Happy Gardening New Year!
Good morning and welcome to 2015! Wait, the clock says 12:12 PM! Did I really sleep that long? I've got to stop watching those New Year's Eve broadcasts on Univision. That's right, I said Univision....
View ArticleThursday 13: Life lately
I almost bragged too soon.Getting the Christmas decorations put away the second week of January? Unheard of in this household. And the direct result of a bet. The terms: If I could get all the...
View ArticleComing to terms with my seasonal selves
Showed up at the airport for the first time since the beginning of the year, and understandably received exclamations of "Where have you been?!" "Haven't seen you in awhile!" "You been busy?" from...
View ArticleBest Vegetables to Grow in a Drought
You may have heard that here in California, we don’t have enough water to wet our whistle. There’s no snow, lakes are drying up, and severe water restrictions are in place. However, this doesn’t mean...
View ArticleThe color and texture of spring
Although I'm feeling trepidation at another painful drought year, I'm relishing the color and texture of early spring in Sacramento.xoxo,shawnaGardening things:Aerobic gardening dos and don'tsOn being...
View ArticleHelping things grow
Sometimes, it's literal--cultivating veggies and flowers. Often, it's educational--helping students learn and expand their thinking. Frequently, it's personal--generating ideas and new skills. My...
View ArticleAll the feels
Anger. Irritation. Sadness. Engagement. Chagrin. Satisfaction. Pride. Possibility.As a researcher, I'm interested in how emotion influences communication. When I'm angry, how do I communicate...
View ArticleHow to Kill Obnoxious Weeds Without Using Roundup
If I told you that the 3-year-old and I spent an hour yesterday spraying all the weeds in our yard, you’d probably have a conniption fit. “You WHAT? Those weed killers are full of terrible chemicals! I...
View Article7 Ways to Keep Cats out of Your Garden
Meet Neighbor Kitty. Isn’t he handsome? Over the years, he has “supervised” me on numerous garden projects, like planting asparagus and building a seed starting light. The only part I don’t like about...
View Article10 Ways to Naturally Control Bugs in Your Garden
Whether you have a huge garden in the country, or a tiny one in a city backyard like me, you’ll find one thing in common: BUGS. They creep, they crawl, they fly, and they ooze–and you need to know...
View ArticleSpring, in full burst
Maybe it was too much Alice and Wonderland as a kid, but I can't help anthropomorphizing flowers. Like this hydrangea, which looks like it has a chorus of little mouths shouting to high heaven. Please...
View ArticleFixing my tomato mistakes
There are few things I like better about summer than sweet, ripe tomatoes from the garden. In fact, I've cultivated quite the obsession over the last six years, trying but often failing to get the...
View ArticleFlowers in a drought
Despite the blessedly beautiful storm clouds covering my neighborhood right now, California is in a terribly, ugly, awful, persistent drought. Thinking about the lack of water and related consequences...
View ArticleSun lovers
It felt like a near-death experience. Me. Turbo kickboxing after eight months away. Burning chest, raspy breathing, nausea. And my chipper instructor was happily babbling about the weather. While I...
View ArticleThe definition of magenta
Happy Saturday, all!"Where flowers bloom, so does hope" --Lady Bird Johnson xoxo,shawnaNaBloPoMo May 2015May 1- To selfie or not to selfieMay 2- Helping things growMay 3- All the feelsMay 4- When your...
View ArticleOne Secret Ingredient to Make Pesto on the Cheap
Basil, basil, basil! It’s tucked in here and there in our front yard garden and also in the raised beds in the back. We use it in tons of our favorite recipes–Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce, on pizza, in...
View ArticleGreen tomatoes
It’s nearly December and I’ve just divested my tomato plants of their final fruits. This is indicative of so many things: stupidly warm California weather, lazy gardening, and late fall garden...
View ArticleSacFoodies Weekend Picks
What’s Brewin’ Sacramento Concert Benefit Beer, coffee and live music? Sounds like our kind of charity event! Head to Pachamama tonight for the What’s Brewin’ Sacramento Concert benefiting Concerts 4...
View ArticleSeeking peace of mind in denial works until the truth floods out
I woke up yesterday morning in a can-do spirit. I decided I would check out the lawn sprinklers and adjust the spray heads if needed. Sure enough, three of them were out of whack. A few turns with a...
View ArticleReflections on sprinkler repair and the Armenian genocide
Let me brag about fixing a significant leak in my front-yard sprinkler system. I do feel pleased that I generated the gumption yesterday to tackle the problem. I have registered the accomplishment on...
View ArticleVIDEO: Yisrael Family Farm Teaches Compost Production To Residents
Chanowk Yisrael is an urban family gardener on a mission to teach local community members in Sacramento the importance of growing your own food and how to do it.
View ArticleVIDEO: Burbank Urban Garden Gets Extra Attention
Burbank urban garden assembles helping hands!
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