Gavin Hoffman

Nancy Reading wrote:Hi Gavin - lovely photo!
Just to clarify - did you mean

What do you grow that birds love, but don't eat yourself?

They do seem to get their little beaks in some things that I'd like to eat myself! and also my seeds that I'd like to harvest they often have first pick. The goldfinches here love my dandelion, radish and carrot seeds!

Good catch, they definitely get my seeds but I'm OK with it as they tend to plant more than they take.

Samantha Lewis wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:I agree those are lovely flowers.

I thought sunchokes had yellow flowers, what variety are yours?

I think the sunchokes are behind the pink flowers there.  

looks like they are still in the bud stage!  so interesting!  

I am in eastern WA where it is getting cold and wintery.
mine have been flowering for a week or so.  



My little birds are always in my lilacs.  It is like the community hang out zone.    

There are a lot of nutrient deposits under those bushes.  

That sounds lovely, little birds in lilacs. My sunchokes already bloomed and a strong wind blew all the petals off.

Located in 10a Oakland, CA

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions! Given my climate and budget I will probably go with a fireplace insert. I found one for free nearby on Craigslist. The wood burning cookstove is very interesting to me though, I'd love to cook on a wood stove.

Thank you for reading my post! I am blown away by the knowledge, creativity, and experience of the people who post here. I have a lot of experience with gardening and water conservation, but this RMH stuff goes over my head. I believe I have a fairly typical setup but would really appreciate some guidance on how to get stated. Please allow me to explain my situation below.

I lucky enough to live in a single family house on a south facing slope in zone 10a Oakland, California. In the home there is a fireplace that I would like to use as I have access to free firewood (but not a huge amount). I have heard that open fires are wasteful and polluting. Wood stoves seem to be a step up, is it possible to put one in my fireplace? Just stick it in there and light a fire? If there are any other systems that may work well for me, I'd love to hear it. I can tackle complex piping projects as I am a ua trade school instructor. I'd love to keep costs low but have it look decent. Really appreciate any suggestions. Thank you so much.