My Traveling Shoes
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....
California Natives for Spectacular Containers
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...
Scotts Valley Storytellers Speak
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...
Battling invasive plants and diseases
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...
Fragrance in the garden
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...
Think Local First
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...
Remember to cast your vote
I’m a member of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors but I’m speaking only for myself today. I want to thank everyone for being engaged in the surcharge issue over the past weeks. I’ve seen each of the letter responses, read...
Letters to the Editor, July 30
Let’s keep our water rates affordable
I think the numbers and logic regarding a proposed San Lorenzo Valley Water District surcharge simply do not add up. Water rates fund operations, reserves and long-term debt. Large infrastructure projects, including those required due to fire damages, are...
The dog days of summer are here
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...
How plants survive through the heat
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...
Final paving, striping on Highway 9 continues this week
A major maintenance paving project continues on Highway 9 between El Solyo Heights Drive in Felton and California Drive in Ben Lomond.
Travelers on Highway...