Tag: Barb Strona
Another Aspect of Aging: Lessons learned in My 80th Year
A year ago, I wrote an article about how much fun and how interesting it is to grow old. I still believe that, but I have learned that the veracity of that statement tempers as time goes on. My current belief is that as long as the body cooperates, the sky is the limit. Sadly, […]
Gardens Revitalized
In September the Garden Club presented Steven Harbour who treated us to some terrific ideas for coping with our water situation. Harbour has spent the past 35 years plus in one form or another of the nursery business. A friend bequeathed his “yard boy” customers to Harbour when he was only a kid. This was […]
Controversial Eucalyptus
In front of my property on the city’s land stands an enormous eucalyptus tree. It has been lauded by all and has been designated a community asset. It is truly beautiful with its lofty branches, its variegated colored bark, its leaves and pods. It shades our house, and it provides entertainment. Unkempt fledgling hawks and […]
Setting Up and Maintaining a Native Garden (Part Two)
Last month I gave you a synopsis of Greg Rubin’s basic explanation of the ecology of a native garden. The remainder of Rubin’s talk dealt with how to keep your garden looking healthy and vigorous all year. Rubin thinks 75 percent of your landscape should be ever green. Manzanita, Penstemon, as well as citrus and […]
Ecologically Speaking with Greg Rubin
Reluctantly I went to the Garden Club meeting since I’d heard the speaker before. Was I in for a pleasant surprise! I learned more in that meeting than I can possibly relay. However, I will point out the highlights. Greg Rubin, a former aerospace engineer, is an award-winning landscape contractor. In the past 23 years […]
A Reading Addict
I have an addictive psyche. I am addicted to overeating and buying shoes, but I am not addicted to alcohol or coffee or sodas. At times I have mastered food and shoes, but not my earliest addiction: reading. Long before I could read, I took a book with me wherever I went. Our bathroom had […]
For the Love of Plants
October’s Garden Club meeting featured a past president of San Diego Horticultural Society and our own garden club, Jim Bishop. He introduced himself as a plant-a-holic. He explained his first slide by saying he always loved to dig. There was Bishop, maybe two years old, shovel in hand at the beach in Panama City, Florida. […]
The Amusing Aspects of Aging
People complain about getting older. They hate the way they look, the way they feel, the way they are treated. These are just a few complaints. However, getting old should be fun! Have you ever looked at a rose bud and watched its progression until the petals fall off? Our skin is very similar to […]
Gardening Challenges That Have Become Fulfilling
Most of my column’s readers know I have never been a fan of gardening. This stems from my childhood. I loathed sitting at the dinner table, bored to tears, while my parents discussed crab grass and dichondra or bonsai or orchids, depending on which parent had the floor. I still cannot comprehend how they could […]
Soft Succulents That Are Easy to Handle
Jeff Moore spoke to the San Diego Horticultural Society about succulents that “do NOT draw blood.” While succulents is not a scientific term, it has come to mean fleshy plants that store moisture. Many of these have such pretty leaves that flowers are unnecessary to enhance your garden. Best of all, Moore says succulents have […]
