Fertilizer Is A Seasonal Commodity
UNITED STATES—Fertilizer, in simple terms, helps plants grow. It provides a bit more of what growing plants crave. In some situations, it compensates for nutrient deficiencies. Fertilizer can be organic or synthetic. Various formulations serve a variety of purposes. Custom formulations appeal to plants with discriminating taste, such as citrus, orchids and roses. Slow release fertilizer lasts for a...
Juniper Turns Over A New Leaf
UNITED STATES—Juniperus, which is the entire genus of juniper, had been languishing in a bad reputation for too long. The problem likely began nearly three quarters of a century ago. More people than ever were enjoying leisurely suburban gardening. Many appreciated the resiliency of juniper cultivars. At that time, a few species of juniper were gaining popularity. Evolving cultivars...
Trick-Or-Treating Discouraged By Experts
SAN FRANCISCO—An official from San Francisco’s COVID command center says certain halloween activities including trick-or-treating are not banned, only discouraged.
Eater SF, a dining-centric publication, contacted the city’s health officials who say in an email, “trick or treating is strongly discouraged because the sharing of food, candy, and items is risky,” and that “it can also be difficult to maintain...
Pomes Produce Better Than Palms
UNITED STATES—Dates, coconuts, acai berries and palm oil grow on palm trees. All are rare in local home gardens. The palms that are popular in much of California are almost exclusively ornamental. Very few of them produce useful fruits. Despite the similar pronunciation, such palms are not at all related to pomes. Some of the more familiar fruits happen...
Break-Up (3)
UNITED STATES—Yes, then and there, after I saw the Slavic blondie beat up the cheeky young Black kid, I vowed never to go back to the smoke shop with the green cross ever again. It actually turned out quite the contrary. The whole unexplained incident with the weight of a mystery. The isolated moments witnessed, taken together, surpassed my...
Schedule Bloom For Every Season
UNITED STATES—Early spring bloom is best. That is simply how the schedule of the majority of flowers works. The priority of flowers is pollination. Pollination is necessary for the production of seed. The production of seed and any associated fruit takes time. Seed, whether contained within fruit or not, then disperses before winter. After soaking and chilling through winter,...
San Francisco Indian Restaurant Besharam To Temporarily Close
SAN FRANCISCO—On Sunday, August 30, Gujarati restaurant Besharam, located in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighborhood, became the latest local restaurant to announce its indefinite closure due to the economic pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic.
La Cocina star Heena Patel and celebrity chef Daniel Patterson collaborated to open the restaurant in May 2018. Less than a year later, Patel broke ties with...
The Break-Up (2)
UNITED STATES—I did something out of character when I saw the White man chase the Black man into the gutter and out of sight behind the regal truck cab. I broke into a run to see what was going on. Not out of morbid curiosity, mind you. My run was motivated by concern that a person here might be...
The Diet Evolution
UNITED STATES—I probably should NOT be using the word diet, but for this column so be it. It actually has become a lifestyle change for me. Since March I took drastic changes to eliminate unhealthy items from my eating habits. The thing about giving up something that you crave is that it is quite difficult for the first week...
Weather Is All About Climate
UNITED STATES—Weather has no thermostat. There is no automation. It is naturally variable. Weather is constantly changing like, well . . . the weather. We take what we get when we get it. It is impossible to predict how this summer will end. Others in the Northern Hemisphere are already getting ready for autumn. It is likely to arrive...