Apr 28, 2023
Inglorious garden goofs, accompanied by groans or expletives, are painfully inevitable. To goof is human, but navigating the minefield of mayhem is less painful when you know where to step.
Severing a drip irrigation line is a common garden goof. Polyethylene tubing is often buried by bark mulch, foliage or soil. Once pierced by a shovel head, hoe or hand pruners, the line must be repaired with spare parts or worse—an annoying trip to the garden center for necessary parts. Either way, it is a disruption.
Always expose drip irrigation lines before working in an area. Pull the landscape staples that secure the lines and move the tubing away before digging or weeding.
Mar 28, 2023
Rising utility bills and grocery prices can be a gut-punch, especially when tethered to other daily challenges. No wonder studies reveal sufferings from anxiety and depression have tripled in recent years.
Beat back the blues with flowers! Containers of cheery, happy blooms fill the heart with joy.
Trek to the neighborhood nursery and buy armfuls of ostentatious annuals. Select big, bold containers and sacks of quality potting soil. These are baby steps to designing and erecting an adult happy place. Spectacular containers add decorative focal points and supercharge an emotional boost and sense of accomplishment.
Feb 28, 2023
About five years ago, Sebastian Bariani moved from his Land Park home to be closer to the Bariani family’s olive groves in Zamora, north of Woodland. He became intrigued with the idea of constructing his new farm home with steel shipping containers.
Feb 28, 2023
Gardening myths are rooted in folklore and legend. Deceptive and misleading, gardening myths swing from harmful to amusing. Either way, science and research are ignored for a fanciful tale or preposterous concoction.
For instance, an ant swarm is necessary for peonies to bloom. Not true. Ants are attracted by the bud’s sweet secretions and have no blooming superpowers.
Planting a bare butt on soil to test for the perfect temperature is a classic farmer’s tale. If the soil feels “comfortable” and neighbors have not called the police, time to plant! If you must test with a bare behind, get a second opinion from a more reliable soil thermometer.
Jan 28, 2023
Blake and Christine Dugger were married in 2000 and now have three children, Ashby, 11, Penelope, 8, and Crosby, 4½. The kids attend Sacred Heart Parish School. When the school’s fundraiser Holiday Home Tour returned this past December (after a two-year hiatus), the family was ready to showcase its newly remodeled house.
“Four years ago, we moved into this vintage home,” Christine says. “We lived previously at 45th and D streets in a small, two-bedroom home. We made plans to remodel and expand to accommodate our growing family. We were not even looking for another place.
“My youngest was just a baby, and on a stroller walk I spotted the open house for this home. After a quick tour I called Blake and said we needed to buy this house. It had charm, space and everything we had ever hoped for.”
