CasaSugar

Do You Have Any Cacti at Home?

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:15:11 -0700

Cacti may be prickly plants, but when grown in numbers, they have a dynamic, architectural quality that creates a miniature ornamental landscape. For those of you with black thumbs, they make great indoor houseplants, as they require little watering. Do you own any?

Etsy Find: Cactus Picnic Napkin Set

CasaSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0700

If a cactus could ever look cute, JackRabbit has devised a means to that end with the Cactus Picnic Napkin Set, a set of four 10-by-12-inch handmade napkins screen printed with a grid of perky green cacti. I can't think of a better occasion to debut these prickly succulents than a backyard barbecue - or perhaps a Park(ing) Day picnic. While the weather is still warming up here in San Francisco, temperatures are turning chilly elsewhere, so you'd better snatch these babies up fast and throw some T-bones on the grill. But if you're located in the Lone Star State or other arid environments, these linens won't ever go out of style . . . and you know that cloth napkins are always an eco-fashionable statement.

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

CasaSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:30:06 -0700

. . . would you put these Steel Cacti ($900) on your lawn? They're lightweight, durable, available in a variety of sizes and finishes, and can be put nearly anywhere. You can also set them up to mist water, or to use as lighting.

Cool Idea: Pram as a Planter

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:00:53 -0800

I love the look of this vintage planter, used in the home of a Brooklyn couple. Of course, the effect wouldn't be the same if the pram itself wasn't such a great design, but luckily, it's not too hard to find a vintage pram if you're on the hunt for one.
Look for a vintage pram like this one on eBay, or if you're really lucky, find one in your grandmother's attic. Line the pram with heavy duty plastic before adding soil, to maintain the integrity of the pram itself. I'd choose low-water plants such as succulents or cacti for this planter, so you don't have to overload the pram with water. Cover with a layer of pebbles or volcanic rock to keep things tidy.

Source: Flickr User shnnn

Cool Idea: Drought-Resistant Landscaping With a Twist

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:45:00 -0700

If you live in a drought-prone area, it's smart to landscape with succulents and cacti, which require very little water. That's what this household did. By covering the soil with mulch, this garden further decreases its need for watering. But what's that plant in the left-hand corner of the picture?
Yes, there are some vegetables mixed into this succulent landscape. More specifically, it looks like some Summer squash, perhaps zucchini, is sharing the front yard with succulents and cacti. I love this mix of plants; it's something I wouldn't have thought of trying, and I think the plants look great together.

In the News: Rammed Earth Construction Gets Updated

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:15:52 -0800

From adobe to cob masonry, people all over the world have built with earthen materials to create their homes. Now, one form of earth building - rammed earth - has been given a technological update. In the San Francisco Chronicle article "Sonoma Couple's House Shows Mexican influence," husband and wife Bruce Needleman and Edna Hayes recount the process of building their beautiful earthen home.

The rammed earth building technique, which entails pounding layers of soil, mixed with a small amount of cement, into molds, has been around for literally thousands of years: Pliny, who wrote before the Common Era, recounts Hannibal seeing rammed earth towers in Spain. However, this ancient building technique is perfectly at home in the modern world.

To find out how the Hayes-Needleman's home used an update of rammed earth, read more.

The Hayes-Needleman house used an update of rammed earth developed by David Easton. This technique is called PISÉ, or Pneumatically Impacted Stabilized Earth. PISÉ utilizes a new type of mold, which is a quick-lock form that cuts down the time needed for the building process. In PISÉ, a cement, water, and earth mixture is sprayed through hoses into the forms, and a wall of two- to three-feet high can be constructed in about an hour.

The Hayes-Needleman's house, which utilized this method, is a gorgeous, Mexican-influenced 3,600-square-foot house. It features terracotta roof tiles, lavender and cacti landscaping, a tranquil pool and courtyard, and two-foot-thick walls that make heating and cooling the house a breeze. In fact, even in hot Sonoma county, this house doesn't require air conditioning. Read the entire article to find out more.

Source

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How-To: Save Water in Your Garden and Yard

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:30:48 -0700

Did you know that in the Summer, outdoor water use at homes increases from 10-50 percent? This can lead to water shortages in some areas of the United States, as well as a big increase in your monthly water bill. Don't despair though, there are many easy ways to cut your water use.

Don't water your soil in your garden or lawn until it's dry. You can test for dryness by digging your finger beneath the soil surface. If the soil is dry at one-and-a-half inches deep, it's time to water.
You can reduce water needs for your lawn by raising the lawnmower's blade level so grass is cut at two to three inches or higher. Longer grass needs less water, since it shades the plants' roots, which in turn encourage deeper growth.
Water early in the morning, when your lawn or garden will retain the most water.

