Author: Francesca Filanc

April 2026

“April showers bring May flowers” is an old adage, but nowadays things are different.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-alive-with-purple-in-the-garden

March 2026

This is an old expression about the weather for the month of March. March, starting out blustery, windy and stormy and ending calm, birds chirping, with flowers beginning to bloom. But with climate change and also living in Southern California, in our Mediterranean climate, spring planting starts in March.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-enjoying-our-pets-in-the-garden

February 2026

Do you remember the movie Field of Dreams? The lead actor Kevin Costner built a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield, and if I remember the film correctly, it was to encourage baseball players to play baseball and then people came to watch.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-birds-of-a-feather

January 2026

The new year is a time of renewal spiritually, physically, and can be a new beginning. Many people enjoy writing New Year’s resolutions. I happen to be one of those who enjoys writing down my thoughts from the last year and what I want to accomplish in the new year.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-happy-new-year-in-the-garden

December 2025

As I was driving down the country lane on the approach to my house this morning after having had a manicure and pedicure early in Del Mar…

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-the-french-lifestyle

November 2025

Many of us live in our gardens. By that I mean, we spend a lot of time in our gardens. Working in them for sure, but it’s also so important to sit in the garden and appreciate the beauty of nature.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-past-and-present-in-a-garden

October 2025

Autumn has a way of filling our gardens—and our memories—with richness and promise. As the days cool and the air turns crisp, there always seems to be a to-do list waiting outdoors.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-a-jog-down-memory-lane

September 2025

Summer is winding down and kids are going back to school or are already back in school. There are so many projects one can do in September in one’s garden.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surrounings-september-garden-to-dos-and-more

August 2025

Mama noticed a week and a half ago that there were absolutely no blooms on her Pink Melaleuca, Melaleuca nesophila, a plant that is pruned in a beautiful way at the bottom of her garden

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-nighttime-temperatures-determine-when-flowers-bloom

July 2025

Mama, Pat Welsh, was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, UK. Borage grew wild in her grandparents’ gardens, and in the countryside. Years ago, in this country mama was given a plant, and it has grown wild in her garden ever since.

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https://www.sdhortnews.org/post/garden-surroundings-borage-all-things-summer-mom-and-apple-pie