Davisville, June 14, 2021: A big milestone on the path back from the pandemic

Mon, 06/14/2021 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

June 16 update: Aaron says that in the interview, when he's talking about a restaurant's need to hire employees for re-opening, he inadvertently mentioned the incorrect restaurant. He meant DeVere's Irish Pub, not Delta of Venus.

This week, California ends many of the restrictions that it imposed last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’re not entirely clear on what to expect or do now, you’re not alone. As one way to understand the changes, we talk today with Aaron Wedra, marketing coordinator for the Davis Downtown Business Association, about how this step back toward normal conditions might play out for the businesses, shops, restaurants, and their customers, in the core of Davis.

Davis Garden Show, June 10, 2021 -- Herbaceous Fall Flowers

Thu, 06/10/2021 - 12:00pm | Don Shor

Cool week ahead!  But we still have watering challenges. A few questions (about new plantings and fungus gnats) lead to several important discussions about:

  • Proper planting techniques (why planting trees ONLY with native soil is so important);
  • How roots grow (and get damaged), and how that shows up in a full-grown tree;
  • Home remedies (which have no research done on them and are NOT labelled for pesticide or herbicide use).

A large portion of the show is a discussion of each of Don Shor's 20 Favorite Summer Herbaceous Perennials. An "herbaceous perennial" is a plant that blooms every year but dies down every winter (different from a shrub, bush, or tree). These twenty bloom from the late summer into the fall.  (We only got part way thru before running out of time, so listen to the 24 June show for the rest of the story.)

The Folk Brothers for June 9, 2021: A modern folk ballad about an Olympic swimmer

Wed, 06/09/2021 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

At 17, Yusra Mardini and her sister fled Syria after their home was destroyed during the civil war. The story of their fraught voyage across the eastern Mediterranean as they were smuggled from Turkey to Greece -- as well as Yusra's participation in the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team -- has been set to words and music by Irish singer-singwriter Declan O'Rourke on his new album Arrivals. Also on today's show: new tracks from Tim O'Brien, Sarah Jaroz, Lula Wiles, and Teddy Thompson. And much more!

The Folk Brothers playlist for 06/09/2021

Davis Garden Show June 03 2021 -- Weather-related Troubles, Easy Vines, Raccoons

Thu, 06/03/2021 - 12:00pm | Don Shor

Weather-related troubles:  Can X veggie take full sun?  Should we "shade" our tomato plants?  Don says "no".  There's a difference between hot sun on the foliage and the sun-scald of ripening fruit.  Can we keep our trees alive in this year's bone-dry ground?  Signs of stress to look for, and what to do to help while watering most effectively.

Easy vines to cover a fence, wall, trellis  ... including "Cup and saucer vine" (Cobaea scandens) pictured here.

"What's digging up my plants at night?  Not eating them; just digging down underneath and pushing them out."  Raccoons might be digging up the blood meal fertilizer.  What?  They're smelling the blood meal that's UNDERGROUND!!?!  Yep.  On a brighter note, Don is growing tomatoes in a gopher-infested plot -- successfully!

The Folk Brothers for June 2, 2021: Nefesh Mountain infuses bluegrass with Jewish American spirituality

Wed, 06/02/2021 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

Nefesh Mountain's Doni Zasloff and Eric Linberg say that they draw "stories that we all know from the Bible, enabling us to present a more universal song while still being true to our own heritage as Jewish Americans." Incidentally, "Nefesh" is Hebrew for "spirit" or "soul."  This morning we played a new track from them, "Where Oh Where," which features musical contributions from John Doyle, Jerry Douglas and Micheal McGoldrick.

Also today: new music from Gnoss, Bellowhead, Sarah-Jane Summers, and Juhani Silvola, plus some classic tracks from Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle, Eric Andersen, Richard and Linda Thompson. And much more.

The Folk Brothers playlist for 06/02/2021

Davisville, May 31, 2021: As students return to classrooms, Pamela Mari advises 'going slowly in order to go fast'

Mon, 05/31/2021 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

If you want clear ideas on how remote learning affected schools this past year, Pamela Mari is a good person to talk with. She was the first principal of Da Vinci Charter Academy, the Davis school district's "new tech" school, so she knows about using technology in education. She also taught in the district, and later worked as its director of student services. Her peers and the school board think so highly of her work and influence that they recently named the new tech hub at Da Vinci after her.

On today's Davisville she talks about Da Vinci, the tech hub (depicted here, and due to open in 2022-23), the shift to remote learning caused by the pandemic, the effect on students, what was lost, and what was gained. She offers advice on what to make of the experience. Students, teachers and parents might find her ideas essential as Davis looks ahead to the full return to classrooms this fall.

Davis Garden Show, May 27, 2021 -- Questions Answered

Thu, 05/27/2021 - 12:00pm | Don Shor

Water, water, everywhere! "How much? How often? What happens if I get it wrong?" A large part of today's show is devoted to "basic watering knowledge" and also specific differences for watering in this drought year.

Plus we get LOTS of questions answered! Scorched leaves, geranium budworm, upright evergreen tree suggestions, and more. Lois wanted to know how to tell which plants will die if cut down and which will re-sprout. Don's answer is "It depends. ..." Well, he was a little more specific -- "It depends upon the general structure of that plant."

In all, another fact-filled Davis Garden Show with Don Shor and Lois Richter.

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