Feb 3, 2025
Intrepid gardeners venture forth this spring with enthusiasm and confidence that the new growing season will be better than Marie’s Donuts.
Unfortunately, mixed results may be the awful truth. At worst, great expectations of a beautiful garden could shrivel into catastrophic failure. Oof.
Where did we go wrong? In these times of despair, gardeners seek remedies and answers. Be careful where you look. Social media, podcasts and streaming can deliver bad gardening information culled from folklore and misinformation.
Jan 28, 2025
The McKinley Park Tudor started out with a garage. Over the years, the garage gave way to a storage shed. When Theo and Paige Martenis bought the home in 2015, they decided their growing family needed more living space.
The answer was an ADU—accessory dwelling unit. The shed that replaced the garage was replaced by an additional 1,000 square feet of living accommodations.
“We want to have another child,” says Theo, whose daughter Sofia is 4. “We needed a place where family could stay with us and help.”
There was just one big hangup. A giant heritage redwood stood on the lot line with neighbors to the rear. Both households love the tree and wanted it preserved.
The mission to save the redwood was accomplished by architect Dennis Greenbaum and contractor Michael Higgins with MT Higgins Construction.
“We gave the architect the directive to build around the tree,” Theo says. “And we worked diligently with the architect, contractor and an arborist to spare the tree as little trauma as possible.”
Dec 28, 2024
The 1937 Spanish Revival-style duplex in Land Park is the perfect place for retired architect Peter Saucerman and his wife Susan Twining.
The house features an owner-occupied unit of 2,200 square feet and another 1,100-square-foot rental. The owner’s side has three bedrooms and two bathrooms on two floors connected with a curving staircase, plus a two-car garage.
Local architect Leonard F. Starks designed the property for himself and his wife Eleanor. One of the city’s most prolific architects, Starks designed the Elks Tower, C.K. McClatchy High School, Downtown Post Office and Alhambra Theatre, the latter demolished but still missed.
Dec 28, 2024
I cannot repair a modern appliance. Troubleshooting computer problems, reprogramming the home security system and installing child car safety seats stump me. Shameful.
My feeble attempts at Mr. Fix-It are soon abandoned, followed by a call or text to my son or daughter-in-law. It begins with, “Do you know how to…?” When your 8-year-old granddaughter is better at operating the TV remote control, you admit shortcomings.
Plants are my strength. I am a plant rescuer. I can fix a plant, and nurture it to health and long life. Herbaceous or woody, deciduous or evergreen, once a plant enters hospice care, I perform miracles.
Nov 28, 2024
Ryan and Heather Filippini go way back. They met as youngsters at St. Anne’s Catholic School in Lodi, followed separate paths to college, got reacquainted in Sacramento and married in 2010.
Now they work mostly from home. Ryan works in real estate. Heather works for a tech support company. East Sac is their base.
“Our first East Sac home was a two-bedroom, one-bath near Bertha Henschel Park,” Ryan says. “We then upgraded to a larger house across the street. We loved our neighbors and our tightknit neighborhood, especially during COVID lockdowns.”
