Retreats 12/2/22

Support the Bennion Deville Homes Toy Drive Benefitting CVRM

Bennion Deville Homes and Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (CVRM) are once again teaming up to provide new toys to children across the desert for the holidays. From now until Friday, December 9th, Bennion Deville Homes offices throughout the Coachella Valley are accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys and gift cards. CVRM anticipates a critical shortage of toys for local children this year, and Bennion Deville Homes wants to ensure that need is met.

Last year, CVRM distributed toys to 6,000 children, and expects to match or even exceed that figure again due to ongoing economic hardship. Items for children ages 5 to 12 are especially of need during the holiday season.

Suggested new, unwrapped toys include:

• Sports equipment, such as baseballs, softballs, footballs, and soccer balls

• Barbies and Barbie clothing

• Dolls & action fi gures

• Beauty products, such as makeup and curling irons

• Educational toys

• Games & puzzles

• Arts & crafts

• Skateboards, scooters, and bikes

• Ride-on vehicles

Bennion Deville Homes offices accepting donations include:

Palm Springs: 201 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 120, Palm Springs

Rancho Mirage: 71691 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage

Palm Desert: 44-530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 101, Palm Desert

Indian Wells: 74-910 Highway 111, Indian Wells

La Quinta: 47-350 Washington Street, Suite 101, La Quinta

States Bennion Deville Homes C.E.O. Bob Deville, “We are honored to work with the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission again this year. Our holiday toy drives always bring an outpouring of generosity from our agents, clients, and staff. It brightens our spirits to know that giving new, unwrapped toys to the CVRM toy drive will light up a local child’s face this holiday season. The mission that CVRM fulfills across our region is admirable and inspiring, and we are always eager to do our part to help them succeed. We encourage our agents, staff, and clients to contribute anything they can, especially this year when

CVRM expects to provide toys to more local families than usual. Let’s meet our collective goal of ensuring everyone has a joyous holiday season in our desert communities. Thank you for your support and generosity toward this cause.”

ABOUT BENNION DEVILLE HOMES

As a leader in the local community, and the desert real estate leader, Bennion Deville Homes strives to make the neighborhoods it serves a better place for all. Founded in 2001 by Bob Bennion and Bob Deville, Bennion Deville Homes serves home buyers and sellers throughout Southern California in the primary markets of the Greater Palm Springs Area (Coachella Valley) and the mountain communities of Riverside County. Bennion Deville Homes, the #1 real estate brokerage in the Coachella Valley, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the nation’s largest real estate company based on closed transactions, strengthening Bennion Deville Homes’ standing as a top brokerage on the local, regional, and national stages.

For the location of the Bennion Deville Homes office nearest you, visit our website, BDHomes.com. Follow us on major social media platforms @BDHSoCal for the latest local and national real estate and lifestyle news. We will unlock possibilities for you.

Bennion Deville Homes delivered a haul of toys to CVRM last year. Please help them do the same this year by donating to any office across the Coachella Valley.

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Coastal grandmother vibe endures for holiday gifting

Leanne Italie | ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK – The look of Nancy Meyers’ movies. Inside Ina Garten’s kitchen. Oversize cable knit sweaters. A quality, timeless trench. All things pumpkin spice.

These are some of Lex Nicoleta’s favorite things.

The California TikToker who coined the term “coastal grandmother” in a video that has racked up thousands of views since March helped set the summer’s mood for long beach walks, laidback interiors and that farmer’s market way of life.

“And no,” Nicoleta insists on camera, “you don’t have to be a grandmother to be a coastal grandmother. It’s for anyone and everyone.”

Now that her coastal grandma-heavy feed has moved into cold-weather vibes, Nicoleta has given us lots of holiday gifting possibilities. Some ideas:

Coastal grandmother has everything

to do with pumpkin spice and comfort cooking. Share your grandmother’s treasured soups and stews, wrap up a piece of Le Creuset cookware, find a collection of soup crocks, a fancy wine decanter or a nice wine bottle stopper. Even a great bottle of wine or olive oil would do.

