Bioswales, Rain Gardens and Dry Creek Beds look great and prevent erosion and drainage problems. Keep rain on the land, and out of the storm drains, where it flows into the ocean, bringing with it pollutants like car oil, dust and animal feces, which can make surfers sick. (Ick, but true!)
√ PLANT COVER CROPS:
Fava beans fix nitrogen in the soil, have beautiful flowers which bees love, and grow without fuss. Plus, they are an ancient Middle Eastern food source, and they taste great. (Fava hummus!)
√ PUT DOWN MULCH:
Mulch deters weeds and reduces maintenance. It improves drainage, reduces puddling and erosion, and keeps nutrients in the soil. (Plus, plants love it.)
√ INSTALL RAINWATER HARVESTING:
During a 1” rainstorm, you can harvest 600 gallons of water off a 1,000 square-foot roof. (That’s a lot.)
√ PLANT YOUR FALL GARDEN:
Get ready to plant lettuces, spinach, chard, Asian greens like bok choy, as well as broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beets and garlic.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Our cover story writer Jillian L. Steinberger is an inspiration to me. She says anyone can overcome a black thumb, which I definitely have. Just yesterday—that would be Aug. 4—I planted my spring garden, a bit late. No, a lot late. While replacing all the brown plants I let die last year I felt hopeless, except for this one plant, a blueberry bush, that had a few green sprigs left. My friend suggested I throw it out, but no, those sprigs give me hope.
I replanted it and have vowed to give it a lot of love and care and see if it rewards me with some berries. It’s a symbol of hope for me. I’ll even take one berry!
That said, we are so lucky to live here, where we can start a garden in the fall. Everywhere else in the country, they are getting ready to harvest and pack it all in, but our fall is like another world’s spring. We’ll have sun and fog and a great climate in which to plant, so I won’t be too hard on my procrastination. I’ve planted cilantro, basil, cucumbers and strawberries, all of which will add to my fall feast, if the gophers don’t get them first. And for those looking to spruce up indoors, we have some great stories for that too.
BRAD KAVA, EDITOR
HERBALICIOUS
Getting your hands dirty is worth it. P6
FLORA FEAST
This downtown store has plants from all over. P10
GO FER IT
Is there a kind way to evict gophers? P12
REAL REST ROOM
Make your bathroom a spa. P14
HOME AND GARDEN RESOURCES
Fix, improve and grow it yourself P16
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER
Zk Bradley
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Deb Fisher
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EDITORS
Brad Kava
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CONTRIBUTORS
Jillian L. Steinberger
John Louis Koenig
Lucille Tepperman
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Tarmo Hannula
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES
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Haley Tweedell
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IGrowing Tasty Edible Herbs at Home
’ll start by telling you a tale which should impart some earthy wisdom. You may think you have a so-called black thumb. But it can change. Trust me on this. I went from trying to keep a couple of small potted plants alive in a window well in San Francisco to, today, planting my own “ParkGarden” and coaching others. To a landscape gardener like me, regardless of anything else, this is success. I can plant a tree and watch it grow. I feel lucky. Nature connection can penetrate your soul and you suddenly find yourself with a green thumb.
Years ago, I left the City and started the Garden Artisan, my small woman-owned business, and went to horticulture school. For me, it was paradise. I felt liberated. Double-knee Carhartts were my wardrobe. I had brown, green, gold and black work pants, all with knee pads. I worked long days, until past dusk, happily clearing brush, pruning shrubs and deadheading flowers.
I loved my clippers, and for years I always had them with me. After work, I was good-tired after a full day of bending, stretching, kneeling, lifting and hanging out upside down under shrubs, my happy place. I’d have leaves in my hair, pollen on my nose and soil under my fingernails. I felt like Pippi Longstocking, and I loved it.
I felt reassured that I made a good choice when, in 2009, I heard Van Jones interviewed on NPR. At that time, he was the Green Job Czar for President Barack Obama. He said green jobs were trending forward, that the sector was expanding. I was in love with my vocation.
I had a mentor. He was a fatherly old fisherman named Paul, who ran a salmon trawler in Bodega. He was an experienced “outdoor professional,” a term I first heard from him. One day, he looked at me sternly, and offered his best advice for a gardener (and metaphorically anyone else). He told me, “Always keep your fingers in the soil.” It was a new rule of thumb—it was a clarion call.
