Good Times

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Home&Garden GOOD TIMES

MAGAZINE 2015

PASSION IN BLOOM The pros and cons of succulents Teaching Green Smart ideas for eco-conscious families

The New Homesteading Living off the land in Santa Cruz

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contents GROWING REVOLUTION P8 A Santa Cruz visionary explains the future of microgreens

BEES, JARS AND AQUAPONICS P14 How one Ben Lomond store became a resource for modern homesteaders

EXTREME MEASURES P16 As drought conditions worsen, planting strategies must shift

NERDING OUT ON SUCCULENTS P22 Why they’re the easiest plants you’ll ever grow

THE WRATH OF CACTI P25 Here’s everything not to do to your succulent

HOME IS WHERE THE START IS P27 Five ideas for fostering eco-consciousness

GREEN CALENDAR P30 The year in Santa Cruz County home and garden events

STAFF PUBLISHER Jeanne Howard EDITOR Steve Palopoli

A Good Times publication.

MANAGING EDITOR Maria Grusauskas CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Edwards

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Anne-Marie Harrison Brad Kava Cat Johnson Georgia Perry June Smith

editor’s note

D

id you know a Santa Cruz man has a vision for completely revolutionizing how we grow our food—and a multimilliondollar tech company has bought in? Did you know modern homesteaders have found a hub for everything they need to live off the land in Ben Lomond? Did you know there are both pros and cons to growing succulents? Chances are you didn’t, but after reading this issue of our Home & Garden magazine, you will. The unofficial theme of this edition is passion—something found in abundance in these pages. Nick Halmos, who founded the local company Cityblooms, is described by writer Brad Kava as “the Steve Jobs of the food movement,” which should give you a sense of his relentless drive. If his vision for micro-growing takes off, the vegetables and herbs we eat could be hundreds of times more healthy than they are now— and planted everywhere. Then there’s the passion of self-diagnosed “succulent nerd” Amanda Edwards. But there’s also Georgia Perry, whose misadventures with her own succulent provide a sort of cautionary counterpoint (through no fault of the plant’s, mind you). Let’s just say there’s such a thing as being too curious about them. We hope everything here helps fuel your own passion for home and garden adventures. Let’s do it up in green! STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHER Keana Parker

Sue Lamothe Ilana Rauch Packer

OFFICE MANAGER Kelli Edwards

WEBMASTER Roseann Hernandez

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES John Bland Tiffani Petrov

CEO Dan Pulcrano

ART DIRECTOR Tabi Zarrinnaal

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Debra Whizin

DESIGNERS DiAnna VanEycke Rosie Eckerman

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Crafting a House into a Home by Gretchen Bach Finding The Right House When house-hunting, we often begin looking at Listings, and then move on to looking at Properties. When we get inside we call it a House, but it isn’t until we move in and break our first plate that a house becomes a Home. Intuition plays a huge part in finding the right house. How else can you explain pulling up to the opposite of what you were looking for, and falling in love? It happens all the time.

inside can sit comfortably for hours on end and watch the world go by.” — Christopher Alexander

Narrow spaces do not allow for this type of interaction and are intuitively avoided.

People need connection to their neighbors and the street, and also a place to rest while waiting. The old-fashion stoop has gone by the way-side, but you can improvise with benches and chairs in the front yard, or a folding chair in the drive way. It will all make sense with the first wave you get as your neighbor drives by.

You’re Never Too Old for Tiny Spaces

Windows That Open Wide

It could be the angle of light, the placement of the rooms, the surrounding landscape, or simply the irresistible challenge to try to create something that doesn’t yet exist. You might not even know what it is, but you find yourself signing on the dotted line and the next thing you know, you’re moving in! While mysterious attraction might guide us through the front door, only the warmth that we create keeps us there. We paint, knock down walls, arrange and re-arrange furniture, plant gardens, build paths, and make the spaces our own. As we laugh, cry, sing, dance, and add a healthy dose of living to the house, it is transformed into a HOME. Everyone wants to make their house a place where life joyfully unfolds, but they might not know exactly how to create spaces that allow that to happen. The book, The Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, introduces a series of patterns that help guide us in designing and creating our own houses, streets, and communities. I believe the most comfortable and “homey” homes exhibit at least a few time-tested “patterns” for creating rich experiences. Here are some to consider: Front Door Bench

“Children love to be in tiny, cave-like places. Tuck these “caves” away in natural leftover spaces. “— Christopher Alexander

“Windows that open should be easy to get to, open onto flowers that you want to smell, paths where you might want to walk, and natural breezes. Put in side-hung casements that open outward. “ — Christopher Alexander Modern double hung windows don’t allow us to comfortably sit on the ledge or lean out the window. When possible, install windows and doors that open wide and blur the line between inside and out. A Pool of Light “Uniform illumination destroys the social nature of space and makes people feel disoriented and unbounded. Place lights low and apart to form individual pools of light.” — Christopher Alexander We gravitate towards light, but evenly lit rooms don’t draw you in. People naturally sit in intimately lit spaces, near reading lamps and along counter tops lit by low hanging pendants. Six Foot Balcony “Balconies and porches that are less than 6 feet deep are hardly ever used. Whenever you build a balcony, a porch, a gallery, or a terrace always make it at least 6 feet deep.” — Christopher Alexander