So would a nice hot dish, a standout pie dish, some biscotti or fancy tea, a set of tea towels. You can’t go wrong there in capturing the mood. Etsy seller Claylicious sells a blue and gold ceramic egg tray for $87 offering just the ride touch. Another Etsy seller, ZLATNA porcelain, has a ceramic milk carton with a cork stopper in a white-and-black polka dot design for $109.

The ambiance isn’t restricted to “coastal.” Gift a wicker picnic basket, some beautiful dried flowers in a vase, a candle with outdoor or baking scents, a

Cozy pieces of clothing like a ribbed cashmere crewneck sweater, left, a cashmere wrap, center, or a ribbed cashmere V-neck sweater from J.Crew go along with the coastal grandmother vibe. J.CREW VIA AP

The casual “coastal grandmother” aesthetic makes for a range of holiday gift options. TUMBLEWEED & DANDELION VIA AP

Gifts

charcuterie board, a high-end set of soaps. How about a trip to Napa Valley? Nicoleta suggests Yountville in particular. Lex has spoken.

If Nicoleta is the Pied Piper of all things coastal grandmother, Meyers the filmmaker is her muse – and Diane Keaton her patron saint. Wrap up a copy of Meyers’ “The Holiday,” “Something’s Gotta Give” or “It’s Complicated.” They’re full of coastal grandma energy. Lex likes the Garten kitchen vibe, too. Garten creates her simple, sophisticated magic in a converted barn on her property in East Hampton, New York.

Looking for a cute, no-cost gesture? Put together a worthy playlist, or just share the one Nicoleta dropped on Spotify. It’s a doozy, featuring Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love),” “Sunrise” by Norah Jones and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen. There’s James Taylor, Coralie Clement, Fine Young Cannibals, Michael Buble, Jason Mraz and more.

Coastal grandmother can be pricey, roomy cashmere turtlenecks, or something cheaper but equally as cozy from H&M. It can be a classic coat, a set of loafers or ballet flats, a nice warm scarf. Anything timeless –not trendy. A nice pair of over-the-knee boots would work. So would the perfect white T-shirt or a slouchy

bag. Any classic worn effortlessly and with style reaches the coastal grandma bar. Try one of these finds in coats and jackets from Refinery29.com.

“Think everything in neutral tones,” said Etsy trend expert Dana Isom Johnson.

For the home, try a warm throw, an accent pillow or a tabletop fire pit. Indoor-outdoor living is the name of the coastal grandma game. Think what one would do

A standout dish or collectible can fit in with the coastal grandmother theme, like this ceramic milk carton with a cork stopper in a white-and-black polka dot design for $109, from Etsy seller, ZLATNA porcelain. ANDY KROPA/INVISION/AP

on a wraparound porch. Read, for instance. Pick up a Kindle. Backyards are also big in the coastal grandma universe. A comfy lounge chair set, perhaps?

Coastal grandmother, Johnson said, is “all about comfort and making sure that things are feeling Zen and quiet and comfortable in the home.”

Some other sellers on Etsy, a global online marketplace, have also captured the mood.

The Etsy store Sea and Stable has turned oyster shells into blue decoupage chinoiserie jewelry holders and trinket bowls. Another, Jess by Jess Designs, sells colorful floral wreaths sealed to prolong all the hydrangea, peony and rose goodness.

An extension of coastal grandmother, Johnson said, is a top trend for the holidays on Etsy: crustaceancore. White pearls have been around for centuries but interest is high, she said. There has been a 44% increase in searches for pearls on shoes on Etsy, and the same for pearl bags or purses. The interest stretches to festive decor and all things crustacean, Johnson said.

Etsy seller Melissa Ceramics hand makes porcelain ceramic bowls finished in a pearly glaze on the inside. A set of three sells for $47.42. Another seller, Shop Noir Doux, sells a small vintage-style pearl shoulder bag for $105. Seller Lings Pearls Studio offers a handmade freshwater pearl hair pin for $12.28.

“Everyone,” Johnson said, is looking “to find inspiration from the sea.”

Collectibles of all kinds make great holiday gifts. For the coastal grandmother vibe, try this blue and gold ceramic egg tray from the Etsy seller Claylicious. ANDY KROPA/INVISION/AP

The homey “coastal grandmother” aesthetic makes for a range of holiday gift options. Think comfort cooking or pumpkin spice. LE CREUSET VIA AP

AT LEFT: This Nordic Ware mini-loaf pan makes eight holiday-themed loaves, perfect for sharing. $49.99 at Kohl’s.

