Brian Kemble is curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. His monthly column focuses on drought tolerant plants and dry gardens. When the genus Aloe is mentioned, many people think ...

One of the most common, and useful, houseplants is aloe vera. This succulent sits on the kitchen windowsill of many homes, just waiting to answer a 911 call when minor kitchen burns, sunburns or ...

A South African clumping species that grows 2 to 3 feet tall in sun, soap aloe (A. maculata) bears attractive blossoms much of the year. The flowers, in a range of colors, are displayed on tall stalks ...

Q:I BOUGHT an aloe plant last year at the Ruth Bancroft Garden and the cold weather in January reduced it to a pile of mush. I liked the look of my aloe, but have been afraid to plant another one ...

A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place, while a garden thug is a plant spreading without apparent limit, and overwhelming other plants it encounters. Garden thugs could well be landscape ...

It’s the festive season and we’re all about spending time with family and friends and soaking up lots of time outdoors (hello summer!?). This year, we’re welcoming gardening traditions. Planting ...

A cold-hardy succulent from South Africa, soap aloe (A. maculata) is a clumping species with spotted spine-edged rosettes of leaves that grow 2 feet tall and inflorescences up to 3 feet tall. Clusters ...