East Bay Home and Gardens

Thinking Like a Bird: Jays, Hummingbirds and Memory

By Joe Eaton Special to the Planet
Tuesday April 11, 2006
The more scientists learn about non-human cognition, the blurrier the boundary between the human mind and various animal minds seems to become. And I’m not just talking about tool-making, intention-guessing, empathetic chimps. Some remarkable findings have emerged from the study of birds—and not necessarily the kinds of birds you’d expect. -more-

California’s Natural Bounty at the Oakland Museum

By Marta Yamamoto Special to the Planet
Friday April 07, 2006
Nature as science or nature as art? There’s no need to choose. Left and right sides of the brain combine their efforts heralding California’s native landscapes and wildlife at the Oakland Museum. The Natural Sciences shine in the comprehensive Permanent Gallery, unique art exhibits and the museum’s multi-tiered outdoor gardens. -more-

East Bay Then and Now: Architect Seth Paris Babson Gets No Respect In Berkeley

By Daniella Thompson
Friday April 07, 2006
Seth Paris Babson (1826–1907) was one of the most eminent Victorian architects on the Pacific coast. A native of Maine, he set sail for San Francisco a year after the discovery of gold in California. Having rounded Cape Horn, Babson arrived in the spring of 1850. -more-

About the House: Is a Home Warranty Right for You?

By Matt Cantor
Friday April 07, 2006
Buying houses is an expensive proposition as anyone who has ever done it can tell you and it doesn’t stop when you pay the closing costs and put your boat in the backyard (you really have a boat?) -more-

Garden Variety: It Doesn’t Get Much Better Than Your Corner Nursery

By Ron Sullivan
Friday April 07, 2006
Flowerland Nursery is the corner store of local plant shops. Evidently it’s been there for generations: the friendly worker there told me that that the current owner, Bob Wilson, has had it for some 30 years and the previous owners had run it “for, oh, 30 to 40 years” before him. -more-