BELOW: This cheery red nonstick baking sheet offers even heating and is dishwasher safe. $10.99 at wilton.com.

Beautiful treats call for a beautiful display like this three-tier stand from Wilton. $31.99 at michaels.com.

Baking bests

Great tools for making holiday treats

USA TODAY NETWORK

You’ll feel like a holiday elf in this Merry Christmas ruffle apron by Design Imports. $33 at houzz.com.

Make mammoth holiday baking projects easier and more fun with these items.

AT RIGHT: Easily make your own gingerbread house with this silicone holiday cookie house baking mold. $12.99 at World Market.

AT LEFT: Make beautiful Scandinavian cookie trees, called “kransekake,” with this set of snowflake cookie cutters. $19.95 at Williams Sonoma.

AT LEFT: Adorable cookies are a cinch with this six-piece novel Christmas cookie cutter kit by Cheers.us. $6.97 at Walmart.

Spirea offers fabulous color in the fall and spring

Betty Montgomery Garden columnist

If you are looking to add a shrub that has dramatic color, you need to look at Double Play Candy Corn Spirea. This spirea is not like any other that I have seen. The new leaves are orange-red in the spring and mature to a pineapple yellow before becoming chartreuse green in the summer. When fall rolls around, the colors are spectacular, showing off yellow, red, orange and purple. In between all this, in the summer the flowers that adorn the bush are a rich purple-pink. All this is on a refined, compact bush.

Spirea were out of favor for some time because they were considered invasive in certain parts of the country and some of them would spread over time, taking over the flower bed or area where they were planted. Candy Corn became a best seller overnight for several reasons, one of them being that it is considered sterile, non-invasive, and a well-mannered shrub. Tom Ranney, a professor at North Carolina State University who runs the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center has amazing skills in plant breeding. He began working with breeding spirea (along with many other plants). He started working with a wild species from Korea and the popular Japanese spirea. Through several generations of crossing-pollination, he found a plant that was colorful yet it produced no seed. Plus, it kept a nice small size with a pretty rounded form.

Candy Corn spirea is a tough as nails, deciduous shrub with narrow, ovalshaped leaves. It is easy to grow, reliable, and robust. It thrives best in rich humus soil but will live in different soil conditions. It needs to be in a welldrained soil location or it could develop some problems like root-rot. It shows off its best color in full sun but grows in some partial shade too. Once it is established, it will take some drought conditions and it is relative pest and disease free. Plus, the deer do not bother it. It also maintains its compact shape with little pruning.

This garden wonder can be used as a focal point, low-growing hedge or compact border. I have used it as a focal point in one area and have it tucked into

a planting where I wanted to give some life to a dark spot.

I was given my first plant and it was very small in size. I did not know anything about this gift so I planted it near some other spirea that were showing a pretty lime green color. I assumed it was going to look similar to these since it was a chartreuse when given to me.

Well, was I mistaken. As the plant matured, it became better and better. This spirea had interesting colors. I was so taken with this plant that I wanted to plant more of this shrub. First, I had to go to work to find the name of my gift plant since it only had a number. After being told it was probably Candy Corn, I went to work locating more plants. I

have one grouping of three and the others are in different places where I needed color.

Planting spirea is easy since they are a hardy plant. When you plant spiraea, water your plant well until it is established. After that, you can taper off watering as it is only necessary when the soil is completely dry. You can also plant it at almost any time of year as long as you do not plant it when it is extremely cold or extremely hot. It grows in USDA zones 4 to 8 and if you are in a hotter zone you might want to give it some afternoon shade to keep the leaves looking their best.

Candy Corn is an alluring, compact plant and rarely needs pruning. However, if you want to tidy it up, you can do this in late winter. The plant blooms on new wood so if you want to trim your plant at that time, you will not cut off the blooms. The new foliage that will appear in early March will be a bright fire-engine red. You can also deadhead the blooms as they start to fade and you might be lucky enough to get a second round of flowers.