“People like to watch the street. Build a special bench outside the front door where people from

Refrigerator boxes, tree houses, snow caves, secret neighborhood bush forts: we have all been there and felt the security that small hidden spaces give us. While the desire to crawl into a cave may be very child like, it never truly leaves us. Cozy intimate spaces are important for adults too. Window seats, nooks, and lofts make for comfy and useful additions. Things from Your Life “’Décor and the conception of ‘interior design’ have spread so widely that very often people forget their instinct for the things they really want to keep around them. Décor is most beautiful when it comes straight from your lifethe things that you care for, the things that tell your story.” — Christopher Alexander Make a place for your most precious objects, collections, remembrances, tokens of love and adventure. When you move, take those things with you and your house will instantly feel like Home. The intentional creation of space is vital to creating quality life experiences. Starting with a good house is important, but in the end a home is not something that you buy; it is something that you make. As we create unique spaces, our lives are enriched and in turn our house becomes a home, a rewarding endeavor if there ever was one.

When given a choice, people will sit across from each other or form sitting circles, where conversation flows and faces are clearly seen.

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VISIONS OF GREEN Nick Halmos, founder of Cityblooms, hopes to bring hydroponic gardening to every home, hospital, store and restaurant.

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GROW YOUR OWN

BY BRAD KAVA

Cityblooms hopes to bring farming to every backyard, rooftop and open lot

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he local food movement isn’t local enough for Nick Halmos, the founder of Santa Cruz company Cityblooms, who hopes to bring hydroponic gardening to every home, hospital, store and restaurant. Spending time with Halmos is like talking to the Steve Jobs of the food movement. He’s got a bold and seemingly doable vision to revolutionize the way we grow and eat food—but he worries that he may be too early. In his vision, Farmers Markets will no longer be the most local and freshest source for organic produce. Instead, it will be grown no further than a bicycle ride away from where it is eaten—on a rooftop, a backyard or an open lot. Vegetables and herbs will not only be hundreds of times more healthy than what we are serving today, but they will be eaten only hours after they are picked so nothing goes to waste, and they will have lost none of the nutrients that would normally erode from produce eaten weeks after it is picked. “Right now, farmers decide what to grow based on how well the produce will transport 3,000 miles, not on how nutritious it is,” says Halmos, 36. “People are already deciding they want more local food, but in my vision you won’t have to count on trucks and trains to get it. It will be much more energy efficient.” His system is also drought-proof and weatherproof. Plants are grown in plastic modules several feet off the ground over a bed of water. Water and fertilizer are monitored by computers and they portion exactly what is needed. Cityblooms’ first experimental farm is set up on a lot outside the headquarters of 11 > 2015 | GTWEEKLY.COM | SANTACRUZ.COM | HOME & GARDEN

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Plantronics, the $650-million-a-year Santa Cruz headset and headphone maker, whose CEO Kenneth Kannappan has always been forwardthinking and deeply concerned with the environment. His headsets went to the moon and now compete with the popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphones as a favorite for joggers. Greens from about a dozen Cityblooms modules feed Plantronics’ 500 employees in their cafeteria. The modules are on a vacant lot behind the WATER TECH Max Laddon, company’s solar panel-covered an employee at Cityblooms, parking lot. Halmos and his staff tends to the energy-efficient of eight pick them and deliver hydroponic system that grows them by bicycle to Plantronics. microgreens and produce “They are tastier,” says without water waste. Caitlin Yanthis, a tech support worker, as she fills her plate with microgreens at lunch in the company’s gourmet cafeteria on “fresh sushi Thursday,” as three chefs make sushi to order. “I used to buy prepackaged salads for work. When they started doing this, I started coming to the salad bar everyday. I know Ken has told us that since they come right from the planter, they hold much more nutrition.” One of the leafy greens is actually a microversion of broccoli. It looks like lettuce and 12 >

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has a rich, flavorful taste that Halmos says is hundreds of times more nutritious than the full-grown plant sold in stores. He’s growing 16 crops, including lettuce, kale, microgreens, basil, parsley, broccoli, bok choy and tomatoes. Halmos hopes to spread the appreciation for hyper-fresh microgreens and produce to companies such as Apple and Google. A native Floridian who moved to Santa Cruz a decade ago to “stay only two years” with his now-fiancée, Emily, Halmos has put his money and his passion into the vision. He’s got $2 million and 14 years invested into his company, and it’s starting to show some results. The Plantronics project just won an Acterra Business Environmental award—a major award for companies breaking new ground in saving the earth. The Silicon Valley nonprofit has been rewarding companies for environmental efforts for 25 years. Still, Halmos worries that maybe he’s too far ahead of the curve, that maybe the world isn’t ready for the advanced urban gardening he sees for the future, and that he’s going to lose everything he’s put into it. But he can’t help but forge ahead, even though financially, he’s coasting on fumes. “Just like you can’t help who you fall in

