Welcome to L.A. TACO’s plant and gardening column: Yerbalife. I’ll be your host, Memo Torres, a third-generation landscaper. Finding the best tacos is what I do for lunch, landscaping is what I do in life. Have a plant-related question? Email me at memo@lataco.com.
You need to understand that plants are just like animals; some have been domesticated, while others refuse to be tamed.
Horticulturalists and large propagators compete yearly to see who can find, create, and introduce the next big hit in the landscaping world. And while most take responsible measures to study their new plants before releasing them to our local garden centers, now and then, a few Joe Exotic-and-Carol Baskin-type horticulturalists will recklessly introduce everybody to an untameable botanical tiger.
One of the most common mistakes people make when purchasing plants is to treat them like decorations. They walk into a garden center, see something visually appealing, and think, "This will look great at home."
Almost every time I visit a property with landscaping issues, the problem starts with a bad design: the wrong plants in the wrong place.