ArcaMax

LOS ANGELES -- Dan Bifano is in a hurry, but it's in his nature to be gracious, so he keeps his countenance serene even though gnarly traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway has made his visitors very late.

"I was afraid I would be late too," he confides, glancing at his watch, "because I had to make a quick stop at Lady Gaga's."

The comment is ...Read more

The Garden Guy worked hard last week getting the Sopranos planted before the arrival of much needed rain. If you are not familiar with Sopranos, they are a group of six colors of impatiens that have put pure joy back into the shade garden.

In music, sopranos are those with angelic voices. High-pitched voices that can bring about a standing ...Read more

Q: We have a new pond, and the question came up about lining the pond with pea- or quarter-size gravel. My water garden friends say they have done it and taken it out. What is your opinion?

A: There is a great deal of confusion and discussion about gravel in a pond. It helps to know the size and style of pond you want to add the gravel to. ...Read more

In an astonishing occurrence, all of my Superbells Pomegranate Punch calibrachoas came through the winter of the weekly polar vortex. OK, I’ll admit I did take some to the garage. Those in the heavy pots that I left outside have come through with an incredible display of beauty.

Superbells Pomegranate Punch is like the garden’s version of ...Read more

If you loved the glowing plants in the movie "Avatar," you can now have one of your own. The company Light Bio has genetically engineered a petunia to glow a light green that is visible in a dark room. The firefly petunia glows a faint green when exposed to a lot of light during the day. Even though it is always glowing, the green glow is only ...Read more

It is May and The Garden Guy is here to tell you that your garden really needs more snow for the long growing season ahead. I’m talking about one of the best flowers you can add to the design of your mixed containers. That would be Snow Princess sweet alyssum, a Lobularia hybrid.

Snow Princess and I go way back to April 2009. That was the ...Read more

Q: Mother's Day is May 11, and I want to give my mom flowers because she loves them and instilled a love of plants in me. I don't have a green thumb or much money, but I want to show my love by buying some plants and putting them together in some pots I know she likes. Can you give me some tips to make them look better?

A: Isn't it wonderful to...Read more