Columns

Most of us would love to have a garden containing all California native plants growing happily in an ecosystem where everybody wins—birds, bees, insects, wildlife and us, of course. Our garden would contain flowers, shrubs, grasses, ground covers and trees all providing food, water,...

If you’ve been waiting to plant a cover crop, wait no more. The soil is now moist and still warm enough to germinate seed easily. Remember that every drop of rain that hits bare soil is destructive. Over 3,000 years ago the Chinese protected...

Being the type who doesn’t take no for an answer, I’m going to try growing veggies on my shady deck again. I wasn’t very successful a couple years ago. I thought that three hours of hot midday sun would be enough for green beans...

Chairman Mao once paraded landlords before crowds to their deaths and many today would confiscate landlord’s control over property without recompense. When tax clients ask why the rich pay few taxes, I puzzle depreciation expenses, passive income and Trump’s Section 199 qualified business income...

Wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day has been a tradition since emigrants, particularly in the United States, transformed the holiday into a largely secular event celebrating all things Irish. Cities with large numbers of Irish immigrants staged parades going back to 1737 in...

Their business tagline is ‘Boutique Photographers and soon-to-be-best friends.’  We meet great people at networking events, so while attending the Women’s Business Network-SLV on Nov. 17, I met two businesswomen whose enthusiasm for their work was contagious, inspiring this article. Shannon Somers and Christina Re...

Mulch is not a very exciting subject, but it sure is important to the health and productivity of your garden. It’s great that everyone has accepted the value of covering the soil with organic mulch. Organic mulches- such as bark chips, treated sawdust, straw or...

Think like a plant. The weather might be cool one day, really hot the next day. And your plants are growing like mad in order to reproduce, which is their life’s work. All this takes water, which is the elixir of life for us...

There’s no denying that relationships are hard. Maintaining connection and keeping the spark alive when life gets overwhelming and stressful can be hard. But with focus, attention and commitment, you can build and sustain a thriving relationship.  While no relationship is perfect, there are some...

By Janet Janssen, Strictly Business There is no denying this year has left an indelible mark on the community, personally and collectively. Each month, we share about businesses who sell more than their products or services but give back to their community. This practice of...