Fast forward 20 years, and I still hear that wise elder’s voice in my head, telling me to stay authentic, at least where the garden is concerned. Whatever else is happening in the big wide world or in my personal life, that saying brings me back to my center, and I refocus.
WHAT’S IN A LATIN NAME?
You feel yourself to be a part of nature, on a continuum with it, not separate.
Edible gardening can be especially visceral for a new gardener, or any gardener for that matter. Not only do you get to enjoy supporting, and observing, your plants as they grow, you get to harvest and ingest those remarkable green calories, bring it into yourself, becoming one with it. You have grown your own sustenance! Humans have been eating herbs since the dawn of time.
HERB GARDENING: DOWN TO EARTH. A PRACTICAL PRACTICE
Few of us can grow everything we need to eat—but we can all grow herbs. Herbs are powerhouses of flavor and nutrition. Herbs can be supplements. Herbs can grow in small pots. Herbs are democratic! Growing your own herbs is practical. They do not take up much
space. Further, they are easy plants to grow. Often they look limp at the grocery store. Who knows when they were harvested—it could be weeks ago. It’s good that they are there, but they do not have the freshness that you really want from herbs. Ideally, you should cut them just before eating them in a salad, soup, smoothie, stir fry or casserole. You can also dry your own herbs. Organic dried herbs at the store are expensive these days!
It’s not out of the ordinary or extreme to be able to run out and pick some herbs right before using them in a dish for dinner. In California, we like “fresh,” right? Herbs should be planted in your Zone 1. In Permaculture, your Zone 1 is your most personal or most convenient garden space, where you walk by the most. You don’t forget what’s happening in Zone 1, because it’s always in your face. That’s why you want to put your herbs there, so you have quick access.
Latin names indicate some aspect of a plant’s features—how or where it is grown, what it is used for, or their anatomy, known as taxonomy. For example, vulgaris means common. (Not loutish.) Officianalis, as in Salvia officinalis, indicates the herb was in the materia medica, the first pharmacopeia from early Greek times. This book includes plants that would be used by healers to treat conditions, before modern medicine and up to this day. Many of the Lamiaceae or mint family plants are antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, or help with digestion and other beneficial health effects. If you have a toothache, try chomping on a few oregano leaves: oregano oil is antimicrobial. Sativum describes plants that impart wellness—they are kind.
We can all grow herbs easily BY JILLIAN L. STEINBERGER
GREEN CARPET Lush herb beds delight the senses. Photo: Jillian L. Steinberger
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WOODSTOVE & SUN
510 Soquel Avenue
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
510 Soquel Avenue
510 Soquel Avenue
WOODSTOVE & SUN
WOODSTOVE & SUN
510 Soquel Avenue
(831)425-5123
510 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
510 Soquel Avenue
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
(831)425-5123
(831)425-5123
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
www.woodstoveandsun.com
Santa Cruz, Ca 95062 (831) 425-5123
(831)425-5123
www.woodstoveandsun.com
(831)425-5123
www.woodstoveandsun.com
www.woodstoveandsun.com
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MICROCLIMATES
Greens, and herbs, grow beautifully in Santa Cruz County. It is prime growing grounds for herbs. The Westside can be windy and cold. Some places in Live Oak are a warm and sunny banana belt, and others a couple miles away seem to be a fulltime fog belt. The mountain towns like Scotts Valley, Bonny Doon and Felton can get a bit hotter in the summer, a bit colder in the winter, and all the mountain towns seem to have triple the amount of rain of the oceanside flats. It’s true that plants grow differently in different microclimates. But the herbs in this story all grow well across the county’s various climatic conditions. You have to tweak things based on where you live, but there are no strict rules. I take care of a secret garden near Pleasure Point. It is a bountiful garden, if small—only about 50 square feet, or 20 by 30 feet. It is full sun, and it also is surrounded by two white walls and two tall white fences. White surfaces reflect the sun, and balance cold temperatures. Whatever the weather, whatever the season, this garden is always bountiful. Examples of micro-climates like this exist all over, both naturally and constructed. You can create or enhance microclimates that benefit your plants in numerous creative ways.
