What is it about Italian terra cotta? Living in Southern California, we have all seen plenty of Mexican terra cotta, or should I say Mexican CLAY products (since they really aren’t terra cotta). It looks great in the California sunshine, but the clay seems to melt or disintegrate immediately with the constant spray of water from…
Archives for February 2014
In the Garden and Dreaming
Many of us have a particular place we think best and where we feel whole. I have always been most comfortable in my garden. I can remember all of my past gardens. When I was five years old, I lived across the street from Mr. Mitchell. His entire backyard was a lathe house where he grew…
Saying Goodbye to the Lawn
When Jane Abascal and her husband Manny moved into their home on a quiet, tree-lined street in Altadena, California, they noticed the garden across the street had a lovely, welcoming feel they wanted for their new space. After a reasonable amount of time, Jane approached her neighbor to ask if she would share the name…
Just Eat It: Freitasalad
Brent and I have now been traveling for many years to Europe to find the perfect pieces for Eye of the Day, but at one time we were star-struck novices and our first trip to Paris to shop for the store was one miraculous impression after another. A circuitous route to Just Eat It, I…
Our review of Patti Moreno’s “Gardening By Cuisine”
I bet if a nineteenth century man learned that in the future hundreds of books would crop up to teach people how to grow their own food, he’d laugh, and then cry. How could a practice so central to human survival for thousands of years suddenly come off as a new hobby? Well, that’s exactly…
Container Gardening During Drought
Best Practices for Container Gardening During a Drought Those of us who garden have seen the effects of the lack of rain, and enjoying our gardens is going to take more work. Longtime Californians have already experienced this kind of shortage and we know the drill. You turn on your shower in the morning, you…