Now, when you go to look for this plant, you need to know that there is a Double Play series. There is Double Play Red, Double Play Gold, Double Play Big Band but I would assume that you will want to seek out my favorite, Double Play Candy Corn.

So, as we enter the holiday season, now is the time to ask your favorite garden center owner to make sure they will be getting Candy Corn spirea. Nurseries start lining up their spring plants now so make sure they have this plant on their list to purchase for their store. If they are not familiar with it, read them the Proven Winners tag which says it all. The show starts in early spring when the new growth emerges bright candy apple red. As it matures, it turns pineapple yellow, and the new growth continues to emerge bright orange all season. Top it off with dark purple flowers in late spring/early summer, and you've got a display you really have to see to believe.

Betty Montgomery is a master gardener and author of “Hydrangeas: How To Grow, Cultivate & Enjoy,” and “A Four-Season Southern Garden.” She can be reached at bmontgomery40@gmail.com.

Candy Corn spirea is a tough as nails, deciduous shrub with narrow, oval-shaped leaves. It is easy to grow, reliable, and robust. HANDOUT

Debate sprouts over a once popular herbicide

Eric Larson Special to Mansfield News Journal

One of my friends asked about a topic that I have been talking about for years. She wanted to know whether or not I would recommend using Roundup to help control weeds under herfence.

She told me she was going to install a fence in her backyard. She said she wondered whether her little dog would be affected by the Roundup if she would use it around the fence. Does regular exposure to glyphosate and a smaller body size mean a greater chance of being harmful to smaller animals? I wasn’t sure, and lately I hadn’t been following thenews on the glyphosate debate.

My initial solution is a trench 1 foot wide by 6 inches deep running the full length of the fence line. Backfill the trench with gravel on top of a landscape fabric to keep the weeds down and sprinkle an ovicide. The weed preventative called Preen is 100% corn gluten, and does have a history of being effec-

tive to keeping weeds down.

Bayer bought the holding interest of Monsanto, the owner of RoundUp, on June 7, 2018. With the 125,000 lawsuits and having spent $10 billion in settlements last year and realizing only 75% have been finished and more suits are coming, something is about to change. The glyphosate-based herbicide contributed to each of the plaintiff’s nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, according to the lawsuits. Most of the lawsuits are from residential users.

No more Roundup on residential sales shelves starting next year

We now see CEO Werner Bauman and Bayer will stop all residential sales in the U.S. beginning in 2023. Bauman hopes this move will manage the litigation risk; not because of any safety concerns. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other public health groups are welcoming Bayer’s decision. A total of 825,804 kilograms of glyphosate was used worldwide in 2014, which points to

the gravity of the challenge.

Glyphosate, or N-phosphonomethylglycine, has been the most common herbicide in use around the world for decades. It works by blocking a metabolic pathway called the Shimitake Pathway, which produces the amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. Without these amino acids, the plants shrivel and dies. This compound does not kill just one plant but all plants.

Normal classification places glyphosate in the broad-spectrum herbicide category. Only genetically modified plants will be able to survive this compound. More recently farmers have been using Roundup to bring all of the beans, wheat and oats to a dry state at the same time. Roundup by itself consists of 41% of glyphosate, 1.5% organic acids of glyphosate, .5% of isopropylamine, and 15.4% polyethoxylated tallow amine surfactant of which we still don’t have all of the information we need to make the ultimate decision because of the trade secrets Monsanto and Bayer still retain.

A look at a Roundup trade secret

One of the trade secret ingredients polyoxyethylene alkylamine or (POEA), which is a surfactant, has been leaked to the public. Research has revealed POEA was harmful to the living cells and 2,000 times more toxic than a low dose of glyphosate. Most regulatory bodies consider (POEA) as inactive and thus require no risk assessment. I don’t understand why.

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported the endocrine disruption was demonstrated due to the co-formulants or inert/confidential compounds.The Institute of Science in Society (ISIS), in 2014 published that the POEA added in Roundup weed killer is most toxic to human cells and also increases the glyphosate toxic effects. Multiple studies have presented that the Roundup formulation is far more dangerous than glyphosate alone, making it clear that inert ingredients in this herbicide are not as inert as they’re called.