Articles

Please note : First published in July, 2019, I'm rerunning this practical blog. I've got a big home project coming faster than I...

Winter storms wreaked havoc in the Bay Area and my garden was no exception. It was finally time for my gardener, Julio, to come to the...

All of a sudden, spring is here and my front yard lavender is having a moment. A coupIe of years ago, I designed our garden as one I'd...

Normally, repotting a house plant would be a nonevent. As it turns out, this time it was kinda fun. Since scoring my $50 Fiddle-leaf fig last weekend at Home Depot, I've been searching for a suitable pot. I'd looked everywhere but just wasn't willing to pay $200+. Who knew? A few months ago, my friend Rita told me that she finds a lot of stuff on NextDoor. Since then, I've paid special notice to the "free" and "for sale" listings. On Wednesday, I saw this ad. Perfect

It all started on Friday, when I watched a few YouTubes regarding the glossy leafed gorgeous Fiddle-leaf fig ( Ficus lyrata) . Bought at Costco, my beloved 42"er is at least 10 years old but some of the leaves were getting yellow in spots. Turns out, it needed to be replanted. Doh! So, off I went to to a San Leandro nursery and then Home Depot. After repotting and a little pruning, here's the final result. I think we're ready for the next 5 years at least. But that's

Estudillo Estates is a 10-minute drive from my house. A favorite Saturday morning includes a walk through this leafy neighborhood,...