Gardening is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness. We care for plants as best we can, giving them the chance to grow. We can practice mindfulness, giving our thoughts room to grow.
Nature Appreciation
Enjoying a plant for what it is
Palos Verdes – City Nature Challenge
Get your portable phones and cool cameras ready for a five-day bioblitz style event! From April 30th to May 3rd, be on the lookout to log and identify all the plants and animals you can possibly find in the Palos Verdes area.
10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
Every year, we celebrate Earth Day on April 22. This is a day for the earth: for cleaning, remembering, and planning to ensure a positive future for nature. During past Earth Days, events such as river cleanings and the clearing of invasive species has often taken the mainstage in drawing communities together. This year, the holiday is going digital.
March Garden Roundup
Spring has finally sprung in the garden, and everything is getting growing. Most of the seedlings have been transplanted to their long-term homes (at least until they end up in the kitchen...). Check out the post to see how all the plants are getting along!
DRECP – Renewable Energy in SoCal’s Deserts
The powers-that-be want to streamline a process where desert land can be handed over to energy developers who want to invest in clean energy infrastructure. They've written a plan - the DRECP (Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan) - to delineate what is allowed to go where.
End of February Garden Roundup
February has been a busy month in the balcony garden. Cress has grown even faster than the Paperwhites. Tomato seedlings put on mass at the same time as Sunflowers. And the Billy Balls never disappoint. Check out the Garden Updates here!
A Little Landscaped Desk
Scotch Moss isn't actually moss - it's an evergreen perennial shrub that grows low to the ground. It's also perfect for a desktop pet plant!
iNaturalist – the Amazing App
Have you ever come across a plant in the wild that you couldn't identify? An app called iNaturalist may be the easiest way to put a name to a leaf. Join me in a walkthrough of making an observation as I try to identify a strange plant on the coast.
Roundup – January’s End
A look back at what's happened in January, both in the wider environment and in my own garden. Most notably - the LA smog is back, my garden has new LED grow lights, and South Coast Botanic Garden's GLOW event is over.
Climate Since Covid
Only time will tell what the final effects of the COVID shutdowns are on the environment. During the height of the lockdown, air quality improved almost immediately. NO2 and CO2 (from fossil fuels) both decreased. This effect was noticed most heavily in major cities, though arguably the whole world benefitted. Fine particulate matter, PM2.5, similarly dropped.
