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Should you soak your houseplants in the rain? We asked L.A. experts

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We understandably get enthusiastic about much-needed rainfall in Los Angeles. A lot in order that when a “storm of the season” hits, plant dad and mom may marvel if it’s a good suggestion to take their dusty fiddle-leaf figs and Monstera deliciosa outdoors for a soak within the rain.

With extra rain anticipated this week, we reached out to some Los Angeles houseplant specialists for recommendation, they usually all agreed that it’s most likely not a good suggestion within the winter months.

One purpose, mentioned Danae Horst, creator of “Houseplants for All” and proprietor of Folia Collective in Eagle Rock, is that houseplants which are acclimated to the indoors will get harassed extra rapidly while you take them outside.

“Within the temperate months, so long as you possibly can put them within the shade and don’t depart the crops outdoors too lengthy (ideally one to 2 hours max), it’s most likely advantageous,” Horst mentioned. “In scorching months, you’d solely wish to do that within the early morning when it’s nonetheless cooler. Preserve crops within the shade and produce them in rapidly. If temps are near or under 50 levels, I’d say skip it — the colder air plus colder rainwater might trigger the roots to get too harassed.”

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Drainage is one other essential consideration, particularly when confronted with heavy rainfall.

“If crops are in pots with out drainage or with small holes, you’ll wish to monitor how a lot water is filling them very intently to keep away from soggy potting combine,” Horst mentioned. “Different minor dangers embrace pests and that type of advantageous black mud that covers every part at any time when it rains for the primary time shortly and all of the particles within the air get pulled down with the rain.”

L.A. County grasp gardener Julie Strnad encourages plant lovers to be delicate about chilly temperatures even in a metropolis like Los Angeles, which has skilled record-high temperatures this 12 months. “Should you’re considering of taking a houseplant outdoors within the rain simply to offer it a shower and totally soak the roots, it will be higher to do this within the kitchen sink or a lukewarm bathe,” she mentioned. “Taking it outdoors when it’s so chilly could be a really surprising expertise for a plant. Personally I’d not do it at the moment of 12 months.”

Though a light-weight rain may be good for houseplants, Annette Gutierrez of Potted warns that harsh situations can harm your plant. And the sudden change in temperature, such because the chilly temperatures attributable to excessive desert winds in Southern California, “can freak a plant out” Gutierrez mentioned.

It’s additionally straightforward for probably the most well-meaning of residence botanists to neglect their houseplants are outside. “I’ve seen so many individuals neglect that they left their crops outdoors after which uncover they’ve been fried as soon as the solar comes again out,” Horst mentioned.

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“They assume they’ll be OK for a day or two,” added Gutierrez, “after which the following day the plant will likely be utterly fried.”

Each agreed that a greater apply is likely to be to gather rainwater in a bucket and use the water to feed houseplants.

“I can simply perceive how somebody would assume it’s a fast, straightforward answer to cleansing up your houseplants by letting Mom Nature do the work,” Strnad mentioned. “A spring or summer season rain is an efficient time to do this.”

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'I can only give the best': Jon Bon Jovi on vocal surgery and the road to recovery

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'I can only give the best': Jon Bon Jovi on vocal surgery and the road to recovery

A few years ago, Bon Jovi stopped performing due to a vocal cord injury. The Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight highlights his surgery and return to stage. Originally broadcast April 24, 2024.

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How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Emma Roberts

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How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts vividly remembers how she was welcomed to life in Los Angeles 30 years ago. “I was 3, because my first memory of L.A. was of that big [Northridge] earthquake in 1994,” the actor told The Times via Zoom recently from New York City.

She was fresh off an appearance on “CBS Mornings” promoting her latest movie, “Space Cadet,” which premieres Thursday on Prime Video. In addition to being the film’s executive producer, Roberts stars as a Florida party girl turned improbable astronaut.

But now she’s ready to launch into her ideal Sunday itinerary. Before answering my questions, the fashion-loving co-founder of online book club Belletrist and mother of a 3-year-old son had one of her own.

sunday funday infobox logo with spot illustrations in blue, yellow, and green

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

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“Do I have my baby with me or do I not?” she said. “Because my ideal ideal Sunday is to be with him. But to get all this done, I’d probably be doing it solo.” With that, the “Nancy Drew” and “American Horror Story: Delicate” star was off the launchpad and rocketing through a meticulously mapped-out day that begins with a cup of coffee in Laurel Canyon and ends with the “Scream Queens” star wearing a crown of sorts.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.

10 a.m.: Coffee in the canyon
If it’s my ideal Sunday, I get to sleep in, so at 10 a.m. I’m going to Lilly’s Coffee at the Laurel Canyon Country Store. It’s a little coffee stand outside of [the store] and it’s the best coffee. I’ll get my iced latte with an extra shot of espresso and a little bit of vanilla.

