LETTERSWednesday, October 2, 2002 NEVER-ENDING NUISANCEEditor -- I was wondering how the neighbors of the Lamarres ("Getting the bugs out," Sept. 21) felt about them remodeling for seven years, evenings and weekends! I can only imagine the horror for those poor people who had to put up with their noise and mess year after year -- I speak from experience as I am a cranky neighbor living next to another never-ending remodel and I know I am sick of it.BETH DEVENERSan Francisco INVASIVE PLANTSEditor -- I take exception to Victor Yool's assertion ("Ask Dr. Hort," Sept. 21) that "no one else is particularly concerned" about bringing uninspected plant material into the state (responding in his column to a letter writer questioning the appropriateness of bringing curly willow cuttings across the country). A range of organizations around the state -- nonprofits like ours, the Nature Conservancy, the California Native Grass Association, the California Native Plant Society and the California Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, as well as state and federal land management agencies such as State Parks, state Fish and Game, the state Department of Forestry, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Boating and Waterways, the Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USGS and BLM -- are all conducting major projects to control invasive plants that threaten working agricultural landscapes, waterways and natural areas. Invasive plants present a serious ecological and economic threat to California. A majority of the state's invasive plants, including those regulated by law, are ornamentals that escaped and now thrive in the wild at the expense of native plants and wildlife. Plants with characteristics such as those described by the letter writer -- the plant "likes to take over" and the cuttings resprouted days later -- are the very type that require caution. Like other nurserymen and women, Mr. Yool is in a position to affect the landscaping choices of the gardening public. His casual dismissal of "erring on the side of caution" is unfortunately an all-too-common attitude. This is why our group and others are increasingly focusing our energy on informing the nursery trade and the gardening consumer about the risks of invasive plants. Be a responsible gardener. Find out what plants are invasive in your area (your county agriculture department can tell you) and don't buy them. Better yet, ask your nursery to stop carrying the plant and to promote a safe landscaping alternative. And if you're considering bringing an aggressive plant across the country, contrary to Mr. Yool's advice, I urge you to use caution. California's landscape depends on it. DOUG JOHNSONExecutive Director, California Exotic Pest Plant Council Berkeley ELDERLY AT HOMEEditor -- Thanks so much for the excellent coverage of elder care (Home for the Ages, Sept. 14) -- appropriate housing. I will use this information and the pictures when assisting my clients. MARY MOORHEADElder care specialist, Berkeley DANGEROUS TANEditor -- Gardening has been my love for more than 30 years, and I have gotten a lot of tans in a lot of places. Last year I was diagnosed with melanoma -- a mole on my left elbow. There is a rapid increase in the incidence of melanoma. I would hate to see more of my fellow gardeners develop any type of skin cancer so I greatly encourage you and everyone to wear hats, sun-protective clothing, sunscreen and try to avoid exposure to the midday sun. MINDY COOTS-MIYAZAKIBerkeley Letters may be e-mailed to home@sfchronicle.com, faxed to (415) 543-6956 or mailed to Home&Garden, The San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103. Please include your name and city for publication, and a phone number for verificatio This article appeared on page HO - 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle Comments |
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