Columns

As the last echoes of summer fade, school bells are ringing once again and students are streaming back into classrooms. Walking through town these past few weeks, it’s been fun to see the backpacks, the first-day smiles and that renewed sense of energy that...

Beautiful beginning-of-fall weather is here and you may be thinking of what plants you want to add to your garden this fall planting season. California native plants are well suited to planting at this time of year, acclimating to their new homes without much...

“Attitude is the ‘little’ thing that makes a big difference.” —Winston Churchill Each morning, I swing my legs over the side of my bed, slide my feet into “sadly worn” slippers and make my morning’s first cup of coffee where I will take my first...

The other day I visited three local nurseries to see what’s new in their bare root edible selection. In addition to the classics, I found a ton of new varieties for containers and smaller home gardens.  Now is the time to add ornamentals and edibles...

Let’s get out of our comfort zone when training. Many of us associate training as a chore or we need motivation to workout. Many of us stay in our comfort zone because it’s where we feel safe. Living in our comfort zone helps us...

I have a cat named Archer. He’s a little too vocal sometimes but thankfully, he doesn’t chew on plants. If he did or if small children were about during the holidays I’d be sure to put some of my holiday plants out of their...

‘Tis the season. Well, not really that one. The holiday season comes a bit later this year. But if you look around, you’ll notice this spring that organizations and people all throughout the county are being honored and celebrated for their volunteer work. The...

My Butterfly Bush (buddleja dividii) has started to bloom and it’s a Western Swallowtail butterfly magnet. Butterfly species each have their own life cycle and habits and it’s fascinating to watch them as they go about their lives. I live on Boulder Creek where the...

Every drop of rain that hits bare soil is destructive. Over 3,000 years ago the Chinese protected their soil from erosion and increased fertility by planting cover crops. Early Nile Valley inhabitants also practiced this method of agriculture as did first century Romans. Lupines...

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were almost 50,000 suicide deaths in the U.S. in 2022. That's the highest number ever recorded by the CDC. The good news is that suicide is preventable. While...