To the ancient Persians, the pomegranate represented fertility and abundance. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate symbolized prosperity and eternal life. The fruit is a powerhouse of health benefits — rich in antioxidants like punicalagin and anthocyanins, which...
The Aztecs gave us words like “chocolate,” “tomato,” and “avocado.” They developed chinampas, or floating gardens, to feed their large population. And they were the first to cultivate zinnias, a flower they called...
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 tree 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...
