Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Posted By:
Jennifer Anthony
Photo:
Jennifer Anthony
Flora Grubb Gardens
In April, the Bayview District's Flora Grubb Gardens celebrated its one-year anniversary. This month, I celebrated my discovery of the nursery with much doe-eyed gazing over an artistically crafted latté at the Ritual coffee bar tucked inside. The 8,000-square foot, solar-paneled building is home to a captivating variety of plants that landscape designer Flora Grubb picks out for their sustainability in the local climate. Patrons are free to wander along the winding gravel paths among the potted beauties, and the ethereal music seems to come not from the speakers above, but the plants themselves. My quest to find the most peculiar flower of the bunch was a success: I landed the Rudbeckia hirta "Chim Chiminee," described as "unusual" with "yellow to bronze quilled petals." Its leggy flowers and soft leaves turned some heads as I walked around with it cradled in my arms. And, because I'm a sucker for bizarro succulents, I picked up the mellifluously-named "Graptopetalum Debbii," a stunning, purple-lobed specimen. The next daunting step is to make sure they stay as healthy as they were in their former urban oasis home.
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Friday, June 13, 2008
Posted By:
Elizabeth Tauber
Photo:
Elizabeth Tauber
Scrap
I'll admit it. I'm a pack rat of the first degree. I save postcards from Safeway thinking I can incorporate them into some grand project, which ultimately leads to overflowing shopping bags of--dare I say it--junk. In a vacant corner of the city where the warehouses live, there's a haven for people like me. At Scrap (Scroungers Center For Reusable Art Parts), the pack rats can pack more in, or with four boxes full of items, can donate their leftover materials. Scrap takes contributions from upholsterers, leather shops, art supply stores, and many similar institutions and sells it for a very small price. The end result is a candy shop for artists and craftsters that is environmentally-friendly, since it reduces waste via recycling. On my recent Scrap expedition, I purchased two large sheets of fancy paper, an inch thick of colorful post-card size paper, many textile swatches, two balls of yarn, clear negative holders, and scraps of leather for $7. I'd only caution Scrap visitors to go with a project in mind, since going mindlessly is much like going to the supermarket hungry, and you will want to buy everything in sight.
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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Posted By:
Ryn
Photo:
Ryn
Da Corner
Since Pop Ya Collar was torched, where else you gonna go for that puffy winter jacket and velvet pants? Da Corner. They've got a cavernous merchandise floor and holiday lights out front. This is one of the sole Third Street shops open daily and into the evening. Randomness goes down around Da Corner like a dude running outta the store and throwing a studded belt on top of the trash can. Whatcha see is whatcha get.
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