To hear the rest, read more.

For garden plants that need both lots of sun and lots of water, clump these plants together in a growing area, so you can water them all at once.
Better yet, use a low-water-use plant. There are a lot of plants that don't require a lot of water, and xeriscaping, which uses plants like succulents or cacti, is an even smarter low-water-use bet.
Mulching plants will help reduce water needs. Flowers, trees, and shrubs should be mulched with pine bark mulch. Vegetables can be mulched with black-and-white newspaper, salt marsh hay, or landscape fabric.
Use a drip irrigation system or soaker hose in gardens that need the most water. These types of irrigation systems can save 30-70 percent of the water that is used by overhead sprinkler systems.
Use rainbarrels around your house to collect rain water from downspouts. This water can then be saved and used throughout the Summer for your garden-watering needs.
If you water by hand, don't water foliage, but water at the base of the plants, where the plants will absorb the most water.
For any potted plants, make sure that they have a saucer under their container to catch extra water.

Source

Home Away From Home: The Thunderbird Hotel

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:30:06 -0700

For all of those hipster, art-aficionado newlyweds out there, there's no cooler US stop than Marfa, TX. If you haven't heard about this destination yet, prepare to be surprised. The small, West Texas town has been a home to outsiders and artists for decades, and after minimalist artist Donald Judd settled here in the 1970s, modern art and design mavens quickly followed.

If you and your honey decide that Marfa sounds like a cool place to spend your honeymoon, then definitely consider booking your stay at the luxury boutique hotel The Thunderbird.

To find out more about this hotel, read more.

This cool hotel was given a facelift by Lake/Flato Architects three years ago, transforming the horseshoe-shaped hotel from a prior-century highway stop to a cutting-edge, modern-design boutique hotel. The hotel offers a wide array of amenities while maintaining a laid-back, Texas feel. Guests can chill by the pool, which features native plants and cacti landscaping, as well as an arbor of ocotillo, which shades the poolside lounge area. After a chilly dip, kick back in one of the Oaxacan-made patio chairs poolside.

Guest rooms feature original photos and artwork, recessed lighting, cowhide rugs, and custom-made platform beds and writing tables by artisan Jamey Garza, Just as its design reflects its modern sensibility and past-century retro chic, so do the Thunderbird's amenities. While the hotel has wireless high-speed Internet access, as well as a CD and DVD library for your perusal, it also offers guests the use of a vintage typewriter and Stack-o-Matic record player and vinyl library, as well as the use of Polaroid cameras. Pretty darn cool.

After you've had dinner at one of the excellent local Marfa restaurants, get your drink on at the hotel's Thunderbird Lounge. Try one of the lounge's signature cocktails, or opt for michelada or a draught beer. Reflect on your new marriage, or maybe even catch a glimpse of the mysterious Marfa lights outside by the lounge's fire pit and patio.

For all of the modern art-loving newlyweds, Marfa, and the Thunderbird Hotel are sure bets.

Room Therapy: Low-Maintenance House Plants?

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:00:25 -0700

Dear CasaSugar,

I want to get a house plant for my not-so-green apartment, but I need something low maintenance since I'm barely home on my days off. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Lioness5

Hi Lioness5,

I was just at a friend's house this weekend and she had stunning houseplants. This is remarkable only because she used to have a black thumb - she killed every plant she touched. So what changed? She found easy, low-maintenance plants that could deal with her occasional indifference to their existence.

To see the rest of my answer, and to leave your suggestions, just read more.

I've rounded up a few different types of plants that might work for your house, depending on your home's growing conditions. Take a look!

Plants That Will Grow in Water

Don't want to bother with planting your houseplants? Then check out these plants, which will grow in a vase or bowl of water!

Wandering Jew
English Ivy
Bamboo

Plants That Need a Sunny Room But Little Else

Cacti
Aloe
Bromeliads

Plants That Require Little Care And Indirect Sunglight

Snake plant
Spider plant
Wax plant
Ivy

I hope this helps! Anyone else have other suggestions for easy-to-care-for, hard-to-kill houseplants? Let Lioness5 know by leaving a comment below.

Source

In the News: A Makeover For Phoenix's Botanical Garden

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:15:06 -0700

The Arizona Republic's article "Drama in the Desert" outlines the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix's structural transformation, which, for over 50 years, had been housed in an aluminum framework. Now, the gorgeous succulents and cacti are displayed under 28-foot-tall arched canopies.

"We wanted a space that would be interesting - a wow factor - to locals as well as visitors," said Elaine McGinn, the garden's director of planning and exhibits. To find out more about the $825,000, six-month reconstruction project, read the article here.