Columns

Taking my traveling shoes down from the top shelf of my closet, I was surprised to find almost two years of dust had collected on their shiny beaded tops. These shoes have walked me through airport, ship and train terminals for almost 10 years....

Adding California natives to my collection of container plants has been a goal for a long time. Besides attracting birds and wildlife to the garden they use less water than most container plants, plus they are beautiful. Gardening in containers is easy. You can control...

Who doesn't like a good story?  The brief history of storytelling takes us from primitive dance to digital narration. Human storytelling has been passed down from generation to generation before the written word. These earlier stories were more about human survival skills. However, today’s advertising...

I have a nice Improved Meyer Lemon tree where I live. Because of water restrictions by the Big Basin Water Company, it doesn’t get as much irrigation as I’d like but it still looks pretty good and has quite a few ripening lemons on...

A couple of years ago I bought a dwarf butterfly bush and planted it in a pot near my entry. It’s one of the plants that came back from the roots after the fire and it now lives on my deck but in a...

Last year challenged us, not just globally and nationally, but, especially, locally. We know what happened here with the businesses shutting down and stay-at-home demands. Compounded by our local fires, we witnessed firsthand how small local towns band together and support their own. I...

They’re called the dog days of summer. You know, those sultry days with the hottest summer temperatures. The name “dog star” comes from the ancient Egyptians who called Sirius, the Dog Star, after their god, Osiris. His head in pictograms resembles that of a...

What happens to a plant when the thermometer tops 100 degrees? Planning for more hot weather this summer is a requirement for a successful garden. Are there some plants that can survive tough times more easily? Photosynthesis is one of the most remarkable biochemical processes...

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...

Eggplant, that beautiful egg-shaped, purple and glossy fruit we order in a restaurant under the name of Eggplant Parmesan, so often comes to us overcooked, bitter and lackluster for want of proper preparation, we are sorry we had not ordered a different entrée. Now that...