Table of contents for Home & Garden 2023 in Sunset

Yesterday a sycamore tree in my backyard that had been barren for months unfurled dozens of tender new leaves. A nascent tangerine tree that had been scorched by a heat wave revealed clusters of buds that now number in the dozens—and, if we’re lucky, will yield buckets of fruit next fall. The wildflowers came back: the first blossoms of blaze-orange California poppies, hints of native purple lupines, lavender-hued flowers peeking from a thicket of Cleveland sage—the thrilling pointillist signs of the coming spring. Yes, these plants have reawakened in California for hundreds of springs, but only in mine for two years because I made the decision to be a custodian of their lineage. And in so doing I join so many people who’ve decided to make a home in the West…

Natural Vibes “There are certain materials I’ve always been drawn to, and they usually come from the earth—stone, wood, linen, and clay,” says Styles. Since wood illuminates the natural raw beauty of coastal California, it was the perfect fit for the home’s exterior. “The soul of the house is surf shack vibes, and we knew that a wood-clad exterior would capture the timeless, beachy essence we were after.” The Right Wood While researching domestic wood species, Styles was intrigued by the natural beauty and durability of California redwood. She decided it was the right fit after talking to the team at Humboldt Sawmill. “They shared details about redwood’s strength and natural resistance to termites and decay,” which is a consideration for coastal living, adds Styles. Even more, the purity of…

Architect Ryan Stephenson has had clients come to him with plenty of dream-house visual aids. They’ve arrived with sketches, tear sheets from magazines, or Pinterest pages. But the Minecraft model that his clients Michael and Siobhán Persson presented him, with a dream house designed in the game’s blocky 3D style, was a first. “At the time, I didn’t even know what Minecraft was,” Stephenson says. “And I’d never had someone come to me with a computer model of any kind. It was a unique way of expressing their thoughts.” It’s no coincidence that at the time Michael was a top creative executive for the Microsoft-owned game. He knew precisely how to replicate the terrain of their newly acquired lakefront lot near Redmond, Washington, to design a basic blueprint for a…

For decades, author Andrea Nguyen has championed unbridled Vietnamese deliciousness. Her seven cookbooks anchor the Vietnamese-American and pan-Asian culinary canon and are filled with recipes for dishes such as lemon-grass pork chops, Vietnamese shaking beef, Chinese chiu chow dumplings, and hundreds of other preparations where flavor comes first. That’s a lot of recipes, a lot of recipe-testing—and a lot of eating. Such are the occupational hazards of being a prolific cookbook author. “You taste as you cook, when the dish is done, when it’s in leftover form,” says Nguyen. “And then you taste it to see how it is after being frozen.” In 2019 a health scare led Nguyen to an honest assessment of her diet, and a resolution to eat less meat and many more vegetables. The result is…

Looking out over the rolling green hills dotted with lush Douglas fir and vineyards, I swirl my glass, take in the aromas, and sip. Immediate clarity, vibrant minerality, and a smooth, round finish blanket my palate. But it’s not the Willamette Valley’s best Chardonnay I’m tasting. It’s water. Spring water to be exact. And it comes from below ground at Tabula Rasa, a regenerative farm in Carlton, Oregon, that’s raising the bar when it comes to offering engaging and meaningful experiences for travelers looking to reconnect with their inner wild, and leave the land better than the way they found it. Founder Brenda Smola-Foti, who co-owns the farm with her husband Frank Foti, has purposefully designed her property to be not only sustainable but beautiful. It’s Biggest Little Farm come…

It should come as no surprise that before he became a social media “plantfluencer” with a thriving plant styling business, multiple books to his name, and a product line at Target, Hilton Carter honed his creative skills in Los Angeles, earning an MFA in film at the ArtCenter College of Design. In the lush cinematic photographs of plants he posts on his Instagram, @hiltoncarter, each plant plays the role of a character on the stage of whatever room Carter has exactingly placed it in. The principles behind this dramatic staging are to be found in his new book, Living Wild: How to Plant Style Your Home and Cultivate Happiness. Here are Carter’s tips on how to bring your houseplants outside and turn your outdoor space into an extension of your…

When I think of a plant hunter—as in, someone who goes to places like South Africa, Vietnam, China, and Nepal to find rare species and bring them back to the United States—I imagine a swash-buckling Indiana Jones type running through the mountains complete with hat and whip. And to hear famed plant collector, horticulturist, and botanist Daniel Hinkley tell it, there is a bit of daredevilry to the job. “I’ve had hard treks, bad knees, bee stings, and leeches hanging from my neck,” he says. “But if I am lucky, plant collecting offers me a bit of seed, and the resulting plant possesses all of the memories associated with it.” When he’s not covered in leeches, Hinkley can be found in his famed garden, Windcliff, in Indianola, Washington, which extends…