POTAGER GARDENS & EDIBLE LANDSCAPES
If you are growing herbs, you may call your garden a Potager Garden, if the term appeals. This type of kitchen
garden features herbs and vegetables. But always herbs. Many of our most common herbs are smallish plants. Part of their beauty is that they can fit in pots, and all those pots can fit in one or two SUV-loads if you have to move. Given more space, most herb plants love being in the ground, and yet another beautiful thing about them is that they make gorgeous landscape plants. Many are entirely appropriate for landscapes, even if you don’t eat them—like thyme, rosemary and lavender.
BASIC HERBS FOR CALIFORNIA GARDENS
The point of this story is to say it’s easy and feels fun and creative to plant an herb garden. Herbs from all over the world have found their way into our local cuisines. They are aromatic, and make our food taste better. We may eat them in their “cuisine of origin”—which I put in quotes—or not. Suffice it to say, tomatoes did not originate in Italy, and cilantro did not originate in Mexico. But they all get mixed and matched now, with many recipes pulling from several cultures all at once.
Another cool thing is that every single one of these plants are beneficial in a pollinator garden, which is one of the most beautiful kinds of garden you can have. See, pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to freeflowering landscapes. So, a potager garden doubles as a pollinator garden, and is likely lush and floriferous, easy on the eye.
Today we’ll focus on two families
of herb plants that we grow very commonly here, and although there’s a wide world of other herbs—some familiar, some new—these herbs are a good place to start.
BOTANICAL FAMILY: APIACEAE PLANTS
This is a lovely family that draws bees to itself. Cilantro and parsley are both from this family. Incidentally, so are carrots, celery, fennel and dill. Rich Merrell, a well-loved professor who taught at Cabrillo College Horticulture for many, many years, and recently passed (RIP), once said at a talk at the Garden Faire in Scotts Valley, that his top favorite pollinator plant was cilantro. In other words, in Merrell’s opinion, cilantro was the number-one bee plant out of all the plants he could grow. It self-seeds around the garden, gently enough, so you get to enjoy the volunteers and masses of little white lacy flowers, massed on long stems. And by the way, coriander is from the same plant; cilantro is the fresh leaves, full of chlorophyll. Coriander is the seeds, which are used in many world cuisines, especially in India, but all over.
•Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum, which is basic to Mexican food, but hails from Israel, probably.
•Dill Weed, Anethum graveolens, a must for many dishes—like potato salad. Basic for dill pickles!
•Parsley, Petroselinum crispum, the bitter herb of the Jewish lore, parsley improves your breath! This classic garnish is a main ingredient in chimichurri and tabouleh.
•Fennel seeds, Phoeniculum vulgare, also improve the breath. They have a licorice-like taste, and are said to reduce appetite if eaten at mealtimes—which is why Indian restaurants often keep them on hand by the door.
BOTANICAL FAMILY: LAMIACEAE
The culinary plants in this very large family are strong smelling. They are sweet and pungent like lavender, or earthy and musky like sage. Many developed in the Mediterranean basin, from France and Italy through Cyprus to Israel and Egypt. There, they thrived exposed in arid, rocky terrain. Tough plants, they are full of intense oils with polyphenols. Many are used in aromatherapy, and are uplifting.
•Mint, Mentha genus—Peppermint, spearmint, orange mint, chocolate mint, etc.
•Basil, Ocimum basilicum— Genovese, Improved Amethyst, African Blue, Lemon, Thai, etc. Basil is the only plant in this family that is an annual.
•Oregano, Origanum vulgare— Including Greek, Italian, Syrian varieties, etc.
•Marjoram, Origanum majorana— Almost the same plant as oregano, but a bit sweeter; it hybridizes readily in the garden with oregano, and it’s hard to keep them truly separate.
•Rosemary, Rosmarinus officianalis—A mainstay of French and Italian cooking, it is good for circulation. It may promote circulation of blood in the scalp, which is why it has been used since ancient times to treat alopecia, which is why it is often in shampoos today.
•Culinary Sage, Salvia officianalis— A cousin of native plants like white sage and Cleveland sage, with similar strong and musky yet uplifting smells. They can all be used as smudge sticks.
•Thyme, Thymus vulgaris—French, English, German, silver, lemon, lime, etc.
DROUGHT TOLERANT HERBS FOR LANDSCAPES
Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage
These plants all originated in the Mediterranean basin, and they are perfect choices for waterwise landscapes, not to mention extremely popular with numerous types of bees. Some varieties of Rosemary, like the very popular “Barbecue,” are upright, flowering shrubs. Other prostrate varieties are often seen draping over walls. Rosemary is woody, as is Lavender, Sage and thyme, to a lesser degree. These are common landscape plants all over California. Thyme is used as a groundcover, or a front of border ornamental, often spilling over rocks in a garden. Very pretty indeed, and often with pink flowers, which are edible. All the flowers of these herbs are edible.
