Though Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning the sale of most new gas powered tools by 2024, gardeners and landscapers say a $30 million state subsidy isn’t nearly enough to help small operators make the switch to electric. The state agency responsible for administering the subsidy estimates it has only enough to give […]
Landscaping
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Particulars of Pruning
With the mercury hovering in the frost zone, here on the home farm we’re enjoying the rush of chilly temperatures. An essential but often overlooked element of successful home farming is the downtime of the winter months. We use this time to put up our feet and drink some hot homegrown tea by the fire. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
To Leave or Not to Leave?
Fall leaf raking seems like such a straightforward task — rake the leaves, stuff a few down the back of someone’s shirt, get chased around the garden and end up dirty and sweating with a large pile to take to the green waste or the compost bin. Fun and done, right? But every year I […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Why I Hate Landscape Fabric
The black death — aka landscape fabric — stifles your soil and looks lousy when it inevitably peeks through. Sometimes I try to be fair and balanced on an issue so I don’t sound like some kind of gardening zealot. Today isn’t one of those times. I think landscape fabric sucks. There, I said it. […]