One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s more acclaimed houses, La Miniatura (aka the Millard House) is on the market again, this time for a hair under $5 mil. (Last time, pre-recession, it was up for $7.73 million.) We’ve been neighbors to this beautiful Prospect Park sculpture in concrete textile block for many years, so we know [...]
We had to dispose of a few tons of concrete and drywall to get our project started. Sheryl had informed me that Pasadena only allowed certain haulers to work in the city. This came as a surprise to me, because Pasadena is usually so easygoing about those things. It’s hard to tell in text, but that was sarcasm. In actuality, if they had the inspectors to spare, I think Pasadena would tell you that your piss is the wrong shade of yellow and doesn’t match the Batchelder tile above the toilet; the really annoying thing is that they’d probably be right.
Mulch is a versatile substance. Most people think of its many uses in the garden: moisture retention, reduced erosion, suppressed weed growth and a staggered supply of nutrients. However, mulch can be used for all sorts of other things. Many playgrounds use rubber mulch as a safer surface alternative to gravel and broken glass. Some [...]
Every year, Altadena Heritage throws an awards ceremony honoring the finest in Altadena gardening—the coveted Golden Poppy. The focus this year is on sustainability. Prize winners will be those green (figuratively) gardens that “give” to the street without a big green (literally) lawn sucking down water like it was going out of style. Which it [...]
Your great-grandmother might not have considered using water twice to be revolutionary—it’s just what you did back then. But now we have to learn how to do it all over again, as water becomes a scarce commodity. To further the conservation cause, Altadena Heritage is sponsoring a free program with ideas for harvesting and redirecting [...]
We’ve been tied up getting elevations and site plans drawn, taking measurements and reading books. I’ll actually do a post soon about the books that Sheryl and I have found the most useful and inspirational in this first step of our little home-building journey. But wanted to keep posting, so here’s one about trucks, wheelbarrows, roll-offs and a dude who will take your scrap metal away for free. If you’re pressed for time, you can probably skip this one, but don’t go crying if someone at a party asks you where to get the cheapest wheelbarrow in Pasadena or if you know anyone who will pick up rusty pipes so they don’t end up in a landfill. Seriously, this knowledge can make you popular. But like I said, feel free to skip this one.
If you love jewelry, seeing the work of talented interior designers, and the cooking at Pasadena’s premier caterer, The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, then you’re going to want to attend the free breakfast being hosted on Wednesday by swank South Lake condo development Granite Park Place. Paige Pomerantz, manager of Tiffany & Co. in Old [...]
We began skinning the interior of the house today. I enjoy this part. It’s fast work if you don’t mind a little dust — and, in our case, quite a bit of mold. Mold can be beautiful to look at. Contrary to what some dishonest mold remediation specialists will lead you to believe, it’s relatively harmless — unless, like my wife, you are allergic to it. While no one wants it in their house, it’s often only skin deep and can be killed easily.
It may seem early to plan your September garden touring, but tickets to fall’s Pacific Horticulture symposium, Style & Whimsy in the Sustainable Garden, are already selling briskly and are likely to be gone within a couple of weeks. Organized by San Diego-based Pacific Horticulture, and co-sponsored by the L.A. County Arboretum, the APLD and [...]
One of Pasadena’s greatest grassroots treasures, Arlington Garden, turns 5 in July, but the celebration is happening a little early, to take advantage of the robust citrus grove and gorgeous spring flowers — including spectacular poppies, which won’t last much longer. (Bring your camera!) The “Constant Gardeners,” Betty and Charles McKenney, and fellow volunteers will [...]