POLLINATOR AT WORK A swallowtail on birdseye anise hyssop. Photo: Jillian L. Steinberger
THINK GREEN
business—I wanted a place for people to connect.”
Alvarez and Powell curate from the best plants locally, and often travel to Florida and Southern California to seek out special specimens that are not readily found.
“I ask visitors which plant they’re excited about, which catches their eye,” Alvarez says. “If you’re stoked about it, you’ll probably take good care of it. It will thrive.”
For first-timers or brownthumb plant owners, Alvarez says choosing a plant that fits in its new environment is essential to success.
Many plants at Leaf & Vine can serve surprisingly practical purposes.
Succulents and cacti are low-maintenance plants, and some, like aloe vera, have medicinal uses.
Air-purifying plants improve indoor air quality. Alvarez recommends snake plants. “It’s a great beginner plant,” she says, explaining that they are drought tolerant and work constantly.
Growth Industry
“African violets are great for those who love blooms,” she says. “They’re prolific and do great inside. Zebra plants have a unique yellow bloom.”
Leaf & Vine on Pacific Avenue is a movable feast of flora. Planted and thriving in downtown Santa Cruz, it’s an urban oasis filled with a lush and extensive selection of greenery, specializing in indoor tropical plants with an occasional indoor-outdoor plant.
The shop fulfills the dream of founder and CEO Maria Isabel Alvarez to create a comfortable community hub where visitors can explore plants.
As a child, Alvarez loved the outdoors and the tropical landscapes of her homeland of Venezuela. She knew she wanted to work with plants one day.
“It makes a big difference,” she says. “You notice your mood change, your excitement, and subtle things. If you have a plant and you get rid of it, it feels like something’s missing—that soothing greenery.”
She studied agriculture and forestry before starting a career
in the biotech field, but in the back of her mind was always the dream of finding ways for people to connect with nature.
As a young woman, Alvarez found it hard to be taken seriously as an aspiring entrepreneur or to even get a call-back from storefront owners. But with persistence and by meeting the right people, she and her life partner, Clay Powell, got their chance.
“I didn’t want a shop,” she says. “I wanted a place. Not just a plant
Privacy plants create natural barriers in front of windows, and vines grown on a trellis can serve as a room separator.
Leaf & Vine features carnivorous plants for a natural way to rid the home of pests, including the famous Venus flytrap as well as other species that are sticky or have bell-shaped blooms that lure and snare bugs.
Leaf & Vine also carries a variety of seeds for growing flowers and herbs.
“We’re blessed in Santa Cruz,” Alvarez says. “With the humidity from the ocean, you can grow so much here inside and out.”
After five years in business, Alvarez is still excited about her mission to spread the joys of gardening.
“When you see a person carrying flowers, you almost can’t help but smile. We want to bring that kind of everyday magic to people’s lives.”
Leaf & Vine, 1532 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. 831-600-8758. Open Thurs.–Mon. 11am-6pm leafandvineplants.com
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS Leaf & Vine’s Maria Isabel Alvarez and Clay Powell with one of the orchids blooming at the downtown Santa Cruz shop. Photo: J.L. Koenig
Leaf & Vine brings the tropics to downtown Santa Cruz BY JOHN LOUIS KOENIG
Backyard Compost Bin
Keep your scraps close to home!
Check out the City of Santa Cruz’s $40 rebate program. www.cityofsantacruz.com /homecomposting
Curbside Yard Waste Cart
Only yard trimmings, grass clippings, unpainted/untreated wood, bark, and sawdust are accepted in the yard waste cart.
Curbside Food Scrap Pail
If it grows, it goes!
In the City of Santa Cruz, food scraps and wasted food go in the food scrap pail.
Tunnel Vision
What to do if gophers have taken over your yard BY LUCILLE TEPPERMAN
Dorganic repellents like lavender and rosemary plants, can keep gophers away. Gopher Scram Repellent uses castor oil, known to interfere with a gopher’s sense of smell and taste. However, the castor bean plant is poisonous, so gardeners with children or pets should avoid using this method. According to the website GophersLimited.com, other potentially useful options are chocolate lilies and garlic.
oes your lawn look like a minefield with long mounds of dug-up dirt and holes that you can twist your ankle in? Dirt piles, large bare spots on the lawn and ravaged roots may mean you have a gopher situation on your hands.
