-
Air-Purifying Houseplants and Other Myths
Read MoreIt’s an enticing idea, creating little biomes in our homes filled with crisp plant-purified air. Nurseries market it and plant blogs post articles titled, 20 Best Plants for Cleaning the Air. It’s not true. This myth originated in the 1980s when NASA scientist, Bill Wolverton, studied cleaning volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air in small […]
-
The Buried Environmental Justice of George Washington Carver
Read More“The Peanut Guy” is how many people think of George Washington Carver if they think of him at all. It is true that he did some dynamic work with the…
-
Southern California Planting Guide
Read MoreKnowing what to plant when is confusing. Does parsley like hot or cold weather? what can I plant on a 100°F September day (not much)? Why does this lettuce seed…
-
Sheet Mulch: Creating Rich Soil Without Tilling
Read MoreHave you ever dug a hole on a summer day in clay soil? The sun bakes your back as you strike your shovel to the ground. It seems like instead…
-
Nasturtium Margarita
Read MoreNasturtiums are my favorite edible flower. They are colorful but most special, they are peppery. For this recipe I infuse their peppery flavor and color into tequila. Now you can…
-
Growing Nasturtiums: Champion of the Edible Flowers
Read MoreI first met nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) growing wildly in an abandoned park. They had no water and no love but their lily-pad leaves blanketed the ground and their vibrant flowers…
-
What to Grow in Your Winter Garden
Read MoreWinter can be more than dormancy and mid-term elections. There are plenty of crops that can be grown throughout the winter and they include some of the most nutrient dense…
-
Kale, it’s Still Cool: How to Grow Kale
Read MoreKale was not always cool. It used to be a garnish used to dress up the food in mediocre restaurants. My friend would take it home to feed to his…
-
What I Love About Native Plants and Can’t Stand About Native Plant People
Read MoreThese thistles were not the ones I was used to, not the small ones that sneak through your socks when you venture off the hiking trail. These thistles were taller…
