Gardenig in state California. Tips & Guides

When my husband and I were planning to move from New York to California, I spent most of my free time (and phone data) scouring Zillow. Messaging owners and agents directly and sharing our story ultimately led to us closing on a condo that was originally listed for rent. On a national scale, the current status of the housing market has forced a lot of people—buyers and real estate professionals alike—to get more creative.

Pool season is in session, so if you need a sign it’s time to gather all your summer-friendly essentials, this is it. Swimsuit? Check. SPF? Check. Pool accessories? Honestly, not quite. Since nobody wants to spend their entire time outside frantically treading water, pool floats and noodles are a summertime necessity. That said, finding one that matches your aesthetic can sometimes feel easier said than done.

Last week, a federal judge struck down a Trump Administration decision to take wolves off the endangered species list, restoring federal protection of some gray wolves in the country—meaning they can no longer be hunted.

Trader Joe's

It’s late-July and we’re officially HOT. And so are our gardens. Now is the time that we start to truly sit up and take notice of the plants that seem to be gliding through summer’s worst without skipping a beat. Today’s episode pays tribute to all those perennials and shrubs that take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. We found some stars that thrive in heat, lean soil, and even some selections for the most dreaded of conditions: dry shade. If these plants do well in awful situations, think how much better they might do in slightly better ones?   

Drought-tolerant plant combinations don’t need to be dry and boring. Xeriscaping, or designing a landscape to use as little water as possible, can be done while still maintaining a beautiful and interesting landscape. The physical traits that allow some plants to thrive without supplemental water can also lend fascinating colors, textures, and architecture to a design. Choosing plants native to areas where water is in short supply ensures that you are choosing plants that evolved naturally to withstand tough conditions.

A district court in California has rolled back the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a genetically modified salmon. 

Some horticulturists might have trouble choosing a favorite evergreen tree. Not me. If you ask, I won’t hesitate to tell you the evergreen tree I adore above all others is the weeping Alaskan cedar. Botanically known most commonly as Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (or occasionally by its newer genus, Xanthocyparis), this tree is a winner in every sense of the word. I’d like to tell you more about the weeping Alaskan cedar in hopes that you’ll fall in love with it, too. What is a weeping Alaskan cedar? One look at this beautiful tree and it’s easy to see why so many people adore it. The texture of

How to Grow and Care for Ceanothus (California Lilac) Ceanothus spp.

How to Identify and Manage Armillaria Root Rot in Pear Trees Armillaria mellea

How does one get a lobster high? In a tiny, lobster-sized hotbox, obviously. Or, in scientific terms, a sealed exposure chamber. 

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With recreational marijuana now legal in more than a dozen states (and Washington, D.C.), legal dispensaries are common across the country.

Around 500 farmworkers took their first steps today in a march for voting rights that will take the participants 335 miles across the state of California over 24 days. 

With high-tech farming machinery that relies on wireless connections, alongside the ever-growing online opportunities for farmers—such as interacting with potential partners and buyers and the ability to sell products to a wider array of consumers—connectivity is becoming more and more important for modern-day farming. 

Photosynthesis is one of life’s most quintessential recipes. Plants combine sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen, along with nutrients the organisms need to grow.

Looking to step up your flower gardening game? We’ve tapped into the tasteful toolbelt of Hannah Rose Rivers Muller, master florist farmer and author of Designing With Dried Flowers, who shares her selects for stylish yet practical farm gear that she personally uses while busy harvesting at Full Belly Farm. Well known for pioneering the Northern California field-to-vase movement, Hannah is no stranger to getting her hands dirty and knowing the type of quality gear needed when working in a fast-pace seasonally driven industry.

Is your patio currently a cluttered mess? It’s time for a makeover that won’t blow your budget. To optimize patio time, you’ll want to create a clean, comfortable spot.    We turned to Heather Knight-Willcock, an interior designer based in Long Beach, California, for her advice on redecorating a patio without dropping a ton of cash. As an expert for ShopGoodwill.com, Knight-Willcock is well-versed in seeking the best deals, and shopping with an eye for budget-friendly and second-hand options.  Here’s how Knight-Willcock would decorate a patio for under $200—and how you can, too. 

Happy Friday GPODers!

Patrick Biller

My sister recently purchased a condo with a shockingly expansive wraparound balcony. The only problem? She has no clue how to fill the space. How much furniture is too much furniture? Should it match the black and white decor she’s collecting for her interiors? Is the comfy lounge chair she’s been eyeing really worth the investment? In an effort to answer these questions and more, I reached out to several California-based designers for their insights. 

