Defining a Garden’s Purpose

...ring down to the garden to read a book, do some work on a laptop, throw a party or simply to soak in the overwhelming peacefulness of this lush space. Sean Stout looking down on the garden from the balcony of his apartment. It’s also clear that the Organic Mechanics created this garden on a budget. The materials were scavenged, but carefully chosen (I’m often too indiscriminate with the objects I place in the garden to the eternal frustration of a...

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An Overdue Update on Phoebe

...you new to the blog, Phoebe has a malformed heart. It’s missing important parts. Here’s the original post from 10/25/11) Thank goodness for drugs and really smart kitty cardiologists. Thank you, Dr. Zimmerman! The first vet to diagnose her sent her home to die. Our lesson: seek out the good vets. The meds that keep Phoebe alive are not even expensive. Her quality of life has really improved since diagnosis. It’s even improved since our last post a...

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Book Review: What the Robin Knows

...aybe deeply buried. Connecting with bird language begins the process of unearthing them. It changes the whole dynamic of our lives immediately. We now recognize the robin. We recognize the sparrow. These birds lift us from our troubled minds. They give us a reason to move and see and listen respectfully. They unlock the outdoors. They reflect our knowledge and our attitude, and ultimately yield the first rite of passage when we’re allowed a close...

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Shoemaking Advice?

...) Free People actually seems like a fine book. It basically steps you through making one basic type of shoe that you can modify in different ways. Erik wailed about the horrible hippie-ness of it all when I showed him the illustrations of what I might make, but he wears cheap Chinese martial art shoes, so I don’t think he has moral or aesthetic high ground here. The other book is The Make it Yourself Shoe Book by Christine Lewis Clark. Not so surp...

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Gardening Resources in Los Angeles County

...sing Greywater Systems – Includes Branched Drains and Water Storage: Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds for Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use. Brad Lancaster’s book: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond (Vol. 2): Water-Harvesting Earthworks Greywater Corp (design, installation and classes) Retail Nurseries Apartment Therapy has a good list. Annie’s Annuals (mail order from SF Bay area). Garden Design/Maintenance Help me out here re...

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