love with, you can’t help what your passion is,” Halmos says. “This has been a nervewracking, scary process. All of my funds are wrapped up in this company and I’m paying bills and not getting paid. I’ve been doing this for years, and crossing the chasm from the concept to reality is a very, very challenging process.”His father, Peter Halmos, tried something similar in the 1970s that failed: he started one of the first shrimp farms, a business that took off for others decades later. With that failure under his belt, the elder Halmos, an immigrant from Hungary, started another business that worked—he created SafeCard, the first service that insured credit cards and protected users if their cards were lost or stolen. He amassed a fortune and credit card companies began offering the same services. The younger Halmos has the same entrepreneurial drive. Although he has a law degree from Vanderbilt University, when it came time to pick a career, he was more intrigued by a project he started in a 2001 entrepreneurship class at Brown University to create flower gardens in big cities. “Farmers were the first entrepreneurs,” he says. “They had to do everything to run a business.” Fueled by studies about climate change, he

thought urban farming could help solve energy problems by saving all the energy wasted in transporting crops. Santa Cruz is an ideal location in some ways, but not in others. Being on the cusp of the agriculture industry in Watsonville and the Silicon Valley, Halmos has access to the top minds in both industries. But the area isn’t starving for fresh produce the way the East Coast is. Business would be better back there, he says. Eventually, though, he thinks his product will be needed everywhere. “There are going to be 9 billion people on earth by the year 2050, which requires a 70 percent increase in food production,” he says. “We will grow as much food in the next 40 years as we’ve grown in the 10,000 years of human history.” Urban farming can help solve the problem. He says it’s at the level of solar energy in its beginning, but prices will come down as more modules are ordered. He can now set up a backyard farm at a home for $6,000. “When I started Cityblooms in 2001, it was questionable whether or not the local farming and the local food movement would ever take off,” Halmos says. “Now, it’s a foregone conclusion in my mind. It’s not a matter of if anymore, it’s a matter of when. When is this going to break out and hit its stride?”

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Back to the Land

As interest in homesteading rises locally, Mountain Feed and Farm Supply takes on beekeeping, aquaponics and other hallmarks of the new self-sufficient lifestyle BY CAT JOHNSON

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BEE HERE NOW Mountain Feed and Farm Supply offers beekeeing classes as one of many ways they promote homesteading. The store is located at 9550 Highway 9 in Ben Lomond.

T

en years ago, Jorah Roussopoulos and his wife Andi used to park outside the vacant storefront where the Ben Lomond Feed store had once been, and daydream about what kind of business they could create in the space. The son of a mobile vet who would travel from feed store to feed store, Roussopoulos was at home around feed, animals, and farm supplies, so starting a feed store seemed like a good plan. But from its inception, the couple wanted their store to be something extraordinary. “We named it Mountain Feed and Farm Supply,” says Jorah Roussopoulos, “because under ‘farm supply’ we could include pretty much anything we wanted. That could be solar panels, water pumps, tractors, plants.” Early on, the couple thought the store would be a sustainable-living convenience store. They brought in sustainable-living supplies and started selling biodiesel. For years, they were the world’s only solar-powered biodiesel filling station. But biodiesel presents its own environmental issues, and eventually the couple changed their focus to things that, as Roussopoulos explains, “help put food on tables.” They now focus on small-scale food production and management. “We do everything from planting a seed to canning a jam, hatching an egg to raising a chicken,” Roussopoulos says. The store is a food-centric paradise and visual treasure trove. It has over 30,000 items and there’s a strong emphasis on homesteading. They carry feed store and farm essentials like pet food and animal supplies, seeds, organic plant starts, and gardening tools. But they also stock materials for beekeeping, beer making, cheese making, pickling, canning, cooking, preserving, dehydrating, and just about anything else you could possible need to take food from the garden to the table. Recently, there’s been a wave of interest in aquaponics, a food production system that combines raising aquatic animals with growing plants in water. The process uses 95 percent less water than conventional agriculture, and in a drought climate, is a viable way to responsibly grow food. The Mountain Feed and Farm Supply team is creating an on-site aquaponics garden and working with a local aquaponics expert to educate drought-conscious gardeners about the method. “It’s not that we advocate for growing all of your own food, or canning all of your own food,” says Roussopoulos. “That’s a ton of work, and it’s not practical for most folks …

If you already cook at home every night and you buy from the grocery store, check out the farmers market. If you already do that, plant a little bit of your own lettuce. It’s about helping people get a touch closer to where their food comes from.”

THE RISE OF HOMESTEADING Homesteading is broadly defined in the modern era as a lifestyle of sustainability and self-sufficiency, and as locals have taken up the practices, Mountain Feed and Farm Supply has tried to keep them equipped. Roussopoulos explains that what we call homesteading used to just be everyday life—if our grandparents needed a cheese culture or pickling jar for their culinary crafting, they would just go down to the market and get them. The Roussopoulos couple aims to bring this easy access to the local community. “I saw time and time again that people wanted to do cool stuff around food and bees and all of this homestead stuff,” says Roussopoulos. “But it was not super accessible. People were excited about food but they were getting hung up on the how-to, or the ‘Where do I get this?’” To find out what people wanted, the partners turned to the community. They asked just about everyone through the door for suggestions for the space and what they’d like to see on the shelves. This openness and responsiveness allowed the store to grow organically and remain in a constant state of change depending on the needs of the community. “We realized early on,” says Roussopoulos, “that this store wasn’t our store—it was the community’s store.” On any given day, there is a wide spectrum of people rubbing elbows and exchanging

