About a year ago, I thought it would be a nice idea to plant a few ornamental grasses on the front edge of my fence. A way to bring joy and beauty to the good folk walking down the street. Also a way to say, “Hey, lets not revel in our vacant dirt lots and display our garbage on the front lawn like we are on the show Sanford and Sons. Let’s instead create some spaces to be proud of and try to class up the neighborhood.” So I did. Continue reading “Curb Appeal! When life gives you lemons, say "screw these lemons, I'm gonna make a garden!"”
I feel like I just awoke from a long coma. This last Thanksgiving was full of mirth to the point of making me a useless blob. My hobbies have included laying East/West on the couch watching Netflix, laying West/East on the couch watching Netflix, steadily observing the physical changes (or lack there of) of piles of dirty dishes and generally boring the shit out of my dog, my girlfriend and you, my gentle readers. For that I am sorry. Not so sorry that I didn’t enjoy the indulgence of my inertia or revel in my lethargy. Because I truly did. But, I’m back now. At least until Christmas rolls around. Continue reading “Life After the Drought”
Cycas Revoluta, or the Sago Palm, has a deceiving name. It is not a palm at all, but a cycad. Cycads have been around for millions of years. Ever since the Mesozoic Era. That means that Tyrannosaurus Rex may have used them as butt scratchers 200 million years ago. And they would have already been around for 50 million years just waiting for some sweet T. Rex butt scratchin’.
Let that sink in for a minute. The vastness of that time span. This is truly an ancient species and one that has recently become very popular as an ornamental plant. I see them all over Southern California, but they can grow almost anywhere in the US. They are very cold hardy for such a tropical species. All of the box stores carry them, all of the nurseries. However, in all my nursery and Home Depot trips, I have yet to see a single warning label about the high levels of toxins in every part of this plant. Not a one.
Any animal that eats any part of this plant is in serious trouble. Even humans. To a cat, or a dog, Sago seeds are a yummy treat. They can’t help but enjoy the crunchy nutty flavor. The thing is, after only 12 hours of ingestion, they have a 50-75% chance that they will be dead by the end of the day. Now, let that sink in. Continue reading “The Sago Palm: Ancient, Beautiful and Actively Trying to Kill Your Family.”
