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Irrigation Gizmos and Gadgets - Part I
3 commentsHave you ever looked at the surface of your soil and thought, “Man, that looks dry; I’d better break out the hose”? If so, I envy your moisture-sensing x-ray vision! How else would you explain your super hero ability to know the amount of moisture below the soil just by observing the top 1/16” of crust?
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Part II -- It's Like Road Rage, Only Wetter
18 commentsRoad rage: A motorist's uncontrolled anger usually provoked by the behavior of another driver. The affliction is officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. "Water rage," however, is not yet listed. But if it were, I'd probably be the poster child.
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Part I -- When The Well Runs Dry
21 commentsPerhaps it’s just a passing cycle, just a blip. Maybe next year the skies will open up and we’ll all be fine. I’m usually a cockeyed optimist, but not anymore—not when it comes to the big unknowns of climate change.
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Too Bad My Dog's Color Blind - Sizzling Hot Colors of Summer
4 commentsI was walking my dog the other afternoon and as is frequently the case, I had my trusty camera with me. Biff the Wonder Spaniel is a patient soul, waiting as I compose my shots. We were just taking a short neighborhood walk as the sun was shooing away the last of the gloom when I noticed that we were surrounded by all the hot colors of summer.
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Flowers From A Bad Sci-Fi Flick
11 commentsEvery once in a while I run across a plant I just can't figure out how to use. The other-worldly flower of Puya alpestris dazzled and confounded me once again.
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You Love To Garden--Are You Ready To Turn Pro?
18 commentsThe big news from my San Diego visit was that this professional economist, wife and mother had just enrolled in the horticulture program at Cuyamaca Community College, majoring in landscape design! There’s an enthusiastic “I can DO this” demeanor that pours from Roberta Correia and convinces me that she will soon be a force to be reckoned with.
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Why Not Replace Your Plants With Styrofoam?
26 commentsMaybe I’m missing something and you can straighten me out. I’ve been under the impression that people put plants in their yards because they want to bring a little bit of nature into their lives.
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Do You Suffer from One-of-Each-itis?
21 commentsFor gardeners, impulse shopping is hard to avoid when everything at the nursery is calling to you. Don't distress. There's a cure for what ails you and it doesn't require the use of pharmaceuticals.
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Santa Barbara Burning
4 commentsAs I swept, a wet bandanna over my smudged face, this occurred to me: The white flakes I was cursing were the remains of not only the tough chaparral that was fueling the blaze, but probably the walls, furniture, and possessions of families whose homes were now smoldering memories.
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Firewise Landscaping: How Safe Is Your Home?
9 commentsPerhaps you are thinking, "Wildfires only happen out west." The last time I checked, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was on the Atlantic coast. The fire that broke out there on April 24, 2009 burned 19,600 acres and consumed 80 homes.
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You Want To Paint My What?
13 commentsI'm ready to pick my first fight. A guy in Perris California is being paid to paint the lawns of repo homes green. Why do they have front lawns when the kids are hardwired to their X-boxes? Here are a few alternatives.
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Welcome to Cool Green Gardens - A view from the Left Coast
40 commentsPlease allow me to introduce myself. Billy Goodnick here. I'm a landscape architect, educator and writer living in Santa Barbara, California. I'm about one hundred miles north of L.A., right on the...
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About this column
Enter the world of sustainable gardening with Billy Goodnick's "Cool Green Gardens" blog. Billy lives in Santa Barbara, CA, and delivers a West Coast perspective on landscape design that will translate into your own backyard. Check out CGG for great ideas on reducing your impact on the environment and creating a landscape that is an extension of your home.Billy Goodnick, a landscape architect, educator and writer, shares the wisdom he has gathered from thirty-five years of retail nursery sales, landscaping, designing and teaching. He'll challenge your assumptions while putting a smile on your face with his off-the-wall humor.
Whether you're seeking to fine-tune your existing garden or are starting with a clean slate, Cool Green Gardens is your go-to resource for sustainable ideas, innovation and inspiration.
