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Looks like Spring

by | Feb 29, 2008 | Uncategorized

Isn’t it nice when plants you like reseed or naturalize? Below are some flowers I’m enjoying that I planted a few years ago. And yes, I’m finally emerging from hibernation mode. It’s totally mental because I live in northern California. All of a sudden, flowering quince, Japanese camellias, wild lupine, saucer magnolias and daffodils have exploded into color and that’s just something you can’t ignore.

I’ve even started torturing my teenage son on the drive to school by offering him twenty bucks to name neighborhood flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. One of these days, I’m going to have to pay up… because he’s starting to remember the names.

On the pizza front, I’m making my first batch of homemade dough tonight using King Arthur’s Sir Lancelot flour. Wish me luck. Or, rather, wish my son and his friends luck. They’re my culinary guinea pigs.

A little rant.

by | Feb 15, 2008 | Uncategorized

I usually try to stay focused on the positive aspects of gardening, but this morning I feel like a little rant on this blurb that showed up in my Home & Garden feed. The Bee is calling for 100-word reader submissions on the topic of nosy neighbors. As stated, all submissions become property of The Sacramento Bee.

I’ve been seeing a lot more of this lately; Newspapers and magazines which have slashed or outright decimated their gardening content to the point where you can barely line a birdcage with the stuff, are now asking us to write their articles for them… for no pay… and they get to keep all rights to our submissions.

I don’t think so. We need to nip this nasty journalistic habit in the bud.


Call to Readers: Curious neighbors?

Got a nosy neighbor, a world-class buttinsky? Seen them peering through fence slats, focusing the binoculars, hiding behind the drapes? If so, we want to hear about your neighborhood busybody for an upcoming Home & Garden story. Are they good, bad or just annoying? Please e-mail your story of 100 words or less to scene@sacbee.com. All submissions become property of The Sacramento Bee.

Here’s another…

A little help from readers, please

Do you take your love of gardening to work with you? Is your workspace overflowing with greenery? I’d love to know – and see – how you decorate your cubicle or desk with plants for a coming story. Send me an email telling me about the plants on your desk or in your cubicle. Send along a photo if you can. Send comments and pics to h&g@sacbee.com and put “cubicle plants” in the subject line.

I’m also interested in hearing from readers who grow houseplants that bloom, especially during winter. Tell me about your plants and send a pic to h&g@sacbee.com, and put “indoor plants” in the subject line.

Be sure to include your full name and the city and state where you live. And thanks for the help.

No, thank YOU! And can I make you a pot of coffee and bring you your slippers after I write that article for you?