What to do with your indoor houseplants when you’re gone for more than a week? That was the question we had to answer while planning a recent month long trip. Reluctant to bother our neighbors or friends, we opted for an automatic watering system to care for our beloved plants. Yes, there are other options […]
Why Okatsune Pruning Shears Are the Best Kept Secret!
Searching around Amazon, I found a pair of Japanese style hand pruners were around the same price as my old Felcos (around $40). And the customer reviews were phenomenal!
Magid or West County Gauntlet Rose Gloves – I Can’t Decide?
I couldn’t decide between the Magid and West County gloves since both have fantastic reviews. So, yes, I decided to buy a pair of each.
Why Should I Use Rain Barrels?
Recently, I went to a “talk” about the use of rain barrels and rainwater harvesting. I think the number mentioned – that really hit home – was a reminder that only 2% of the earth’s water is fresh, and 1/2 of that, is frozen. When it rains on our cities, whoosh, most of that fresh (and […]
A Few Reasons Why Autumn is One of My Favorite Seasons
Fall is in the air? What does that mean? Every year I seem to notice it right around Labor Day weekend. Something’s changed.
Part 2 of Our Zen Gardening Series – Having a Small Herb Pot can Make You So Happy!
Basic and gourmet herbs are readily available in most local grocery stores these days – at least that’s what I see. So why would I or anyone want to grow their own. Well for one, you don’t usually need an entire bunch of any herb when cooking…
What I Did When I Found Paper Wasps Living in My Patio Umbrella
A couple of months back, I opened up the patio umbrella to find five or six paper wasps busy making tiny paper homes, right on my umbrella. None of them seemed very worried about my presence and continued on doing whatever it is they do.
How the SF Flower and Garden Show Got Me to Start Fermenting Vegetables
OK, I admit, I’m also sucker for cooking demos. This one in particular was a pickling and fermenting ‘how to’. Fermenting vegetable was something that had been in the back of my mind recently.
Review: Huntington Botanical Gardens
It had been so long since my last visit to the Huntington Botanical Gardens that I could barely remember it! Gone are the old lawns to the new entrance; apparently there have been a lot of renovations in the last two years (new gardens, new buildings) and something like fifty per cent of the lawn acreage
Preparing for the Big One: Earthquakes, Fires, Floods and More
For a few days last summer, parts of my neighborhood were in ruins, the recent victim of the film San Andreas. Crushed cars, toppled walls, charred emergency vehicles and about 300 dirty and wounded extras wandering the streets in a daze.
