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When the pandemic forced people indoors, many bought plants to spruce up their living spaces. A married couple from Berkeley went one better: They bought a 3-acre nursery.

But not just any nursery.

Stitched between rolling apple orchards and redwood forests in rural Sonoma County is the Western Hills Gardens, a world-renowned pocket of horticultural history. Founded in 1959 as one of the region’s first nurseries, it became a model for display gardens everywhere.

“At one time, this was the mecca for old landscapers,” said Dick Miner, a retired microbiologist at UC San Francisco who leads Western Hills’ composting regimen as a volunteer. “It’s such a special place.”

The property is known in part for its hundreds of exotic plant species, densely packed and artfully arranged into a thriving botanical cornucopia.

“Some of the most

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What’s a crevice garden? It’s a rock garden taken right to the edge — an extreme design inspired by dramatic, impossible places like alpine ridges, windswept seacoasts and sun-baked deserts.

Closer to home, you need only look underfoot to grasp the operating principle: See that single dandelion with its foothold in a tiny crack between curbstones or sidewalk pavers, no soil in sight? Its vibrant blooms scream in defiance of everything gardeners think they know about what plants want — just as a Saxifraga or Silene clinging to me fissures in a vast, rugged landscape do.

A new book, “The Crevice Garden: How to Make the Perfect Home for Plants From Rocky Places,” encourages us to emulate what’s at work in such scenes, large and small.

Its authors, Kenton J. Seth, from Colorado, and Paul Spriggs, from British Columbia, are rock-garden designers who sometimes collaborate. With an ambitious lecture

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The sign on the black iron gate says, “These plants can kill”, and it’s emblazoned with a skull and crossbones for good measure. The warning isn’t a joke – the plot sealed off behind these black iron bars is the deadliest garden in the world. And it’s open to the public.

Established in 2005, the Poison Garden at the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, England, is home to more than 100 toxic, intoxicating and narcotic plants. “Before visitors are allowed to enter, they must have a safety briefing,” said Dean Smith, a guide at the Poison Garden. Visitors are instructed that they’re not allowed to touch, taste or smell anything – nevertheless, as the website notesguests have still occasionally fainted from inhaling toxic fumes as they walk through.

One of the dangerous plants cultivated here is monkshood, or wolf’s bane, which contains aconitine, a neurotoxin and cardio toxin. But that’s

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How to Build a Shed - DIY Shed Plans

If you are wondering why self-storage facilities are starting to gain popularity nowadays, you are not alone. At least 40% of customers surveyed said that they need facilities for moving. The second biggest market for this kind of business is people doing some de-cluttering projects.

To minimize the stress of moving

There are a lot of different cases that property owners find themselves in when they are on the move. Regardless of whether they are moving to another city or moving into their first home, this activity tends to be a pretty stressful process. Sometimes, renting a temporary storage unit can provide answers to common moving problems. These are some common reasons individuals might rent storage units when planning a move.

For more details about these structures, visit this site for details.

Downsizing – If people have to move into smaller homes quickly, they might not be able to sort …

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It does not matter whether you should organize one room at your home or the entire household; remember that interior design is the best way to make yourself comfortable. Both physiological and psychological environment will define the lifestyle, which is the best for you.

However, doing it yourself can be overwhelming, especially if you do not know where to start. That is the main reason why you should find a professional closet organizer and interior designer that will help you along the way.

We can differentiate numerous benefits that you will get with a proper interior designer from creating a wholesome environment to making your home more appealing than before.

At the same time, the quality of design will directly affect the enjoyment you feel while you’re home, which is why you should perceive your space as an essential place to get away from outside issues and problems.

We decided …

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There’s one rule when you face water damage at your home or the office. That rule is – never try to fix it alone – call the pros.

The main reason for this is that water leaks and other problems with water are highly serious. You never know what you can expect when you try to handle the issue alone. Pressured water is extremely dangerous. If a leaking pipe explodes it can easily kill someone.

With this in mind, it’s clear that finding a professional is a must. The problem here is that when these guys come, they don’t really pay attention to the additional damage they do. On top of this, the water itself might create too much damage and this will inevitably need a fix.

Finding a plumber is not easy, but finding the right restoration company is even harder. If you don’t know why you might need …

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