Dracaena is a genus of flowering plants with more than 170 species, including some too big to be grown indoors. The name comes from the Greek word drakaina, the feminine form of “serpent”. The plants trace back to Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia,...
Avocados are delicious and nutritious (said Captain Obvious). They’re also remarkably easy to grow in Southern California yards. The plant hails from Mexico, which also gave us the poinsettia, zinnia, and mariachi music. Persea americana dates back thousands of...
Every drywall has a history — a history of dings, dents, scuffs, and holes. Some holes may be easy to hide, while others are the size of a baseball — the very thing the kids were chucking about the house last week. Unless you pack the house in bubble wrap (“Not...
Southern California’s mild climate offers the perfect environment for native and exotic blooms and, by extension, pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. These tiny creatures facilitate plant reproduction and garden health. In return,...
Artichokes are cool-season perennials. In California, they’re typically planted in the fall and produce buds in the spring after they overwinter. They require cool weather to form buds, a chilling period known as vernalization. The plants thrive in mild winters...
