- Editor: The Leaflet
Spring-blooming bulbs give so much beauty for so little effort. Once they are planted, they are basically carefree. Leaves and stems are waiting patiently inside their little brown packages until a bit of rain and winter chill signals their inner calendar that it's show time. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy successive waves of color in your garden from February through June. Bulbs make few demands, but there are some keys to success:
Buy top-size bulbs. Budget-priced bulbs generally yield smaller flowers. Order in summer from reliable bulb catalogs or online sources for the best variety. If buying from a nursery, select...
- Editor: Lisa MacCubbin
If you lived in Marin prior to 1988 you remember a time when the only turkeys you saw were at the grocery store. This is because, in 1988, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife introduced wild turkeys onto Loma Alta hill on the west side of Lucas Valley. The idea was to provide hunting opportunities on private lands, and the turkeys have thrived. If you are a wild turkey, Marin is a perfect place to live and raise a family.
Wild turkeys are not native to Marin County
Despite the quarter million or more wild turkeys (species Meleagris gallopavo, subspecies Rio Grande) making themselves at home in California, they are not a native bird. The wild turkeys of Marin are transplants from Texas and...
- Editor: The Leaflet
According to behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University, flowers are nature's way of providing us with a simple way to improve emotional health. They trigger happy emotions, heighten feelings of life satisfaction, and affect social behavior in a positive manner far beyond what is normally believed.
"Is burying your head in a just-picked garden bouquet and inhaling its perfume a joy-inducing experience?" asks Debra Prinzing, author of "The 50 Mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers."
According to the Rutgers researchers, it certainly seems to be the case for many of us.
"That clutch of gerbera daisies or tulips from the supermarket may appear picture-perfect, yet it feels disconnected...