Magazine

Olivia Treynor/Town Crier

Picking gifts at local stores such as Adventure Toys on Main Street makes a double gift of your endeavor.

Anything you buy from a local merchant is a gift to the shop owner, the employees and the economy.

Manufacturers of some items are specific in their benefits, donating a portion of proceeds to a selected charity or cause. In those cases, you are essentially giving a triple gift – to the merchant, the charity and your gift recipient.

Courtesy of Dennis Cater

Growing the California Dutchman’s Pipe on a trellis against a fence
highlights the interesting flowers in this Los Altos garden.

In the native garden, summer and early fall are a good time to assess your existing plantings and figure out what to do once the rainy season begins. If you are planning a new garden, this is the time to look for ideas and source plants.

S.M. Lieu/Special to the Town Crier

Casey Carsten cooks with the produce she and her husband, Jack, grow in their garden, including lemons. Casey is a contributing writer and food critic for several Bay Area publications.

Gardeners, start your engines and get growing.

This is the optimum time to plant your winter garden – even though it’s still technically summer. Cool-season vegetables need enough warm weather to grow and develop good root systems before cold weather sets in.
If that’s not reason enough to plant now, consider other benefits, both practical and therapeutic, of starting a winter garden.

Courtesy of Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens

As the shelter-in-place orders continue, some homeowners may consider creating a nicer outdoor living space and kitchen.

Q: A leak was just discovered behind a wall in our shower. We’ll have to remove the tile to repair it. What are some of the newer options for people who are remodeling a shower?

Lauren Edith Anderson/Special to the Town Crier

Aboriginal art from Australia hangs above an intricately carved dowry chest from Rajasthan, India.

As I wandered through a client’s home in Redwood City for the first time, I couldn’t help but notice unique objects all over the house – among them, an intricately carved chest, an elegant wood dining table and gorgeous pottery. I learned that the husband and wife had amassed a collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade items from all over the world through years of traveling for work.

Courtesy of Dr. Aifra Ahmed

Naiel Chaudry shows off a room filled with Joy Boxes, collections of customized cards and games sent to local seniors from community members.

The coronavirus and its social-distancing implications have left many people lonely and isolated from their loved ones. That includes several seniors living at the Grant Cuesta Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation Center, who are not allowed to have visitors amid the pandemic.