information at the store, from old-school farmers and gardeners to young patch-wearing punk rockers, and everyone in between. Many days there’s a banjo player out back plucking out old-time tunes. This all-inclusiveness was part of the Roussopoulos’ vision for the store from its earliest days. “Breaking down boundaries and focusing on similarities is what the planet needs,” says Roussopoulos. “From the beginning, we wanted it to be truly a community hub and a melting pot kind of place, and it’s what it absolutely has been.” There are regular events and workshops at the store, and this summer they’re partnering with Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets to offer classes in food preservation methods and natural food preparation. The plan is to teach people what they can do with the food available from local farmers. Mountain Feed and Farm Supply also offers introductory beekeeping classes. Classes are generally limited to 20 people, but for the last session, organizers didn’t cap it—they wanted to see how many people signed up. A whopping 70 people enrolled. The interest is a reflection of a vibrant community, as well as the trust put in Mountain Feed and Farm Supply to deliver quality information. Roussopoulos says he sees the store more as a resource center than a retail space. The staff is there to “help people solve problems.” If Roussopoulos catches an employee trying to sell someone, he gets “really bummed.” “Much to my bookkeeper’s dismay,” he says, “I’m not super concerned about making a ton of money. I’m super concerned about doing cool, fun things.” 2015 | GTWEEKLY.COM | SANTACRUZ.COM | HOME & GARDEN 2015 | GTWEEKLY.COM | SANTACRUZ.COM | HOME & GARDEN

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GoingDry BY AMANDA EDWARDS

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HOME & GARDEN | SANTACRUZ.COM | GTWEEKLY.COM | 2015

Extreme drought conditions call for a new approach to gardening as Santa Cruz extends emergency measures

F

acing further rain shortfalls and extreme drought conditions, the Santa Cruz City Council recently declared a Stage 3 water shortage emergency for the second year in a row. No one knows how long the current drought will last—estimates range from at least one year to the possibility of several more—and in an attempt to avoid tapping into water storages,

Stage 3 conditions require the community to reduce system-wide water use by 25 percent. Local gardeners will have to make big changes as the drought worsens, and ensure that their water conservation systems are properly working. It can be a daunting task, but Andrew Wall, nursery and garden curator at Cabrillo College, says creating a fully drought-tolerant garden is entirely doable. “We started putting drip irrigation around the garden,” Wall says of Cabrillo’s drought response. “We need to be active and responsive to what the water needs are of the entire county.” Christof Bernau, garden manager at UC

Santa Cruz, agrees that drip irrigation is an important asset to any garden, and advises other water-conservation practices, as well. “We practice early- and late-day watering to reduce the potential for evaporative loss, and we use soil-monitoring skills,” Bernau says. “We’re trying to push the margins of how little water we can deliver and still achieve good results.” The water conservation tools used in large gardens like at UCSC and Cabrillo can easily be set up in small home gardens. A watersmart garden employs several such water conservation techniques simultaneously, and a little micro-management goes a long way toward creating the proper watering plan. “A gardener needs to be knowledgeable about the needs of the plants,” Bernau says. He suggests mulching and building the soil with organic matter as a step toward a more drought-tolerant garden, and highlights the importance of using shut-off timers in a garden. Removing sprinkler systems and installing drip irrigation for landscape plants is also a good step toward a more water-wise garden. If done right, installing drip irrigation at home takes only a few hours. A sophisticated irrigation system is not necessary—a spigot for a hose will work fine. Make sure to 20 >

OLDERHOOD 50-101+ 100 years ago, 70% of widows & widowers moved in with their children. Today, only 38% do so.

70%

38%

In 1950, only 10% of all Americans over age 65 lived alone.Today, a full 1/3 of older Americans live alone, D ´JXUH WKDW ULVHV WR 40% for those 85 and older. Almost 90% of older Americans say they want to remain in their own homes as they age…

10%

33%

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1950

Today

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CELEBRATING AMANDA’S 20TH YEAR AT THE GARDEN COMPANY Twenty years ago Amanda moved from Visalia to Santa Cruz to attend UCSC. Soon after arriving she submitted an application at The Garden Company seeking part time work. A few weeks later she was hired as a weekend cashier. After college, part time became full time and Amanda started dating a coworker named Andy. Today, Andy and Amanda are married and have two beautiful young girls, Emmi and Lily. Amanda is now our manager and buyer for almost all indoor products. She handles personnel issues, customer concerns, special orders, cashier training and

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general supervision. She is the glue that holds things together when Maria and I have a chance to get out of town and relax, knowing that the business is in capable hands. Amanda is an amazing young woman in both family life and work life. We are very appreciative and grateful for her friendship and all that she does. Please join us in recognizing her talents and the 20 years of outstanding customer service she has provided to our customers. Sincerely, Charlie and Maria Keutmann

