The Science Behind Nature - in Layperson Speak
Ten years ago we replaced our dying grass lawn with a California native garden. Photos best illustrate the transformation, the rich habitat it has provided, and our happiness with our new front yard. Before Photos and Planting Prep (late 2008 - Jan, 2009) Immediately Post-planting and the …
Continue Reading about Our California Native ‘Lawn’ – 10 years old!
We continue to love our property and our trips for the natural world lessons they bring us. Here are 2018 highlights! Curious Bighorn Sheep. On a visit to Joshua Tree National Park, my friend Nancy and I observed these bighorn sheep observing us so curiously. It started with one and then …
Continue Reading about Highlights from our Natural World – 2018
It’s finally cooled down here in California and fall is a great time to reflect on what’s done well and what hasn’t in our yards. And also ponder what we might do differently. In Southern California - unlike in the Midwest where I grew up - there’s no rest for the weary since fall through winter are …
It seemed a no-brainer to grab an opportunity to explore two of the Channel Islands with ecologist-extraordinare Kurt Leuschner, a professor at College of the Desert in Palm Desert. Anacapa Island, the barren rookery for hundreds of Western Gulls, and Santa Cruz, the lushest and largest, offered two …
I recently attended an all-day workshop on Habitat Gardening that covered our birds and butterflies and pollinators. It also focused on how to welcome beneficial insects to combat pests, therefore avoiding the use of pesticides. Led by Frederique Lavoipierre, Director of Education at the Santa …
Continue Reading about Habitat Gardening (Part 1) – Insects are Good!
Our California native plants are hanging in for the winter -- undoubtedly hoping for some real winter rains. In the meantime, for many it's the time of year to do some pruning. There are exceptions (see below) but pruning in the winter months before new growth starts is often recommended. Here are …
Continue Reading about Pruning Native Plants: Tips We’ve Found Useful