11:30 a.m.: A pop-in for periodicals
From there, I’ll usually go to Larchmont [Boulevard], which I’ve been going to since I was a kid with my mom. I love the [Above the Fold] newsstand there, so I stop and stock up on all my magazines because they always have everything: Paris Review if they have it, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Architectural Digest, British Vogue, the Atlantic, Flaunt and, depending on who’s on the cover, Newsweek and Time. I literally buy like 40 magazines a month because I like to collage.

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Sometimes I’ll do brunch on Sundays if I’m in the mood or go straight to lunch. I’m obsessed with Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese [which isn’t open on Sundays] right across the street. Their sandwiches are to die for. I love the tuna. If you’re a local there, you know that they only make it when they feel like it, which is really rock star of them.

Noon: Bag a bunch of books
From there I’d go to Skylight Books and pick up a haul of books for Belletrist. Our book [for June was] Griffin Dunne’s “The Friday Afternoon Club,” which I devoured in five days. I already had a copy for myself, but I’ve been gifting that book to everybody because it is the read of the summer. Sorry, all my friends with summer birthdays, but you’re getting a book. Sorry to spoil it. Skylight also has great recommendations and sells really cute postcards and stuff like that.

1 p.m.: Indulge the inner ornament enthusiast
From there, I’d go over to Hillhurst to Spitfire Girl, this really, really cute store that has amazing gifts and trinkets. During Christmas time, they have the most amazing selection of Christmas ornaments. I’m a total ornament enthusiast. The last one I bought was a little caviar tin that had a [fish] on the front and caviar coming out of it. And my mom loves gin and tonics, so I bought her a gin ornament with glitter all over it. She loved it. They also have these John Derian trays that I like to give as gifts. It’s right across from Pierce & Ward [which is closed on Sundays], the [interior designers who] did my house. Sometimes I’ll just go in there and get inspiration.

4 p.m.: A glass of wine and a yearlong gin game
My boyfriend and I love to go to La Pharmacie du Vin in Sunset Junction. It’s a wine store that also has some snacks and food, and we’ll get a bottle of white wine or orange wine and play gin for a good couple of hours, especially if the weather’s nice. We are obsessed with playing gin — I always have a deck of cards on me — and we’ve been keeping a running score for about a year. Right now he’s ahead. I didn’t start out as strong but I’m getting better, so I think we might need to wipe the slate clean and start over.

I love Sunset Junction. It’s super nostalgic for me because I’ve been going there since I was 21 years old.

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7 p.m.: Musso & Frank for flannel cakes
I probably should have mentioned working out, but if it’s an ideal Sunday, I’m probably not working out, so the next thing would be dinner. I love, love, love Musso & Frank. It’s just the classic L.A. place, and my mom used to bring me there from the time I was 5 years old. And it always makes me think of her. I actually just threw her last birthday [party] there, and it was so much fun.

Whether it’s at the counter, at the bar or in a booth, I don’t care where we sit because everywhere is fabulous. For dinner, I get the flannel cakes, which are a treat for me. They’re kind of a cross between a crepe and a pancake, and they are indescribable. They are heaven on earth. And of course, the martini there is 10 out of 10 — not just the taste but the presentation as well. It’s just beautiful. My order is a gin martini however the bartender sees fit to make it. But I don’t like a twist. I also like blue-cheese-stuffed olives, which really grosses out my dinner mates. I’m always, “Just try it!”

9:30 p.m.: Catch a late movie (maybe)
Sometimes, if I feel up for it, I’ll go see a late movie with my mom or my boyfriend. I really love going to a movie theater when I can. I think my mom and I are going to go see “The Bikeriders.” I love Jodie Comer and think she’s one of the greatest actresses ever.

Midnight(ish): Slip on the Sleep Crown
I don’t go to bed early but I like to get in bed early — around 11ish or 12ish — because I have a whole bedtime situation with all my special pillows. I wear the Drowsy sleep mask and have this crazy pillow called a Sleep Crown that goes over your head. Because I travel so much, the way I sleep has to be the same everywhere since I’m always in a different place. So I’m very particular about my bedtime things.

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A taste of Black Appalachia : It's Been a Minute

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A taste of Black Appalachia : It's Been a Minute
Too often, our attempts at nailing the family recipes end up in disaster and disappointment. This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by former Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson, author of Praisesong for the Kitchenghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks. The two talk about Appalachian food culture, turning oral recipes into written ones, and the emotional relationship between food, family and memory.Want to be featured on IBAM? Record a voice memo responding to Brittany’s question at the end of the episode and send it to ibam@npr.org.
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