How to conserve water for your garden: 1. Fix small leaks in toilets, faucets and irrigation 2. Reduce faucet ow and turn it off between rinses ĂŽ°ĂŠ/>ÂŽiĂŠĂƒÂ…ÂœĂ€ĂŒiĂ€ĂŠĂƒÂ…ÂœĂœiĂ€ĂƒĂŠ>˜`ĂŠV>ÂŤĂŒĂ•Ă€iĂŠĂœ>Ă€Â“Â‡Ă•ÂŤĂŠĂœ>ĂŒiĂ€ {°ĂŠ Â…iVÂŽĂŠÂœĂ•ĂŒĂŠÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠLi>Ă•ĂŒÂˆvĂ•Â?ĂŠÂź7>ĂŒiÀÊ7ÂˆĂƒi½ĂŠÂŤÂ?>Â˜ĂŒĂƒ x°ĂŠ iĂŒĂŠĂ•ĂƒĂŠĂŒi>VÂ…ĂŠĂžÂœĂ•ĂŠi>ĂƒĂžĂŠ`ÂœÂ‡ÂˆĂŒÂ‡ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ĂƒiÂ?vĂŠ`Ă€ÂˆÂŤĂŠÂˆĂ€Ă€Âˆ}>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜ 6. Water your plants slow, deep and much less often

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divide the plants into groups, so plants with similar watering needs are together. There are various drip irrigation methods, each depending on the size of the area that needs to be irrigated and the availability of water outlets. One of the easiest ways, and most common in home gardens, is a faucet connection. Using an outdoor faucet, a tube can be attached and set on an automatic timer. Once a method is chosen, laying the tubing out in the flower bed is the next step. Once the layout is correct and holes are punched for distribution, the drip irrigation system is set up. It’s the first step to a beautiful, drought-tolerant garden, easily attained with some patience and dedication. “A water-smart garden is going to have the right plants for the right place,” Wall says. “And the right mindset.”

For more information on the drought, gardening tips, restrictions and water school, visit the Water Department’s website at cityofsantacruz.com.

What are some plants that grow well in a drought? Drought tolerant fruits and vegetables: tomatoes, summer squash, winter squash, cucumbers, peppers, melon, watermelon, cantaloupe Drought tolerant landscape ideas: mint, succulents, cacti

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A F O S ION

S D S R E F E N N CO ULENT

C C SU

Meet the easiest plants you’ll ever love to grow BY AMANDA EDWARDS 22

HOME & GARDEN | SANTACRUZ.COM | GTWEEKLY.COM | 2015

L

ow-maintenance gardeners searching for an inexpensive, foolproof way to brighten your home, look no further. Succulents are here for you—even if you forget to water them. The variations of succulents are endless, and come in a plethora of colors: pink, red, yellow, white, burgundy, black, chartreuse—and many colors on succulents blend together, creating an angelic gradient look. Not only is it fascinating to peruse all of the varieties for ones that will look beautiful in or around your home, succulents are also easy to take care of and require little attention. As long as they are kept in a spot that gets a lot of sun, the plants only need to be watered about once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter.

WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE? Succulents are desert plants, well-adapted to deal with low amounts of rainfall. Their impervious outer cuticles help them store and conserve water much longer than other plants. Their roots often grow very close to the surface, so they are able to pick up moisture from the air, light showers and heavy dew. In fact, a succulent is more likely

to die from overwatering than it is from not watering it at all. During these extreme drought conditions, your succulents won’t suffer, and neither will your water bill. Succulents aren’t picky, and you won’t have to pamper them like you might need to with other plants in your garden. Also, planting succulents works in almost any space—they can thrive inside, outside, in a small pot, a large container, or even in the ground.

NERDING OUT Once you officially become a succulent nerd, like I did, your newfound hobby can get out of control fast. I found myself going to nurseries every weekend, spending copious amounts of money on decorative pots, potting soil, and of course various varieties of succulents— plus the occasional garden gnome. Then it’s straight home, to get to potting. But getting overly excited at the nursery can lead to stuffing too many succulents into one pot, which can backfire within a couple of months. Succulents can get cramped if there are too many in one pot, so in the long run, it’s better to spread them out. In general, three fist-sized succulents can fit happily in a 10-inch wide pot, along with some ground cover—ask your local nursery about sedums or stonecrop

to fill in the spaces in succulent plantings. Sooner or later, this innocent hobby can turn into a full-blown addiction, and some succulent nerds will eventually get the urge to steal clippings. (This is completely hypothetical, of course.) Some succulent lovers even keep a pair of clippers in their cars in case they spot a particularly must-have variety while out and about. Succulents can be found in natural environments, such as cliffs near the beach, but if you’d like to take a cutting, make sure it’s legal to collect, and in general, promote good succulent karma. One of the best things about planting succulents is how easy it is to propagate them. With a little practice, almost any clipping from a succulent plant will start growing another. Because so much water is stored in the leaves of succulents, a single leaf can create a whole new plant, so the smallest of cuttings will often do the trick. When taking a cutting, make sure you get at least one whole leaf, and let the cutting heal and dry out for 1-3 days. Once it’s dry, place the leaf on soil or plant the stem of the cutting.

PLANTING TIPS When planting succulents, combine cactus mix and potting soil to maintain drainage 24 >

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while still holding moisture and providing extra nutrients. If a big storm is coming, make sure that they don’t get too much water. Succulents don’t like to sit in standing water. If you have a heavy hand with your watering can, you may be better off keeping succulents alive by watering them from a spray bottle. Succulent pots need a hole at the bottom for drainage but will survive in a container that doesn’t have a hole if you use a spray bottle to water it. Since they are so easy to grow, it’s easy to get creative with where you plant them: think birdbaths, books, tea cups, wine glasses, lockets, old bottles, vases, fountains, vertical grids, etc. Or think of your own way to plant a succulent for a personalized garden. You too can be a succulent nerd!