PLANT ▸ Create an herb meadow by sprinkling seeds of cilantro, dill, and parsley in sunny garden beds that are close to the kitchen for easy access. ▸ For instant impact in warm climates, plant durable barrel cactus. Try Mexican fire barrel (Ferocactus pringlei) for red spines; for yellow, go for the ever-popular golden barrel (Echinocactus grusonii). ▸ Plant tomatoes outside once daytime and nighttime temperatures stay above 55°. PROTECT ▸ Slugs do maximum damage in spring by mowing down tender seedlings as they emerge. Bait for them or kill them as you see them (they’re easy to spot in damp weather or after you water). ▸ Combat powdery mildew by hosing off foliage in the morning several times a week to wash away fungus spores. Treat outbreaks with a…

When I stopped drinking alcohol some 50-plus years ago, I started drinking a lot of stuff that wasn’t necessarily all that great for me. Sugary drinks were pretty much the only alternative if you didn’t want to drink club soda, water, or coffee. In the penitentiary, I’d drink Pepsi, Coke, Kool-Aid, or iced tea. After I got out, my go-to drink at a party or bar would be cranberry and Sprite. When I didn’t want that much sugar I’d go for cranberry and soda. Not a thrilling menu of options. What a difference it is for nondrinkers today. We are living in the golden era of nonalcoholic drinks and it’s hands down the best time in history to be a non-imbiber of alcohol. Not only are bartenders experimenting with booze-free…

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Grass Valley and Nevada City have in been known for their Gold Rush history and proximity to epic outdoor adventure. Recently, two storied hotels—the Holbrooke and the National Exchange—have been revamped, drawing new attention to the area. Anne L’Esperance, the designer behind the projects, shares her favorite spots for travelers. This month: Grass Valley and Nevada City The insider: Anne L’Esperance Designer and Owner of An Ellipsis Design EAT Stop in at Heartwood, a “great, healthy lunch spot that serves bowls, salads, and soups.” Three Forks is a “local favorite with a great locally sourced menu that changes often. Baked goods, coffee, wood-fired pizza and beer. You can cover all three meals of the day here and find something new every time.” DRINK…

PLANTSMAN DANIEL J. HINKLEY has been lauded by one prestigious horticulture organization after another, and is something of a rock star on the botanical lecture circuit. Martha Stewart calls him a “horticulturist extraordinaire.” Meanwhile, Jonathan Pedersen, CEO of plant grower Monrovia, says, “There are plant hunters, and then there is Dan Hinkley. His importance to the world of gardening cannot be overstated.” Perhaps because he is a famous plant hunter, Hinkley is careful to point out that his expeditions are entirely aboveboard. “When many people hear what I do, their immediate assumption is that I smuggle seeds back in my suitcase,” he says. However, he has all the necessary permits to bring seeds or plants out of a country and into the U.S., and he avoids plants that are bio-invasive…

PARTIALLY PRIVATE ▸ The first problem Flora Grubb decided to attack was that the garden offered zero privacy. “The house has a giant picture window that looked straight out onto the sidewalk,” she says. Her solution was to create what she calls a “zone of privacy.” She planted a silvery Acacia cognata ‘Cousin Itt’ tree that now partially blocks the window from the street. The second layer is a Brahea clara palm, which grew in so well she thinks of it as an architectural feature. Now when you look out the picture window toward the street, you get a view of happy trees instead of people walking by. THINK BEYOND FLAGSTONE ▸ Those gray stones are actually basalt, which can be harder to come by. One can, however, re-create the…

THE STORY OF CAFE OHLONE VINCENT MEDINA AND LOUIS TREVINO ON THE EVOLUTION OF THEIR CULTURAL AND CULINARY PROJECT AT UC BERKELEY What started in 2018 as a pop-up in the back of an off-campus bookstore has become a beacon of California Indigenous cuisine, where co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino celebrate the culinary heritage of the Ohlone tribe in the East Bay. Medina and Trevino are activists whose medium of resistance happens to be food. When they were growing up in the East Bay, there was a dearth of storytelling surrounding the resilience of the Ohlone people. With their roving project known as Cafe Ohlone, they homed in on a means of culinary storytelling that showcases the vibrance of their culture. The latest iteration of Cafe Ohlone is ‘ot·t·oy,…