Trees Need Clearance From Utilities
UNITED STATES—Palm trunks grow in only one direction; upward, toward sunlight and away from gravity. Each trunk is equipped with only a single terminal bud. If that bud encounters an obstacle, it can not be pruned around it. Palm trunks that get get too close to high voltage cables, or that might sway too close with a breeze, must...
Hard Knocks
UNITED STATES—Samuel Johnson, the British wit and man of letters, said that he never knew a man with a toothache to be a philosopher. Well, this concept I tested now and then during my time at 1980 Estrella Avenue. I suffered periodic molar aches and would just tough it out. They seemed to come and pass like rain clouds....
Motion As A Landscape Element
UNITED STATES—Landscapes appeal to our senses. The colors and textures of blooms and foliage are visually appealing. Floral fragrance and foliar aroma appeal to the sense of smell. Fruits and vegetables can provide flavor. Wind chimes, fountains and birds visiting bird feeders might add a bit of delightful sound and motion. Yet, the motion of certain plants in the...
Heavenly Daze
UNITED STATES—You wake up and you’re in this place where the clouds are all cottony as they glide across an achingly blue sky. Kinda like the over-the-top monumentality of the Paramount logo or the more subdued Warner Bros. Then you come to some Corinthian columns like they had at the Old Spaghetti Factory, before it was turned into a...
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Brings Back Native FilmFest
PALM SPRINGS, CA—Now in its fifteenth season, Native FilmFest presented by Agua Caliente Cultural Museum Tuesday, March 1 through Sunday, March 6 is one of the most highly regarded festivals of its kind ̶ showcasing the best in films by, about, and starring Native Americans and other Indigenous peoples. Guest Programmer Elizabeth Weatherford is Director and Founder of the...
Nomenclature Is The Name Game
UNITED STATES—Nomenclature is a standardized technology of naming. It dictates the universal 'botanical' names of all plants, so that everyone everywhere can communicate more efficiently about horticulture. Botanical names might seem confusing, and maybe even unflattering, but they eliminate the confusion associated with regional common names that are as variable as languages and cultures.
For example, the white pine from...
Back To Begin
UNITED STATES—Back at the rooming house the pressure was on to get some scratch. Of course my teen horror screenplay, “The Persecuted” was floating out there, and that was my insurance policy. Meanwhile free room and the wageless position of manager kept me always open and seeking. That openness, defined as chronic mild curiosity coupled with being able to...
Bloom Is Earlier If Forced
UNITED STATES—Properly pruned deciduous fruit trees probably do not have too many extra stems to spare now. Neglected trees would have more to offer. Believe it or not, a few of us who prune deciduous fruit trees diligently and meticulously in winter sometimes leave a few unwanted stems to prune out and take into the home now that the...
Taste Of The NFL Turns 25 At The Cow Palace
SAN FRANCISCO—Football and food joined forces at the legendary Cow Palace, on the eve of Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. Celebrities and top chefs joined together with current, past and Hall of Fame NFL players to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Taste of the NFL’s Party with a Purpose.
Actor Daniel Dae Kim, Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell, Kristi Yamagucci,...
Warm Weather Confuses Dormant Plants
UNITED STATES—Climate is what makes gardening so excellent here. It is just warm enough in summer for plants that like a bit of heat, but not too unbearably hot for too long. It is just cool enough in winter for plants that like a chill, but not cold enough for hard frost or heavy snow. The climate is also...