Is there a perfect fruit?

It might be the dragon fruit, a Central American native that tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear or melon.

White-fleshed varieties are milder and refreshing. Red and purple-fleshed varieties are sweeter and sometimes have hints of berry or grape.

Pansies trace to 19th-century Europe. Bred from wild violets (Viola tricolor), these garden staples were developed for their unique “faces” and bold color patterns. Over time, hybridization produced the wide variety of sizes and hues we see today.

Pansies are short-lived perennials, often treated as annuals. Southern California gardeners often replant pansies each fall or winter, since intense summer heat can shorten their lifespan.

Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 95°F can cause leaf scorch, wilting, and sunburn in sensitive plants like lettuce, ferns, hydrangeas, and impatiens.

Once leaf tissue is scorched or sunburned, it doesn’t recover, even when temperatures cool.