Jeanette Marantos started writing for the Los Angeles Times in 1999, doing Money Makeovers until 2002. She returned to write for The Times’ Homicide Report in 2015 and the Saturday garden section in 2016, a yin and yang that kept her perspective in balance. In early 2020, she moved full time into Features, with a focus on all things flora. In June of 2023 she also began writing the monthly L.A. Times Plants newsletter, which includes a calendar of upcoming plant-related events. She is a SoCal native who spent more than 20 years in Central Washington as a daily reporter, columnist, freelancer and mom before returning to the land of eucalyptus and sage. Her present goal is to transform her yard into an oasis of native plants, fruit trees and veggies. Please email calendar submissions or plant-related story ideas to jeanette.marantos@latimes.com for consideration.
Latest From This Author
Which Southern California native plants survived climate change and mass extinctions 13,000 years ago and still live today? La Brea Tar Pits researchers compiled a list.
June 28, 2024
Disneyland is pricey, so is it worth taking a preschooler too small for most the rides? Yes, as long as adults adjust their expectations, plan ahead and slow down.
June 24, 2024
Why does Southern California have so many residential fruit trees? Credit the weather, developers, even the Gold Rush. Plus: a list of plant-related June events.
June 1, 2024
More than 800 readers shared their thoughts on the etiquette of picking fruit from a tree that’s not their own. But what’s legal and should one consider Nextdoor shaming?
May 29, 2024
Food Forward saves nearly 2 million pounds of produce every week. It all started with a slow walk through a Los Angeles neighborhood full of unpicked fruit.
May 28, 2024
Life-giving compost is made from things that die and decompose. Now humans can add their bodies to the mix. This new burial won’t be legal in California until 2027. But some aren’t waiting.
May 22, 2024
With summer temperatures and water rates on the rise in Southern California, gardeners can learn from desert farmers how to grow food with little water and lots of heat.
May 1, 2024
Take our survey and let us know when you think it’s OK to grab fruit from someone else’s tree. Your answers may be featured in an upcoming edition of our Plants newsletter.
April 24, 2024
The Carrizo Plain nature preserve is one of California’s most iconic wildflower viewing areas. But this year, if you’re looking for blankets of bright color covering the hills, prepare for a different experience.
April 16, 2024
A Studio City couple used FormLA Landscaping to transform their blah yard into a native plant wonderland with meandering paths worthy of their Storybook home.
April 15, 2024