Sarah Bassan-Zehavi

Try taking a close look at the immediate environment of the tree - what is making it weak and thus a target for infestation? How's the soil ph? Is the topsoil draining well enough to enable the water to reach deeply for the entire root system? Too much shade, maybe on one side? Another plant around that it doesn't like? The healthiest plants do not become hosts for pests. Also, painting lime on the trunks from the ground up 2-3 feet prevents pests from climbing up, it's a desiccant that they can't abide. Won't deter airborne pests but will prevent the ants which move in to cultivate the scale bugs.

Hi there, I am plotting a 1/2 acre parcel on a north facing 14° slope in Israel, Mediterranean chaparral biome. At 770 meters above sea level it corresponds to hardiness zone 10a. It's undeveloped woodland.
I know which trees do well here, I am looking for ideas for the rest of the guild plants.
Indigenous trees are madrona, carob, walnut, almond, mulberry, olive, pomegranate, lemon. Others that do well are apples, pears, apricots, plums, cherries, kumquat, pomelo, quince. Grapes are also indigenous, as are blackberries.
Cyclamen, squill and veronica grow wild prolifically in the area.

The cheapest way to add emotional warmth and interest to interiors is paint. Pick a color you love, and paint one wall of a room that color. If you love it paint another wall. It's usually more restful to have most walls neutral and one or two walls in a light shade of a color you love.
Dark colors can be depressing - I plastered my strawbale house with earth plaster and sealed it with oil, but eventually we painted the walls, mostly a warm yellowish cream, and the way the place brightened up was amazing - we realized how depressing the dark walls had been, despite lots of windows.
The exception to that is the bedroom - a dark wall behind the bed makes the room inviting and cozy. Purples, pinks and reds are sensuous, blues and greens are restful.
You can paint window frames bright or dark colors for more interest.
Plants indoors give a friendly feel. I put a few cuttings into cheap little plastic pots or yogurt containers and set them into plastic food containers that I painted on the inside with black acrylic craft paint - they look great, like ceramic. Be sure to paint the inside not the outside.
Curtains are also a good place to add color. If you have curtain rods you can make very cheap colorful curtains by sewing together scarves from a thrift shop. Look on Pinterest for ideas.