I'm thrilled! My Lotusland story got a callout/boost from the Los Angeles Times!
Over-the-Top Lotusland is Inspirational for Home Gardeners
Photo courtesy of Lotusland
I don’t usually write about destinations I actually haven’t been to, so when my editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section asked me if I would write about Lotusland in Montecito near Santa Barbara, we had to come up with a way to frame it that made it relevant to San Diego readers who also may not be ready yet to travel. What I decided was to offer it as inspiration to local home gardeners—and I was able to find some San Diegans who had been there and could speak to that. A little history of this remarkable place, descriptions of some of the more than 20 unique gardens, and its commitment to conservation rounded it out. I can’t wait now to visit it myself! Here’s the story!
Next Gen Furniture Rental Hits San Diego
Unwilling to go down the rabbit hole of furniture shopping? Fernish is one of several "premium furniture rental" ecommerce businesses catering mostly to young, peripatetic professionals and it's just launched into the San Diego market. Here's my story on it today for the San Diego Union-Tribune's Home & Garden section.
Photo courtesy of Fernish
Your Pets are Safe Among Indoor Plants--Or Are They?
A puppy and a pothos plant are not a good mix, especially because that plant and many others are toxic.
(Getty Images)
Got dogs and/or cats and houseplants or floral bouquets? Make sure you're not inadvertently putting them in danger. This has long been a big concern of mine. Years ago I wrote a similar story but on outdoor plants for Edible San Diego. New, updated sources appear here. My new story in today's San Diego Union-Tribune:
Wait, You're Leaving?
One of my favorite topics to write about is pets. So I was thrilled when Eating Well magazine assigned me the topic of how to reduce pet separation anxiety as people return to work from lockdown. It's in the current March 2021 print issue.
Deck the Walls with Lush Florals, Patterns and a Whiff of Nostalgia
(Courtesy of Kim Nadel / Gaia Inspired Design and Consulting)
When I was growing up and my dad, a museum administrator, had to go out of town for meetings, my mom had two rituals: make breakfast for dinner, including waffles with strawberries and ice cream, and redecorate the house. She took advantage of her temporary insomnia by painting and wallpapering rooms through the night.
Sometimes, after we got home from school, Mom recruited us to help steam and scrape off layer upon layer of old paper. I still have olfactory memories of that distinctive aroma of wet paper and old paste.
And I have never approached wallpapering for my own home, as a result.
But I’m rethinking that now. According to Homes & Gardens, an interior design and garden design magazine, wallpaper is a key trend for 2021. So, I wrote a just-published piece for the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section on what’s new (temporary papers, a vast array of materials), and got some sage advice from designers on how to choose the perfect wall coverings.