Water shortages along with energy crises and other realities of modern living have taught us valuable lessons about conserving our priceless resources. And in our gardens, we all Californians have pioneered sustainable strategies that are beautiful and more appropriate to our Mediterranean climate. Go to a nursery this month, and you’re going to see plants […]
The fragrance of jasmine flowers (Jasminum spp.) is unforgettable. It’s among the most expensive perfume ingredients, with 1,000 pounds of jasmine flowers required for 1 pound of jasmine oil. Jasmines are native to subtropical and tropical regions from Iraq, India and China to Malaysia. The most intensely fragrant jasmines have white, tubular, night-blooming blossoms and […]
Due to rising energy costs, insulation has become a crucial part of all new building and remodeling jobs. In the past, insulation could be badly installed, incomplete or lost entirely — none of which is a choice these days. Reasonable utility bills depend on sufficient and well-installed insulation. New criteria can make homes so well […]
Paddle plant offers impact that is high even to get a succulent. There are over 125 species at the Kalanchoe genus, but Kalanchoe luciae is distinct. Its flat, stacking leaves result in its popularity in the sphere of succulent landscape design. It had been sold for several years under the name Kalanchoe thrysiflora, and plantsmen […]
With cheer-bringing blossoms on bare stems from the dead of the winter, the flowering quince is an ancient Chinese symbol of an auspicious New Year. At least as cheering to me would be visiting a Big 10 soccer team lose the Rose Bowl into a California group (go Stanford), and I will think of other […]
November from the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. is a time to wrap up gardening for a while, finish those up lingering to-dos and start enjoying hot fires and seed catalogs indoors. It’s also time to start thinking ahead and prepping for next year. Chores that are not completed this month might need to wait […]
I am a teacher, and college always starts in August — way too premature. From the Central Plains, that usually means you’ve got about a month of perspiration on your casual dress outfits and being totally confused about what season it is, particularly when your pupils are wearing sunglasses and shorts. But this seasonal double […]
Sure, we’re called the “water world,” but remarkably little of the grim stuff — less than 1 percent — is available to us as potential drinking water. The rest is tied up in saltwater, ice caps and other less-accessible sources. That scarcity is not clear to the majority of us in the planet, where water […]
A pathway isn’t created for lingering, cuddling up at a corner along with nesting — or is it? A walkway can provide a relaxed passage from 1 spot into another, a protected stroll through a beautiful atmosphere. That passing can be a delightful walk through the forests — or your home — when it is […]