Jul 28, 2023
Alan and Kelly Harbitter love older homes and appreciate older things. One day Kelly walked past a two-story home on 41st Street. The place was old and ready for new life. Kelly and Alan eventually bought it.
“I used to walk from my Berkeley Way home in East Sac and look at all the older houses and imagine what I could do to preserve and enhance them,” Kelly says.
Kelly grew up in East Sac. She built a career in Washington, D.C., in government relations but dreamed of returning to her hometown. She and Alan met about 20 years ago. For 15 years, the couple maintained a bicoastal relationship. When they married in 2010, Kelly convinced Alan to make their home in Sacramento.
Jul 28, 2023
Hands on hips and nursing a broken heart, we stand before the tomato plant and ask, “How come I’m not getting any tomatoes?” Nature plays cruel jokes on gardeners.
Even one tiny, green tomato can raise spirits, but not satisfy yearnings for a slab of vine-ripened tomato, slathered in mayo and buried between good bread. Be dejected but understand tomato droughts may not be your fault.
Despite skill and experience, even the greenest thumbs can confront the same impasse. Tomatoes go on extended vacations.
Jun 28, 2023
Can we chat about the birds and the bees? No, not those birds and bees, but feathered birds and buzzing bees in gardens.
Wildlife habitat gardens are planned and planted for the benefit of birds, bees, butterflies and assorted critters in search of food, water, shelter and nesting areas. Imagine a wild world garden.
Landscapes, often dominated by lawn, shrubs and trees are being tweaked for ecologically acceptable alternatives. The habitat garden is a throwback to simpler times when humans and wildlife lived in harmony.
Jun 28, 2023
The Reeves family purchased their Carmichael property in 2008. It was a relatively new custom home, but Dr. Aaron Reeves spent a decade renovating the home to suit his family of four. Reeves is a dentist and dental entrepreneur, but his vision and design expertise is on par with many design professionals.
When he was house hunting two decades ago, the late real estate legend Marge Reid suggested he look at the property overlooking Ancil Hoffman Park and Golf Course.