Reader Favorite California Native: Ceanothus

Ceanothus thyrsyflorus ‘Repens.’ Image: Kousvet When I asked readers for native plant favorites not included in our short list of six favorites, we had a few votes for Ceanothus a.k.a California lilac, wild lilac, and soap bush. In case you’re not familiar with this stunning plant, it’s a family of shrubs and ground covers that have dark green leaves and deep purple or sometimes white flowers. The reason I didn’t include it is that it didn’t meet...

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Our new front yard, part 5: Constructing a meadow community

...e die if you give them water at the wrong time. Oy! Save me from our crazy native grasses. Right now I have three species of native bunching grasses on the slope. The first is Sporobolus airoides (Alkali dropseed). This is the tallest of my grasses. It gets to be three feet tall, with more height from the seed heads, I believe. It’s showy, with nice airy seed heads. I planted it in the “back” portions of the slope, i.e. the furthest from the stree...

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How to Make Stock

...ut them in the freezer if you don’t have time to make stock at the moment. Making fish stock is pretty much like making chicken stock with a carcass. Gather all the fish bits or shells you have and add them to the basic ingredients for veg stock. Skip the mushrooms and potatoes, though. Maybe add a little more onion. Parsley goes well with fish, so try to use that if you can. A bit of thyme is also very nice. White wine is a traditional addition t...

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Foodcrafting 101

...to recreate everything at home. Foodcrafting 101 Workshop Schedule: Bread Making: Master the simple technique of bread making from scratch using the no-knead bread recipe from the Institute Director’s own cookbook. Learn about types of flour, where to purchase them, how to shape loaves and achieve the perfect crust. You’ll learn how to recreate a professional bread baker’s oven at home and produce loaves that rival accomplished bakers. Cheese Mak...

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Saturday Tweets: #FlyingLess, VHS Making a Comeback and Alanis Morissette Impressions

...witter.com/a5B7J0aHX1 — Wrath Of Gnon (@wrathofgnon) March 19, 2018 VHS is making a comeback https://t.co/cankAKwcRR — Root Simple (@rootsimple) March 20, 2018 The auto industry has already established primacy over our cities. Now they want primacy over our bodies too? Enough. Tech solutions with dubious ethical implications don’t give us the future I want to live in. https://t.co/WbypKPrr0F — Eric Bruins (@ejfbruins) March 22, 2018 Love Dan Pears...

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