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HOME & GARDEN | SANTACRUZ.COM | GTWEEKLY.COM | 2015

Design Ideas for Succulents HANGING POTS Nurseries sell pots specifically for succulents to hang outdoors or indoors, as well as frames for planting succulent paintings to hang on the wall. Get creative and reuse items around the house you might usually throw away, like wine bottles or old bird cages.

SUCCULENT WALL GARDEN For a fun DIY project, pick a wall in your house that gets a lot of sun and replace it with a unique hanging succulent garden. Dig Gardens on Water Street in Santa Cruz has one for reference.

SUCCULENT WREATH For a wreath that looks good on your door all year long, try making a succulent wreath. It’s living, and it looks healthy for months.

My So-Called Succulent Life How not to raise plants, in a few simple, horrifying steps

BY GEORGIA PERRY

I

decided to get my life together all in one weekend. I was 27, and had spent the last year and a half living in a studio apartment—a converted garage behind my landlord’s house in Seabright. A plant seemed like a sure sign of adulthood, the marker of a lovely home, a zen pad. Welcome to my home, yes that is a plant, I could say to people when they came over. So it was settled. I got a cactus. Or, rather, some small succulent thing that looked like a cactus. It cost $3. I put it in the corner of my apartment on a stack of hardback books and left it there for a couple months, occasionally nodding respectfully in its direction in appreciation of the vitality it brought into the space. The plant grew a bit, and eventually one of its arms got so long that it began to bend in an unflattering way. I took a knife and sawed into the plant’s side, thinking that like an earthworm, if the plant’s appendage were cut off it would just grow a new one, or otherwise

heal nicely. A thick, milky liquid began to ooze out. It was a bit creepy, but I overlooked this. This was my plant, after all. It had nourished me in a decorative sense for months, why wouldn’t it nourish me now? In an effort to honor the life force the plant brought into my otherwise hopelessly dreary apartment, I touched the tip of my knife to my tongue and tasted just the teeniest bit of the juice, expecting something like coconut milk. What I got instead was a raging fire inside my mouth. It was almost immediate, like when a window drape catches on a candle flame and within an instant the whole house is up in flames. My mouth was that home. It burned. It stung. The taste was horrendously bitter, and I began instinctively spitting into the sink, over and over again. Then I began foaming at the mouth. After 15 minutes, the burning had spread to my throat, and I began a frantic Internet search. Euphorbia resinifera, it turned out the plant was

called. “Simple decorative sub-shrub often found potted in homes,” etc. etc. etc. And then there it was: “Emits a thick white milky latex when stems are cut or damaged. The latex is particularly dangerous and will produce burning pain in bones and limbs and paralytic weakness in the joints, as well as life-threatening respiratory and skin toxicity symptoms. Use extreme caution to not get any latex in mouth.” I called Poison Control in a panic. I pleaded with them, telling them how much I had consumed (“hardly any”) and asked if I was still going to die. The nice woman on the other end told me to eat some ice cream and call back in an hour if things weren’t better. Because I was living in Santa Cruz, I was an absurd caricature who just happened to have a pint of acai berry sherbet from Staff of Life in my freezer. I mauled it like a bear. Gradually, the burning lessened. I fell asleep, and woke up an hour later eternally grateful for a backto-normal mouth.

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Green Family Values Five easy tips for lowering your household’s environmental footprint BY JUNE SMITH

M

ost people in Santa Cruz County are well aware of the importance of conservation. But keeping a low environmental footprint is not always easy, especially for busy households and working professionals. A sustainable future means not only making eco-friendly habits a priority, but also teaching these habits to our children. Several of my most eco-conscious friends helped contribute to this list of five valuable tips for making conservation a daily part of home living.

1

SET AN ECO-FRIENDLY EXAMPLE FOR KIDS

Educate children by exposing them to eco-friendly alternatives at a young age. Start with simple examples, like the importance

of low-impact modes of transportation. Carpooling is already widely used, but older kids can walk or ride their bikes to activities. Families can take a fun outing by bus. Take a moment to review how you’re packing lunches for work and school. If you find yourself reaching for brown bags and plastic baggies, invest in some high-quality reusable containers. My daughter sends my grandson Phoenix to school with a healthy lunch from home, and reduces landfill waste by using a reusable BPA-free water bottle and eco-friendly lunch box, and skipping plastic bags. Bento boxes are recyclable, long lasting and dishwasher safe, containing no phthalates, BPA, PVC or lead. Find them online at laptoplunches.com. Tots love to bathe together and consenting adults do, too! Adina Licht of Santa Cruz

says that her Girl Scout troop studied water conservation for a year. The 7- and 8-year-olds came up with ideas like putting a bucket in the shower to collect excess water. This can be used to water plants. Teach your children to shut off the water while washing hands, brushing teeth, and even while soaping up in the shower. Licht’s daughter also brings reusable cups to her classroom to use at parties, and then marks on a poster how much water they saved. “It was a cool project for the whole classroom,” says Licht.