While gophers, voles, and moles have always been native to the area, many local gardeners have seen increased populations of the pesky rodent known as the pocket gopher. Local pest company owner Bethany Knight, who has operated under the moniker The Gopher Girl since 2020, says she has received a lot of calls for gophers this summer, in part due to heavier winter rainfall that encourages lush vegetation.
Gophers are members of the rodent family and are notorious for the damage they cause by burrowing underneath lawns and gardens. According to the website CritterControl.com, at the first signs of gopher damage—usually dirt mounds—gardeners should take action. Gopher activity may not be visible until it’s too late. Gophers can ruin trees and vines,
feeding on the crowns and roots, killing young plants and hindering the growth of older ones.
The first step is identifying the culprit. There are a number of ground-dwelling garden nuisances: ground squirrels, voles, moles and pocket gophers. With more than 40 species of gophers found throughout North and Central America, though, pocket gophers are a primary culprit in garden and lawn destruction.
“California poppies are one of their favorites. They also like agave, adore figs, and all fruit trees,” Knight says.
Gophers have many predators— including owls, snakes, cats, dogs and coyotes. And though relying solely on natural predators might not control gophers entirely, “they’re first line of defense,” writes Barbara Zito for Forbes.com.
There are a number of methods used to control gophers, but they vary in effectiveness. The mechanical trap, placed in the gopher’s main tunnel, remains the preferred method by pest specialists and gardeners, although some experts advise using several
techniques in combination. One can try using live traps first to avoid killing the rodents, but live trapping is more difficult. Furthermore, in California it is illegal to release wildlife without a permit. Make sure to always wear gloves when placing traps, warns Knight, as the rodents will pick up on a human scent. As for disposing of the trapped gopher, Knight uses a green burial method: “burying them back into their own tunnels, unless the client has a dog that digs.”
The scientific community remains divided on the efficacy of sonic gopher repellents. Some studies suggest that gophers may initially be repelled by the noise and vibrations, but they can quickly adapt. “I’ve honestly caught gophers underneath those,”
The Gopher Gal says.
Fumigation with smoke or gas cartridges usually isn’t effective, because gophers quickly seal off their burrow when they detect smoke or gas. Aluminum phosphide fumigation does work but can only be administered by a licensed fumigator.
Natural methods, including
Castor, peppermint and chile oils may work, although according to Knight, they may be more effective at moving moles than gophers. “I have seen a handful of customers try this out. I can’t say how effective it is,” she says.
The Gopher Gal highly recommends regular maintenance to keep on top of the rodent issue. If gophers are caught before constructing their tunnel networks, gardeners can keep damage to a minimum.
Barrier methods are another way to go. Using a barrier mesh buried two feet deep around the entire garden is impractical for gardens that are already established, but this method works well when using mesh wire to line the base of raised planter boxes.
Organic farmer Thomas Whitman started local company Gophers Limited in 1991 to teach people how to deal with pests and animal issues without the use of poison, explains Brooke Justice, general manager at the company.
“People seem to do well with this ‘hands-on’ method” of managing pest problems on their own turf.
The Santa Cruz Garden Center carries a line of Gophers Limited products, including welded steel gopher baskets that run $13-$40 each. Though on the pricier side, they are much sturdier than flat chicken wire that gardeners bend into shape. The steel baskets keep their shape and can last two to three years longer.
The Gopher Gal—thegophergal@gmail.com or 530-368-5102. Gophers Limited Inc.—GophersLimited.com or 831-335-2400.
Xterminatrix Holistic Pest Control—855BUG-LADY (Owner Drew Pinner’s slogan: “I deal with whatever bugs you.”)
SIGNS OF TROUBLE Gopher mounds indicate unwelcome guests in the garden. Photo: Bethany Knight
The Most Visited Room in the House
Make your restroom a place of rest and relaxation
The bathroom is arguably the most frequented space in most homes. As the place where we begin and end our daily routines, this space is a vital hub.
In light of high interest rates and rising home costs, more homeowners are staying in their current homes and opting to refresh or remodel their bathroom spaces to better fit their lifestyle and personality.
