Summer was too short and way too busy. I spent most of it driving. Drove from LA to NYC, and back again. Then flew back east for another family gathering. […]
water conservation
Driving east
Did you ever feel like getting in the car and just driving east? You know, leaving the errands behind and crossing the whole country? Maybe it is the extreme heat […]
Water Bill Blues
It is estimated that over 50% of residential water in California is used outdoors. With water rates rising quickly I decided to take a look at my bills to see how […]
Back-to-school
Back-to-school used to mean to me shopping for pencils, notebooks and backpacks, and one last trip to the beach. Now that I am an empty-nester it means something new. It […]
How to water established trees
I have been doing some online research on watering established trees. It is amazing how much contradictory information is out there! Some say water once or twice a week for […]
Disappearing lawn
A month ago when we had just returned from India, I was sitting in my office looking out the window at the front lawn. The grass on the east side […]
When and how much should I water?
When working at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden on the “Garden Hotline” one of the questions that I found most vexing was: How often and for how long should I water […]
Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The music has been going through my head all day. This morning I decided the irrigation system was due for a tune-up. Starting early, I worked and worked, moving, lifting […]
Quick-ties and duct tape can fix anything
One of the reasons that I decided to have a wild garden was that I wanted to be able to go on vacation and not worry that the irrigation system […]
The Huntington Ranch
Wild sage and buckwheat in the foreground. I am going to say something tantamount to heresy: Although I recognize how amazing the Huntington Botanical Garden is, I don’t really love […]