There are coffee drinkers and coffee lovers. Voltaire fell into the latter category, guzzling up to 70 cups per day (and living into his 80s). Beethoven hand-counted precisely 60 beans per cup. Once he perfected the formula, he never strayed. Voltaire and Beethoven...
Do you love oranges but hate peeling them? Do you favor limes but hate juicing them? Then maybe the kumquat is for you. The kumquat’s edible skin is surprisingly sweet and fragrant, contrasting with the tart, tangy juice of the flesh. It’s a citrus...
Behold the lime — a key ingredient in guacamole, margaritas, and refreshing sparkling water. Where would we be without it? We would live in a world of bland guacamole toast. The lime, most closely associated in the USA with Mexican cuisine, came to the West from...
In the 1967 movie The Graduate, Benjamin’s Alfa Romeo Spider breaks down in a citrus grove on the way to the church where Elaine is getting married. That grove bordered Fruit Street, so-called because La Verne, CA (the film location) was a prime area for citrus...
You can grow almost anything in Southern California, except maybe reindeer lichen. Bird of Paradise comes from South Africa. Bougainvillea hails from Brazil, and pampas grass is native to Argentina. They’re all familiar sights in LA-area landscapes. But while...
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...