2

RECYCLE CLOTHING AND ATTEND CLOTHING SWAPS

Since young kids often outgrow clothes when they are barely worn, most family

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members pass items along to others. Instead of buying new clothes, consider shopping at the numerous recycled clothing stores in our county. Join a clothing swap, like the monthly Santa Cruz Women’s Clothing Swap Meetup, where you can trade no-longer-wanted clothes and accessories for cool new ones. Clothes are sorted into small, medium and large sizes and organized into categories like dresses, jackets, pants, sweaters, tank tops, etc. No cash is traded; just bring clothes, a healthy snack and have an entertaining evening with local like-minded frugal fashionistas. Organizer Amy Joy says, “We’re always looking for new members. Shopping therapy feels good, but can get pricey. By pooling our resources and contributing stylish clothing in good condition that doesn’t work because of wrong color or size, our members can turn unwanted clothing into new treasures for others. If an item taken at one event doesn’t work, it can be brought back, making it sort of a lending library for clothes. This service is free to members who follow posted procedures.” Contact meetup.com/clothesswap-82 and read the FAQs to learn the responsibilities before requesting to become a member.

3

COLLECT GREYWATER

Greywater is wastewater saved from dishwashing, bathing, and washing clothes that is safe for many other household uses. Capture the rinse water from the washing machine, wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water that can be reused, and use a bucket to scoop out water after a bath. Consider installing a greywater system— contact the water department for resources and support and check with your local government before moving forward with the project. “Although there are California codes, different jurisdictions are in different stages of adopting the codes, and some have more advanced ordinances. The County of Santa Cruz was the latest to adopt green building codes of all jurisdictions in the county,” says Land Use Consultant and Sustainability Specialist Patrizia Materassi. Contact the Building or Planning Department at 454-2260. She also recommends contacting Fall Creek Engineering, a company providing civil and environmental water resource engineering, at 426-9054. Some water districts and municipal governments do free household water audits; others supply free low-flow showerheads, aerators or toilets. To eliminate concerns about the presence of chemicals, switch to plant-based, phosphatefree cleaners for household needs, or use natural cleaning products from the kitchen, such as vinegar and baking soda.

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4

PATRONIZE CERTIFIED GREEN BUSINESSES

The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program in Santa Cruz County is a soil, water, and air pollution prevention effort creating a relationship between government, the public, and the business community. Their website states that it is an incentives-based program designed to encourage businesses to meet or exceed environmental standards. Member Carolyn Rudolph, owner of Charlie Hong Kong Restaurant says, “Our intention is to operate our business in a sustainable manner. We follow the core values: to conserve, protect, and respect the environment—natural and human. We are committed to serving organic food, buying locally grown produce and using local vendors as much as possible.” Find out more by visiting montereybaygreenbusiness.org. Chaminade Resort & Spa is a Green Business Certified hotel whose staff is proud to use locally sourced produce and meats from local farmers, organic cleaning products awarded the highest government rating, printing paper that is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and biodegradable to-go containers made of corn and potato starches. They also have a policy of using no single-use products, styrofoam or bottled water.

5

BAN TOXIC CHEMICALS FROM THE HOME

Take a moment to review the chemical impact your household has on not only the environment, but also on your body. Take the “Toxic Test” by visiting the website takethetoxictest.com, which states that there are over 80,000 chemicals in use in the U.S., many of which are banned overseas. “Of those, only a small percentage has been tested for toxicity. Chemicals can enter the bloodstream through the skin and enter the body through inhalation. The cosmetics industry is self-regulated and little legislation has been passed to protect women from chemicals in the products they use each day. Many chemicals found in makeup sold in the U.S. are banned in Europe.” The site further points out that manufacturers of cleaning products and laundry detergents are not required by federal law to list their ingredients—unlike food, beverage, cosmetic and personal care products. The “Toxic Ten” product category on the site serve lists 10 toxic chemicals most commonly found in homes and some of the health risks associated with the ingredients, as cited by third-party research. The list represents some of the most well-known and best documented offenders. Conduct your own online research to find out more, so that you can better identify dangerous chemicals that may be present.

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CALENDAR 30

5/30

SUCCULENT PICTURE FRAME WORKSHOP

5/30

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT GARDEN PHENOLOGY WORKSHOP

5/31 6/2

HOME & GARDEN | SANTACRUZ.COM | GTWEEKLY.COM | 2015

Ideal for a small space, vertical gardens are the perfect way to green up your wall, entryway, and fence—this workshop uses prefabricated redwood wall hangings to create plant paintings. 2 p.m., DIG Gardens

Workshop open to hikers, scientists, students, families and educators alike—instructor Juliet Oshiro will lead a session on how to monitor and gather data on when native plants leaf out, flower, form fruit and other seasonal changes. 2-4 p.m., UCSC Arboretum

SPRING BENEFIT BRUNCH Local chef Stephanie Raugust prepares a free seasonally inspired brunch to benefit the Life Lab's garden-based education workshops. 10 a.m.-noon, De Anza Clubhouse

COMMUNITY DAY On the first Tuesday of every month, the community is invited to explore the UCSC Arboretum without an entrance free. All day, UCSC Arboretum

CALENDAR

6/6

HYPERTUFA POT WORKSHOP

6/6

POETRY & MUSIC FESTIVAL

6/6

ARBORETUM GARDEN TOUR

6/7

FREE GUIDED TOUR OF UCSC FARM

Hypertufa (hyper-toofa) can be made into almost any shape, is environmentally friendly and lightweight, and can withstand any weather conditions. This workshop leads participants in how to make their own pots to take home. 2 p.m., DIG Gardens

