Hi! My name is Phil.
My family and I are putting together this blog, rosybrown-cheetah-786126.hostingersite.com, because we want to share with you our love of plants and nature. Each of us has come to this interest in different ways.
I was born in Brooklyn NY and spent my childhood in city housing projects, a world of high-rise buildings and asphalt. Despite living in such an artificial environment, I have had a love affair and fascination with nature as far back as I can remember
Some of my strongest childhood memories have involved my encounters with nature. These include my great surprise at age three when I discovered that the pretty shells crawling across our dining room table were snails; catching hundreds of frogs and snakes and salamanders each summer at our bungalow colony in the Catskills; the thrill of seeing my first deer as they emerged from the forest to feed at the highway’s edge; an amazing 52 bear sightings in 3 days on my family’s trip to Yellowstone when I was 9 and much more.
Growing up in the projects meant I could not have a garden. This changed when I came to Los Angeles to attend UCLA. My roommate and I, with our landlord’s consent, put together a vegetable garden on the roof of the adjacent garage. We hauled up 2 tons of topsoil. I now had my first garden, an urban vegetable garden growing tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, artichokes and many other vegetables
I love Los Angeles, but it is not the glamour of Hollywood that attracts me. It is its natural beauty. From the perspective of a kid from Brooklyn, Los Angeles with its oceans and mountains is just a different kind of city. What other large American city has a mountain chain like the Santa Monica Mountains running through its heart, full of hiking trails and wildlife. I am not sure whether those born here appreciate how unique this is. Within minutes from home, one can feel a million miles away.
I have moved on from my college days and now have a family and a home in Granada Hills at the base of the Santa Susannah Mountains. Here I can indulge my interests in gardening and the natural world. I am still thrilled by the wildlife around me while living in America’s second largest city.
… and I’m Julius!
I’m a lifelong resident of Southern California, hailing from the sprawling San Fernando Valley and raised in a household full of lush plants and greenery, My home was always filled with the wonderful sights and smells of nature. From his childhood, I developed an appreciation for natural beauty as well as an awareness of environmental stewardship.
I would often help his parents care for their plants and even planted some of his own, learning how to nurture them from seedling to maturity. As I grew older, I began to explore the nearby trails and parks, taking advantage of all the area had to offer while learning more about the flora and fauna that populated it. Whether it was observing animals in their natural habitat or simply taking in fresh air and a beautiful view, I felt that spending time outdoors had a calming effect on me and connected me to something much greater than myself.
In addition to exploring nature’s wonders, I also found solace in developing his love for art by creating works inspired by my experiences in nature. My passion for the outdoors has only grown stronger over time, inspiring me to protect and preserve it as much as possible so that future generations can also enjoy its beauty and always appreciated the local plant life. Fast forward to 2020 when the safe at home order came down, I found himself shifting from a casual observer to an obsessed plant daddy. My first plant was a monstera Andonsanii, also known as the Swiss cheese plant.
I fell so in love with his beautiful plant that I started investigating different species and discovered a whole world of rare house plants. Before long my house was filled with as many plants as I could fit, my coffee table and dining table even became covered in various plant life. I also make custom pottery in various colors, matching the plant to the pot, bringing out the beauty in both. I’m also a fine artist and avid tennis player.