The tulip hails from the cool mountain slopes of Kazakhstan. It was introduced to the Netherlands in the early 1600s and quickly became a wealth and social status symbol. Tulip mania followed — the speculative buying and selling of tulip bulbs. As demand grew, so did...
Imagine a dark woodland area at night. Would you be drawn to it? Would you linger? Probably not, unless you’re a vampire. Likewise, a dark backyard with deep shadows can feel more menacing than inviting. But an accent light here and there, a beam to highlight,...
We all know a putterer when we see one. Putterers putter in the yard — digging, planting, pruning, and mowing. It’s a form of therapy. But when temperatures soar into the 90s, with humidity to match, yard work feels less like therapy than torment. Even putterers...
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...
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...
