CasaSugar

Do You Landscape With Tropical Foliage?

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:15:00 -0700

This moody koi pond, from Josh Schwartz's former home in Los Feliz, benefits from lush, tropical foliage. Do you have any around your home?

Cool Idea: Curtains to Improve the View

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:30:56 -0700

Missing pretty foliage outside your window? Just because you live in a city flat with a window facing a next-door brick wall doesn't mean you have to suffer. You can let these Chair Couture Green Collection Curtains (inquire for price) compensate for your landscape loss. These unique, opaque drapery panels are made to order, and all feature the "sunlight through the leaves" look of the fabric shown in the photo.

Need some other leafy curtain options? Take your pick when you read more.

Cordelia Curtain - $78.00	Mantadia Curtain - $228.00
Jungle View Curtain - $108.00	Jungle Curtain Panel - $169.00
Botanist Curtain - $48.00	Antique Floral Curtain Panel - $29.99
Medallion Panel - $69.00	Brightbranch Curtain - $278.00

Open House: Overwintering Plants

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:30:18 -0800

In the San Francisco Bay Area, I rarely have to worry about a frost, which means that I can leave plants out all year round without incident. I know that's hardly the case with readers living in the Midwest and on the East Coast, though.

Steve, over at Gardening Gone Wild, recently wrote, "I overwinter a host of plants in my cold dark basement. Every year I try new ones and am perennially amazed at what succeeds. Basically the idea is to trick a plant into dormancy, then keep it there. Cold - or at least coolness - helps. So does darkness. To survive, many plants need light, others need warmth, and some need both; those are NOT the ones I’m talking about here. For the basement, we need plants that can go into deep dormancy, a state of almost suspended animation."

I also know that Amy Butler does the same thing with her tropical foliage, which comes outside in the Summer, and then is tucked away in her basement in the Ohio Winter months. So, do you bring in semi-tropical plants or outdoor perennials when the temperature dips? Do you let them go into a state of dormancy, like Steve does, or do you keep them out and about?

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Garden Therapy: California Tropical

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:15:26 -0700

Lou Dixon, owner and designer of Bio-Friendly Gardens, recently gave me a tour of one of his client's home gardens. The owner, a chef and horticulturalist, loves tropical foliage. Her garden features a delightful mix of tropical plants, succulents, more traditional flowers, and lush trees. What's even more impressive is that her garden stands up to life with two large dogs. Take a tour of her lush space.

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Midday Muse: Sweet Green Dreams

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:00:20 -0700

Green is said to be a calming, restorative color for bedrooms, but the energy of this room feels a little too excited for me. It's very lush and would definitely provide a wonderful respite to the browns of Autumn, but tell me, would you find this room sleep worthy?
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Home Away From Home: A Garden Tour in Laos

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:33 -0700

GiggleSugar recently traveled to Laos, where she snapped a ton of gorgeous photos of her hotel, surrounding homes, Buddhist temples, and bountiful gardens. Take a look at this slideshow of her pictures from Luang Prabong, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. To take this tour, in GiggleSugar's own words, check out the slideshow.

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Plants That Purify: Chinese Evergreen

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:00:50 -0800

We all could benefit from a cheap and beautiful way to improve a home's indoor air quality. That's why I'm bringing you an ongoing series on house plants that are particularly good at purifying the air.

Next up in our series is the Chinese evergreen.

Calling all black thumb gardeners! To find out about this black thumb-resistant plant, just read more

This tropical foliage plant is one of the most durable houseplants. It will forgive you if you put it in a poorly lit corner, blast the air conditioning, subject it to dry air, and even forget to water it for a few weeks.

Keep your Chinese evergreen out of direct sun and grow them in a standard soil mix with extra humus. If you can remember, try to keep the soil moist. Varieties include Emerald Beauty, which is rich green with pale green markings; Parrot Jungle, which has silvery markings on dark green leaves; Queen Julienne, which has silvery feathering on dark green foliage; Silver King, which is heavily silvered and grows 24 inches tall; and White Rajah, which has bold white markings. Warning: This plant is toxic, so keep it away from kids and pets!

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Midday Muse: Backyard Paradise

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:24 -0700

As I was reading through AT:LA, I paused at this gorgeous photo of AT:LA reader Justine's backyard. Everything about it just makes me want to stop, linger, and relax until she kicks me out. From the comfy seating to the tropical foliage to the glass lanterns, it's absolutely spot-on lovely.

Have you turned an outdoor spot into a little piece of paradise? Tell me about it in the comments!
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