Once the temperature rises, and that unwavering urge to spend even more time outside kicks in, the great outdoors becomes the best room of the house. (For a few glorious months, Mother Nature replaces our living room… dining room… and, yes, even our kitchen!) However, just like in your home’s interiors, an outdoor space hinges on selecting the right furniture. 

About 70 miles south of Jackson Hole, 2150 Robinson Lane is a sprawling property with a castle, fully outfitted with tunnels and towers—and it can be yours for the cool price of $14 million. It hit the market in April, and since then, all eyes have been on this extraordinary real estate opportunity. 

Hannah Rose Rivers Muller is essentially a farmer-florist by birth. She was born at Full Belly Farm, located in the rural, charming Capay Valley of Northern California, and works there to this day. She gained her expertise similarly to how plants absorb water, through osmosis—her skills and knowledge a result of the very soil she was raised on. Here she learned the inner workings of the flower fields, small hands exploring the ground, taking naps in harvest baskets between colorful rows, watching seasons change in vibrancy and texture, and admiring her mother who skillfully nurtured and expanded the flower fields over the decades with care.

Sometimes you have to treat yourself and that was the case for two homeowners in San Mateo, California. “Our clients are a retired couple with two Labrador retrievers and grown adult children,” explains Melinda Mandell. “They are lovely down-to-earth people, that really show up for their family, and are excellent neighbors, watching out for others. They recently decided it was time to invest in themselves by remodeling their primary suite.”

When one thinks about a production garden designed to yield copious amounts of vegetables and flowers, it’s not often one with perfectly manicured rows overflowing with color and paired with thoughtfully organized spaces for gathering. Practicality and function are usually the focus, not a dedication to stunning surroundings. This is where the team behind Oakland-based Pine House Edible Gardens stands out with their impeccable layout and design philosophies, showcasing the ability to implement important functional garden systems with incredible style.

Oliver Furth, a fourth-generation Los Angeles native, A-List interior designer, and AD100 winner, is best known for his irreverent ability to blend different styles and eras seamlessly. He is a firm believer that making a home for oneself is in itself an act of optimism and the most important ingredient when designing any space is joy. 

Were you raised in a barn? Probably not, but you might have sliding barn doors as space-saving solutions in your home. Earlier this year, however, experts shared the news that these once-trendy doors are “out,” particularly because they don’t offer much privacy and aren’t the best option if you have space constraints. 

Every gardener knows that when the weather warms, it's weed-killing season. Weeds can harm your garden and lawn and steal nutrients your precious plants need. On top of that, they take away from the outdoor aesthetic you've worked hard to create.

My family didn’t grow asparagus when I was a child. We found it. My dad had a sharp eye for the tender green spears that grew wild along roadsides near our home in Piqua, a wisp of a town in southeastern Kansas. He could spot even a single spear when he took the family on Sunday afternoon drives, stopping our Plymouth Fury to gather the crop.

I had never met a fava bean until I moved to Northern California in the early 1980s and started my market garden. I noticed that the local Italian folks seemed to love these strange, giant, puffy-looking beans, so I decided to try growing them. The real eye-opener came when I took my crop to the farmers’ market. It wasn’t just Italians who were enthusiastic about them; I was amazed at how excited customers of Middle Eastern descent got over the favas. They bought bucketfuls! So I figured favas must be a great vegetable.

Curious about what outdoor trends are best suited for helping you relish the joys of summer—and which ones are best for taking off on a permanent vacation? We surveyed design pros and asked them what items they’re booting from their own yards this summer and which ones they think are prime for their moment in the sun.

From fashion to home design to food, trends seem to come in cycles. While we’re not quite sure if we’ve circled all the way back from wide legs to mom jeans and back to skinny jeans again (please clue us in if you know!), one thing we know for sure: cooking over live fire is never going to go out of style.

Hi GPODers! Today we’re in the garden of Jo Ann, and seeing how she’s fairing after a move from sunny SoCal to the lush Pacific Northwest:

Around 6.5 tons of [mostly] plastic-wrapped dog poop winds up in landfills in the United States every year. As most cities see it, that’s the only safe option.

As trends often go, what’s old is new again, and the garden is no exception. Romantic and whimsical gardens are back in style, along with many classic blooms like roses, hydrangeas, and 2024’s “it” flower—the peony.