2025 was an off-year for me. I attribute that in equal measure to the severe negativity of the political climate and the fallout from January's massive fires in Southern California, which increased the pressure on those of us who live in areas at significant fire risk to reassess our vulnerability. I stayed close to home all year and didn't even do as much plant shopping as usual! I won't hammer on the political issues here as I spend too much time ranting on that score as it is but I see signs that the haze that clouded the eyes of those who put their trust in the current administration is lifting and I hold out hope that a major shift is in the offing.
I compiled a hodge-podge of photos published on my blog over the course of 2025 in a rather random fashion, without much deliberation. The prevailing theme, if there is one, dealt with my efforts and those of my husband to limit our own fire risk. The good news is that I included some pretty pictures too, proving that the garden moves ever onward to offer beauty and support.
JANUARY
Wildfires hit both Pacific Palisades and Altadena on January 7th. There were other fires as well but those two were the most deadly and damaging. I was constantly checking fire status reports throughout the end of the month, when both were finally contained. The Los Angeles Times covered stories related to the fires daily, and still does on a regular basis as the long process of recovery continues. I managed to distract myself at regular intervals, however.
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| Meeko, adopted from a shelter in late August 2024, was still adapting to her new life. She was intrigued by CAT-TV for a short time but she currently prefers to follow the activity of birds at the feeder outside my office window. |
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| We didn't get a lot of rain during last winter's rainy season but we did get a rainbow or 2 |
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| One of my earliest projects involved clearing the overgrown Aeoniums below the citrus trees in the cutting garden as shown in these before and after shots |
FEBRUARY
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| The peacocks took over the neighborhood |
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| I renovated the succulent bed in front of the garage (again) after raising the soil level and collecting more rock |
MARCH
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| March delivered the first Dutch Iris and Freesias |
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| The tree-sized Ceanothus arboreus 'Clifford Schmidt' bloomed on the back slope. Sadly, only a short time after it finished flowering in late April, it died. I had the plant removed in November after more than 10 years in the ground. |
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| The south-side garden started it's own early spring show. (Several months later my husband and I removed the overcrowded 'Blue Flame' Agaves and a bloomed-out Agave 'Blue Glow'.) |
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| Homeowners in our area received notice of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors requirements to create "defensible space clearance" to protect homes in zones facing significant fire risk. This was one of several areas I identified to clear. I reluctantly gave up both the tree-sized Leucadendron 'Pisa' and a large Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'. |
APRIL
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| More early spring blooms in the back garden |
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| I admired the Chionanthus retusus (aka Chinese fringe trees) on a visit to South Coast Botanic Garden |
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| I attended the Flower & Garden Show at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa with a friend. It's no longer much about garden design but there are a lot of plants for sale by vendors. |
MAY
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| I had a tree service remove some 20+ shrubs and trees that I feared represented a fire risk due to the plant's flammability and/or proximity to the house (i.e., an area within "zone zero" as defined by the State of California) |
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| The same area once I'd replanted it later that month |
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| The back slope once I'd cleaned it up a bit. Invisible from the main area of the garden, I routinely give this area less attention than it could use. |
JUNE
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| Daylilies putting on a good show |
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| The sweet peas got a very late start but flowered well once they got started |
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| My foliage plants held their own with the flowering plants. (Agave bracteosa shown here.) |
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| Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' in fine form on the moderate front slope. (Two recently produced bloom stalks.) |
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| Agave ovatifolia backed by a giant Leucadendron salignum 'Chief'. I subsequently pruned the Leucadendron's dead growth and had a major branch removed in November. Unfortunately, it isn't rebounding as well as I'd like to see. |
JULY
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| The lilies also put on a good show this year |
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| I replanted another area in which I'd had a large shrub removed. Other areas that had been cleared were also replanted but some remain to be addressed. |
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| Leonotis leonurus did well this year, with its flowers landing in a vase for a change |
AUGUST
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| My dahlia flowers did well in the cutting garden; however, the foliage suffered from dahlia mosaic virus. I ended up discarding all the tubers (and ordering new ones to replace them next year). |
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| I visited the SOAR (tropical butterfly) exhibit at South Coast Botanic Garden |
SEPTEMBER
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| The dahlias faded in September and I ended up pulling most of the tubers by the end of the month |
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| Clouds amped up the quality of this sunset |
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| The new owner of Annie's Annuals & Perennials mail order service advertised its first plants following the closure of the original business. This box contained my first purchase. I haven't placed a second order (yet) as I want to buy enough at one time to justify the shipping cost and the selection is still relatively small. |
OCTOBER
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| October brought some unexpected information. Not only had we cleared the Fire Department's inspection of our compliance with current fire safety regulations but we also learned that the fire severity zones had been redefined. At one time the majority of our entire peninsula was considered at high risk. That area has been reduced under the new map, set to go into effect on January 1, 2026. |
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| We researched our status and discovered that our home (and 15 other properties within our neighborhood of 56 homes and one empty lot) falls outside the at risk fire zones entirely! It's confusing as we're within a 5 minute walk from homes at "high" and "very high" fire risk. |
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| My sister-in-law paid an overdue visit and, while she was here, we toured the community mosaic in nearby San Pedro and spent time walking the marina area |
NOVEMBER
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| My Protea 'Claire' produced flowers and is still doing so as the year comes to an end |
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| Despite the compliant notice from the Fire Department, we elected to remove the wood fence on our north-side to minimize the risk posed by having a wood structure attached to the house itself. The before and after shots are shown here. My husband did all the work with very little assistance from me. |
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| He subsequently also removed the wood pergola attached to the front of the house. With a little assistance from a neighbor, he removed the final wood struts shown in these photos about a week after these shots were taken. |
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| I finally got some real fall color from one of our persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu') |
DECEMBER
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| Meeko calmed down enough to have a Christmas tree this year without substantial fear she'd bring it down. She's still something of a handful, though. |
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| A friend and I toured the Aloe section of South Coast Botanic Garden near year end while checking out its dinosaur exhibit |
That's my 2025 wrap-up (and also a nod of sorts to my 13th blogoversary, which fell on Monday, December 29th). While not all bad by any means, I'm still glad to see 2025 in the rear view mirror. I hope 2026 brings all of us good health, peace, and beauty with the new year.
All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