The Rhythm Rangellers harmonize an afternoon of music and locals Walker Abel, Patrice Vecchione, Michael Hannon and others will read poetry. Noon-2 p.m., Alan Chadwick Gardens, UCSC

Spend a morning exploring the exotic flowers and plants at the Arboretum on the first Saturday of every month. 11 a.m., UCSC Arboretum

Louise Cain Gatehouse leads tours of the Farm and the Alan Chadwick Garden for sweeping views of the Monterey Bay and a diverse landscape of organic agriculture and horticulture. 2-3:30 p.m., UCSC Farm 32 >

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CALENDAR

6/9

ARBORETUM NATIVE GARDEN VOLUNTEERING This weeding group maintains and beautifies the Entrance Native Garden on Tuesday morning—bring gloves, water, and sun protection. 9 a.m.-noon, UCSC Arboretum

6/13

VERTICAL SUCCULENT LETTER WORKSHOP

6/17

WREATH MAKING VOLUNTEERS

6/20 6/26

6/27 6/28

Perfect for gifts or your own personalized wall letter, these vertical gardens spice up redwood planters 10 inches high and 3 deep. 2 p.m., DIG Gardens

Volunteers make succulent wreaths to be sold at Norrie's Gift Shop and the annual Wreath Sale in November to benefit the Arboretum. 10 a.m.-noon, UCSC Arboretum

7/11 8/1-2 8/9

MONTEREY BAY GREENHOUSE GROWERS OPEN HOUSE

LOVE APPLE FARM TOURS Private docent-led tours offer an intimate look at the dairy goats, chicken flock and well over 200 cultivars of fruit, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers grown for Manresa restaurant. 9-10 a.m., Love Apple Farms

GARDEN CLASSROOM WORKSHOP Two-day hands-on workshop focusing on garden-based lessons linked to language arts, math, and science standards, in addition to gardening skills. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Life Lab's Garden Classroom, UCSC

WINTER VEGETABLE GARDENING Learn how to tend a winter vegetable garden with more than 30 different kinds of vegetables. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Love Apple Farms

Join the Greenhouse Growers of Monterey in their sixth annual open house with tours through gerberas, succulents, edible herbs, flowers, and plants. Monterey Bay Nursery and other locations

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE IN THE GARDEN Putting the "earth" back in Earth and Life Science, Life Lab's award-winning curriculum leads participants through the garden to explore ecological interdependence, growth, and the development of organisms, structure and function, adaption and the human footprint. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Life Lab's Garden Classroom UCSC

COMPOST IN HOME GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE Orin Martin and Sky DeMuro lead a lecture and hands-on practice on how to build a successful compost pile. 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Alan Chadwick Garden

DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM WORKSHOP This workshop will lead you through the process of installing a drip irrigation system, from the spigot to the garden. Does not require any special pipes. Noon-4p.m., Love Apple Farms

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CALENDAR

9/5

BEER MAKING WORKSHOP Ring in Oktoberfest as a beer-brewing expert this season with this homebrewing class featuring Lagers, Ales, IPAs and Pilsners. Noon-4 p.m., Love Apple Farms

10/5

EVERGREEN CEMETERY WEEKLY CLEANUP Each Monday volunteers can help keep Evergreen green, by pulling weeds, picking up trash and other beautification endeavors. 9:30 a.m.-noon, Evergreen Cemetery

2015 | GTWEEKLY.COM | SANTACRUZ.COM | HOME & GARDEN

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Shades of Green New growth for Tea House Spa’s gardens BY MARIA GRUSAUSKAS

O

ne of the most memorable characteristics of the Tea House Spa experience is peering from your bubbling tub into a lush green glade of bamboo. The same towering stalks that offer privacy and dappled shade also completely erase any detection of Pacific Avenue or the Catalyst, though they are right around the corner. “There is a large variety of bamboo, this one in particular is called Timber bamboo,” says artist and gardener Enrique Ortiz Villegas, who was put in charge of “aesthetic responsibilities” at Tea House Spa

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HOME & GARDEN | SANTACRUZ.COM | GTWEEKLY.COM | 2015

last August, and has already left his mark. “These are likely to reach 20, 30, 40 feet. They can get very tall.” The bamboo stand shares its space with a well-established avocado tree, and Villegas has rearranged the stones to create a meandering path through the glade. “I look forward to adding more plants back here,” says Villegas, who has big plans for the future of the Tea House Spa gardens. The entryway features the beginnings of a lush fern garden, which thrives in the shady area around the koi pond. Villegas points out a towering Australian Fern Tree, which

was given to Villegas after it got too tall for its home at the San Lorenzo Garden Center. “It’s just starting to unfurl, so it’s perfect. When the fronds open up, they’ll hide the pipes,” he says. On the wall, he’s installed a piece of his own art, a tile painted in red and gold with a “temple vase.” Maidenhair, Bird Nest, and Rabbit’s Foot ferns rest serenely inside the Tea House Spa gate, out of which spill camellias, night blooming jasmine, and geraniums. “Plants, for me, are not inanimate objects. They’re alive. I get attached to them,” says Villegas.

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