Author: Julie Monson

Japanese Maples in Your Garden Every fall I am once again surprised, sometimes shocked, at the color and magnificence of Japanese maples across the urban landscape, as their leaves turn scarlet, crimson or bronze in preparation for winter. Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum – momiji in Japanese) is a deciduous tree, to 20 feet high, native…

Fabulous Ferns When we planted our cool, shady garden 9 years ago, I added some ferns without knowing much about them except that they liked cool and shady. They are so little trouble I almost forget about them. Ferns add a delicate, feathery green that contrasts and blends well with our other shade-loving plants. Then,…

Flowering Trees This has been a splendid year for Milk Maids, those gently nodding, dainty white flowering annuals that spring up in late winter along the sides of roads and trails, signaling the end of winter. Soon we will be walking about our gardens, neighborhoods and woods, marveling at other small, spring-flowering plants, for example,…

Meyer Lemons in West Marin An attractive, evergreen shrub or tree with delicious, fragrant fruit, Meyer lemon thrives in the warm corners of most gardens, even on the Inverness Ridge. Our garden is on the north/east slope of the Inverness Ridge, a cool, shady site perfect for growing ferns and maple trees. Our only “hot…

The Common Calla In my search for low maintenance, hardy, showy, deer-proof plants for my garden, I was pleased to discover calla lilies. They are almost too common, and are unlikely to appeal to gardeners who prefer exotic, unusual shrubs and flowers. But they are totally reliable, and in early spring, beginning in January, put…