I love living in the desert Southwest. I really do, except in August. That’s when I start to tire of the long, hot summer and yearn for fall. By September, the days begin to shorten and the weather begins to cool and I plant my cool-season vegetable garden. One of the things that I love […]
Every year, I always look forward to Christmas. It begins in late October when I start shopping for the perfect gift for those on my list. I am blessed to have my entire family living within 20 minutes from me (with the exception of my daughter, Rachele, who is in the Navy). However, it didn’t […]
Do you celebrate Christmas with a natural tree? If so, what do you do with it once the holidays are over? If you are like many people, your beautifully decorated tree eventually ends up at the curb waiting for trash pickup. But, what if you could find another purpose for your old Christmas trees – […]
Each region has their own way of celebrating Christmas. Of course Christmas lights seem just about universal and they are one of my favorite parts of decorating for Christmas. Some of you may feel that it is not Christmas without snow, but growing up in Southern California near the coast – the only white Christmas […]
Whenever I am not writing, you’ll often find me out in the field helping others learn how to grow and maintain their landscapes. Usually most landscape consultations are fairly routine. However, I sometimes see something truly unique. Earlier this week, I saw something that is probably the most unexpected thing that I’ve ever encountered. Here […]
One of the benefits of growing vegetables in zone 9 is that we are able to grow vegetables all year long. However, despite our relatively mild winters, warm-season vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes can’t handle temperatures when they dip below freezing. So just before freezing temperatures hit, I run out to the garden […]
Most of us are familiar with teak wood and its beauty. Often, you can find it in a garden setting being in the form of benches, which weather the sun and rain with no problem. Teak wood is extremely durable and unlike many types of wood, can handle water with no problem. A couple of […]
Have you ever looked back at your calendar and wondered at how you ever got everything done while still remaining somewhat sane? I have… Oh, I knew ahead of time that it would take a small miracle to get through the 30 days, starting with Halloween. At this point, I’d like to apologize for […]
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Do you like to decorate your home with natural objects? I do. Recently, I’ve been busy creating items using things found in nature. For example, these may seem like regular pieces of wood from a tree – but what if I told you that they were actually old roots from a cresote bush? […]
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