Tag: Barb Strona
Reducing the Risk of Wildfires*
Last January Gary Ferguson spoke of some of the results of wild fires. He covered aspects of its benefits and those of its dangers. We know that today wildfires occur with increasing frequency; they burn hotter and faster; and they are incredibly difficult to contain. The consequences of wild fires are ecologically and economically enormous. […]
Designing with Succulents
Debra Lee Baldwin frequently gives talks to garden clubs. Her most recent talk at the San Diego Horticultural Society gave highlights from her latest book, “Designing with Succulents.” Probably the greatest motivation for planting succulents in San Diego County is fire protection. During the wildfires many people said, “Succulents saved our house.” Baldwin showed us […]
How to Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds
When Mission Hills Garden Club met in September, Brijette Romstadt gave us a talk on seeds. Of all the seeds she mentioned, tomatoes interested me most. With the exception of 1972 or 1973, I have found it much cheaper to purchase fancy heirloom tomatoes than to grow them. Nevertheless, despite my vow to never grow […]
Something Special about Seeds
The Mission Hills Garden Club met in September (we meet on the odd-numbered months) at the Mission Hills Nursery to hear Brijette Romstedt tell us really interesting facts about seeds. Romstedt believes that seeds provide “a window to the past and a door to the future.” Her company, San Diego Seed Company, is the only […]
Hunters in the Sky
In 2013 I met Nancy Conney, founder and operator of Sky Hunters, a non-profit organization that rescues about 350 harmed raptors a year. Last July she was June’s “make up” speaker to the Mission Hills Garden Club. Conney gave us some background. Of the birds rescued each year, approximately 80 per cent are released to […]
Succulent Tapestries
I went with the Mission Hills Garden Club for an entertaining presentation by Laura Eubanks showing how she assembles gardens and is paid for doing so. Eubank’s path is both interesting and amusing. I know she has an incredible innate sense of design as she was completely untrained. Eubank has always loved gardens. With four […]
Enriching Your Garden and Discouraging Bugs
A More Effective and Economical Source of Gardening Products Andy Danenberger is part of the Voluntary Purchasing Group (VPG). Their focus is on keeping a garden healthy without sacrificing the environment. He brought a host of products that, if used properly while carefully following the directions on the package, will help you to do just […]
Watershed Conservancy Offers Opportunity for All
In September my eyes opened to new ideas and knowledge. Jess Norton of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy presented a wealth of information about her organization. Its mission is “to preserve, protect and share the natural and cultural resources of the San Dieguito River Valley through collaborative efforts to acquire lands, complete trails, restore […]
