How are florists faring during our pandemic? Sadly, like so many other small businesses, not well. Most local flower shops, considered nonessential businesses, are closed. The virus has disrupted supply chains and forced florists to miss out on millions of dollars in revenue as event after event has evaporated. For the time being, I’m proposing…
House & Garden
Helping Your Garden Grow (almost anywhere)
OK, so you’re a gardener or thinking about becoming one. Now that the weather is finally warming up, you can’t wait to get out into your garden. Except that you may or may not actually have ground to cultivate. And/or very little sun. Not a problem. There are ways around this seemingly insurmountable challenge. Years…
Endless Scents and Sizes!
Imagine a happy flower that loves to grow, drama free. For me, that would be one of the many David Austin roses. They have, for the most part, performed reliably, had vigorous growth, and were disease-resistant with a prolific season-long bloom. And the fragrance? Phenomenal. If asked to pick just one David Austin rose, I’d…
Make Mine a Misaka
This stunning early-blooming peony is one of my all-time favorite spring-blooming flowers. If/when nurseries are able to open in your area, (maybe soon?) you might find this or another equally wonderful peony. Access Monrovia growers here, enter your zip code and you’ll be able to find a store near you that stocks their plants. In…
Smart Systems For All Sorts of Scenarios
If you’ve lived in earthquake country long enough, you’ve undoubtedly experienced how unnerving seismic shifts can be. We knew that nothing, short of a very large earthquake, could possibly move the several thousand pound stone mantle that Four Extraordinarily Strong Men had placed in front of our fireplace. “Nothing,” I noted, “other than a mammoth…
Celebrating Spring (even during lockdown)
I’ve always been in awe of and in love with nature. Sowing seeds in the ground, watching them grow and often eating what emerges. The explosions of and subtle shifts in color. The seasonal surprises. While our exposure is now limited with the onset of social distancing, simply stepping outside and getting a breath of…