When we bought the The Big Sur House, the entry gate was flanked by two enormous pine trees, an extremely low metal arch, and a fence that had seen better days. But I loved it’s Big Sur feel. Fast forward a year, and the trees had contracted a disease that is killing pines all over the West. They had to be removed, leaving us with two great big stumps and what seemed like a barren and exposed entrance. When our…
As the drought wears on, lawns are going from green to brown and water bills are rising. I decided that we definitely didn’t need a lawn in our front and side yards. Being from the East Coast where lawns are a homeowners pride and glory, it took a bit of convincing for my husband to trade gravel for grass. Having the yard torn up for weeks wasn’t a picnic, but the end result was certainly worth it. Neither of us miss the lawn one bit. And…