow and blow. It's too bad, because I have found this to be one of the best places to grow an amazingly diverse variety of plants in the same location. So I'm going to try to reach out to other horticulturists to talk about all thing horticulture. As my blog title says, I am an opinionated gardener, but I am very open to other points of view, and have even been known to change my mind on occasion, granted those are few. I love tropicals, drought tolerants, natives, woodsy, Asian, okay I like everything, that's the point. More to come