Anawalt Gardening & Tool Tips
Metro Los Angeles is home to several species of hummingbirds, with Anna’s hummingbird being the most common year-round resident.
These tiny, energetic creatures bring energy, life, and brilliant color to a garden and keep curious house cats entertained for hours.
You’ve followed the planting schedules, the watering guidelines, and the mulching recommendations, but are you getting the most out of your watermelon crop?
Not unless you’ve tried companion planting.
Historically, garden borders defined spaces in large estates and formal gardens. Think of the intricate hedges in English estates or the tidy gravel pathways in French symmetry gardens. Their purpose was to create a neat, polished, and structured garden.Â
Today, borders are scaled down for much smaller suburb “estates,” but their role remains the same.
These native Mexican, Central American, and South American plants, with delicate, feathery foliage and a broad color palette, symbolize resilience. They thrive in poor soil, demand minimal care, and still produce alluring blossoms.
Ignore them all you want. They’ll still reward you with abundant flowers.
Lantana are hardy, fragrant, ornamental plants that originated in wild tropical climates and have since adapted to grow in dry, arid areas. They’re tailor-made for Southern California’s hot, dry summers.
They’re pretty and practical, too! Here’s why they’re worth considering for your yard.
Native plants have evolved in California’s climate and conditions.
They require less water, fertilizer, and pesticides than non-native species and provide critical habitat for local wildlife like birds, bees, and butterflies.
Creating a concrete porch, patio, or walkway sounds like a job for a seasoned pro or accomplished DIYer. But you don’t have to be an expert to get good results.
Just as your favorite marinara sauce follows a tried and true recipe, there’s a formula for pouring concrete.
Every DIYer has a drill — or several — in the garage and a complement of specialized drill bits to match.
The drill, which has been around for thousands of years, will likely remain a featured tool in construction and home repair well into the future.
Using the wrong drill bit leads to poor-quality work, broken tools, or safety hazards. Each drill bit is designed for a specific purpose.
Understanding these drill bit types ensures your work is efficient, safe, and professional-looking.
Companion planting is growing different plants together for mutual benefit.
This time-tested technique pairs plants with complementary qualities to help each other flourish.
Companion planting can enhance growth, increase fruit production, and improve the flavor of your strawberries.
Gladiolus is prized for its tall, striking flower spikes and vibrant hues.
The plants are native to South Africa and the Mediterranean, where they flourish in warm temperatures and full sunshine. This makes them a natural for Southern California gardens.
Your garden needs love and cooperation. Not just the human kind, but also the cooperation that comes only from plants.
Ever heard of companion planting? It’s an easy way to boost your garden’s growth and productivity without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Lilacs are native to Eastern Europe and parts of Asia, where they were cultivated for their delicate flowers and sweet fragrance. Symbolically, they’re associated with love and renewal.
These bushes can be grown in various environments, making them popular for hedges and landscaping worldwide.
“Nasturtium” derives from the Latin word “trophaeolum,” meaning trophy, a nod to their shield-shaped leaves and bold flowers. Indigenous peoples first cultivated nasturtiums in Central and South America for culinary and medicinal purposes.
Today, nasturtiums grow worldwide. Gardeners value them for their low-maintenance nature, culinary applications, and ability to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Â
Your garden needs love and cooperation. Not just the human kind, but also the cooperation that comes only from plants.
Ever heard of companion planting? It’s an easy way to boost your garden’s growth and productivity without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is native to North America. Archaeological evidence suggests that indigenous peoples began domesticating sunflowers as early as 3000 BCE.
Grown for their seeds and oil, they also played a role in cultural and spiritual practices. By the 16th century, sunflowers were introduced to Europe.