Here are the top bathroom trends for 2024 compiled by the bathroom pros at TOTO.
“There is no better investment in your home than updating your bathroom with the latest technology to create not only a spa-like experience but also ensure your independence and dignity as you age in style,” said Lisa Cini, President and CEO of Mosaic Design Studio.
FOCUS ON WELLNESS
In a post-pandemic era where selfcare has become an increasingly important aspect of people's lives, bathroom upgrades are fantastic ways to enhance their personal wellbeing. For instance, bidet-equipped toilets optimize hygiene, cleanliness and comfort for people of all ages.
Bidet seats are an easy DIY project that can truly transform the health and wellness of the whole family.
Other self-care features being added to bathrooms include invigorating showers and baths with unique features that promote recovery and relaxation, allowing users to unwind from the stress of their daily lives.
STYLISH LIVING IN PLACE
Whether it's for a multigenerational home or to
refresh to accommodate living in place, homeowners are looking to future-proof their homes with stylish, functional upgrades.
This means adding elements to the bathroom that support aging and accessibility, like adjustable height wall-hung toilets with bidets, widened doorways, accessibility lighting, beautiful non-slip floors, and grab bars with designer finishes.
These add age-friendly functions that provide increased independence while looking chic rather than institutional, like a hospital or nursing home.
SPA-LIKE EXPERIENCES
A big trend for 2024 is bringing spa-like experiences into the bathroom.
These include renovations like walk-in showers with multiple
shower heads, body sprays and rain showers like TOTO's GB Shower Series.
Other upgrades include steam showers, sound systems, heated benches, and towel warmers. Many designers are creating wet rooms that feature soaking tubs as ways to promote relaxation and rejuvenation, offering personal getaways for homeowners in their own bathrooms.
BATHROOM TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
High-tech Japanese-style toilets and electronic bidet seats are leading the charge. In addition to luxury features like warm water cleansing and warm-air drying, heated seats and automatic open/ close lids, top-of-the-line models have self-cleaning features that use electrolyzed water to clean the bowl, bidet wand and under the seat.
Other popular tech upgrades include smart technology into everyday items like mirrors, faucets and showers.
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Saving water, conserving energy and reducing waste have become a high priority with shower timers, LED lighting and refillable shower dispensers. Others are swapping waterguzzling toilets for dual flush models that use up to 25% less water. Bidets also help by reducing the need for toilet paper by 75%. Models with cleaning and advanced flushing features cut down the need for using harsh chemicals to clean the bathroom.
PERSONALIZATION BY DESIGN
Whether it’s to refresh, relax, cleanse or energize, the bathroom should be a place where you feel perfectly comfortable being yourself and have the license to add bold metallic fixture finishes, natural textures like stone and wood, and bright color into walls and accessories.
To learn more visit TOTOUSA.com. Story by Brandpoint content
HOME WELLNESS In a post-pandemic era where self-care has become an increasingly important aspect of people's lives, bathroom upgrades are fantastic ways to enhance their personal well-being. Photo: Brandpoint Content
R E SO U RC E S
ALLTERRA SOLAR
207-B McPherson St., Santa Cruz 831-425-2608, allterrasolar.com
AMERICAN LEISURE PATIO
1118 Ocean St., Santa Cruz 831-423-2425, americanleisurepatio.com
1368 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz 831-423-8183, artisanssantacruz.com
A TOOL SHED
3700 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz 831-477-7133, atoolshed.com
BAKER BROS. APPLIANCE
31 E Fifth St., Watsonville 831-722-1776, BakerBrosFurnitureAndAppliance.com
BATTERIES PLUS
101 Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley 831-439-6720, batteriesplus.com
BAY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
3333 Clares St., Capitola; 48 Rancho Del Mar, Aptos; 2028 Freedom Blvd., Freedom; 420 River St., Santa Cruz; 255 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley; 1481 Main St., Watsonville; 831-479-6000, bayfed.com
BAY PLUMBING SUPPLY
2776 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz 831-475-2900, bayplumbingsupply.com
BOTANIC AND LUXE
110 Cooper St., Ste. 100F, Santa Cruz 831-515-7710, botanicandluxe.com
BRASS KEY LOCKSMITH
220-A Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley 831-438-4904, brasskeylocksmith.com
BREZSNY ASSOCIATES, CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE SERENO
