I always grow lots of garlic and elephant garlic in our Sunnyvale Garden. During their growing season, all of them start to develop stalks (called scapes) with flower heads. If you want larger garlic heads, then cut off the scapes before the flower head blossoms. You can use the garlic-scapes as a mild version of garlic in many recipes. This …

There couldn’t have been a better rose to name after the painter Frida Kahlo, known for her use of bold color and floral elements. This is a vigorous floribunda, so it’ll produce 5-6 roses per cluster and bloom all the way from late spring to early fall. Each petal is its own unique blend of yellow, orange and red hues, …

Plant this spring annual and you’ll be rewarded with a profusion of those bouncy, 2” blooms with their lemon-yellow and pure white scalloped petals , March through June. Combine with Nemophila menziesii “Baby Blue Eyes,” both will self-sow for a harmonious show next Spring. Nice in pots too! In California, it’s an important nectar source for the Checkerspot butterfly. Every …

Scilla peruviana is a evergreen perennial makes a spring-time statement with 50 to 100 deep-blue, starry blossoms atop large, cone-shaped flowers. Grow it alongside other spring flowering bulb crops such as daffodils, hyacinths and tulips. These unique flowers have an impressively long bloom time. Short dark green strap-shaped leaves emerge in the fall to form tight rosettes to 18 inches …

Forty minutes from Sunnyvale is the Sunol Wilderness. The Sunol Wilderness is one in a chain of regional widerness parks in southern Alameda County. This remote and beautiful land is the domain of abundant wildlife, including eagels, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, deer, coyote, bobcats, and mountain lions. The land is studded with oak and bay, carpeted with springtime wildflowers, and …

Cherry trees can be distinguished from other species by their bark. Young trees and the younger branches on mature trees are clad in shiny smooth gray or brown bark that resembles satin. This bark is marked with scattered horizontal openings called lenticels, which are pores that facilitate a direct exchange of gases between the interior of the tree and the …

Bloomerang Purple lilac (Syringa x) is a reblooming lilac. It blooms in spring along with other lilacs, takes a brief rest to put on new growth, then blooms again from mid-summer through fall. A bit smaller than other lilacs, Bloomerang also has a nice, rounded shape that looks great anywhere you plant it in the landscape. Star-like flowers are a …

Whether you call them empanadas or turnovers or cornish pasties, these little pastries are delicious. You make the dough and add all types of fillings. Empanada Dough can be made quickly in the food processor to use immediately or store for later meals. You are going to love making your own empanadas with fresh ingredients. They are perfect when you …

Bring a touch of Africa to your yard with the brilliant orange Ornithogalum dubium. Commonly called star of Bethlehem, orange star flower, snake flower or chincherinchee, this South African bulb is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture planting zones 7 through 11, and can be enjoyed as a tender bulb or a potted plant elsewhere. The plant grows up to …

Tibouchina urvilleana: A beautiful, tropical look from an evergreen shrub with huge, exotic, deep-purple flowers that will bloom throughout summer. Its upright, open-branched habit is useful as a hedge, screen or accent. Zones 10-11: Protect from frost Light Needs: Partial to full sun Watering Needs: Water regularly – weekly, or more often in extreme heat or containers. Size: Up to …