So Cal Alert: Polyphagus Shot Hole Borer

June 15, 2015

...Blue palo verde (Cercidium floridum)* 24. Palo verde (Parkinsonia aculeata) 25. Moreton Bay Chestnut (Castanospermum australe) 26. Brea (Cercidium sonorae) 27. Mesquite (Prosopis articulata)* 28. Weeping willow (Salix babylonica) 29. Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta) 30. Camelia (Camellia semiserrata) 31. Acacia (Acacia spp.) 32. Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) 33. Red Flowering Gum (Eucalyptus ficifolia) 34. Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribund...

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Root Simple: 2015 in Review

Mr. Homegrown

December 29, 2015

Thoughtstylings

10 Comments

...p. I’m not optimistic about this but I hope to be proved wrong. Honesty in Urban Homesteading We don’t do nearly enough blogging about the many hair brained notions and failed projects that transpire here at the Root Simple Compound and Labs. We did mange to chronicle a few of our shortcomings, such as our lack of a clothes line (Busted: Drying Racks, Clothes Lines and Cheese Puffs), the train wreck that was our summer garden (Our Disasterous Summ...

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My Apologies to the Skunk Community

Mr. Homegrown

March 19, 2015

Animals, Gardening, Pests

21 Comments

...k: raccoon and skunk diets overlap considerably. Both are highly adaptable urban foragers. In the case of our raised beds, both the skunks and raccoons are digging for figeater beetle larvae (Cotinis mutabilis). These huge larvae must be a delectable treat, the equivalent of a raccoon and skunk sushi party. Maybe I should overcome my squeamishness and join in the nightly feast. A plate of Cotinis mutabilis larvae ceviche could just be the next hip...

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Thursday Linkages: Mason Bees, Hawks and Robot Cars

Mr. Homegrown

May 22, 2014

Saturday Linkages

3 Comments

....com/2014/05/where-do-rats-go-when-they-die … Boxwoods? Bah! by James Roush http://feedly.com/e/KZ4uAoLm Bikesnob on robot cars: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2014/05/its-end-of-world-as-we-know-it-and-i.html … Urban Beekeeping in San Francisco: http://wp.me/p4fosC-dQ Silent Watcher http://www.recyclart.org/2014/05/silent-watcher/ … For these links and more, follow Root Simple on Twitter: Follow @rootsimple...

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Summer Nights in the Garden at the Natural History Museum

Mr. Homegrown

July 23, 2014

Events

3 Comments

...tenance plants out there, and one that’s perfect for our dry L.A. climate. Urban homesteading experts Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne are here to help you plant your own succulent and give you tips on keeping them alive. Supplies are limited. Available to participants on a first-come, first-served basis PAINTING! Don’t have a green thumb? Stop by the painting booth and that can soon be changed. Artist Peter Tigler brings participatory image making to...

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