Johnny Appleseed spread the gospel of the apple tree along the American frontier, traveling barefoot as far as Indiana and possibly Illinois. He never made it to California, but the apple did, introduced by Spanish missionaries who also grew oranges, olives, grapes,...
Is there a perfect tree for low-effort gardeners? In SoCal, it might be the desert willow, a native plant that manages just fine without help but flourishes with a little TLC — occasional waterings and “haircut” now and then. The desert willow (Chilopsis...
First, a point of clarification: peonies are NOT cute hooved animals that little girls love. They’re showy, cool-weather flowering plants that often struggle in Southern California gardens. Peonies are native to the chillier climes of Europe, America, and Asia....
Do you take your home brewing seriously? REALLY seriously? Then why buy your hops in a bag when you can pick them fresh off the vine? The hop plant (Humulus lupulus) is a climbing vine that can reach up to 20 feet tall in a single growing season. Its cone-like flowers...
Grapes are among the oldest cultivated plants in human history. Farming dates back over 8,000 years to the regions around modern-day Armenia and Georgia. Cultivation boomed when humans discovered the fermentation process (surprise, surprise!). Ancient Egyptians,...
