Mr. Fairrington’s work was recently juried into the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery’s portrait competition. His portrait portfolio has been selected as one from which officials in the Pentagon and government can select an artist for their official portrait.

He also paints portraits of celebrities. His most recent celebrity portraits are for ABC Television and the Disney Corp of the principal stars of Lost, Scrubs, Extreme Makeover, Gray's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Legend of the Seeker.   In the ballet world, David is known as the “Degas” of ballet painters. A new love of David’s is painting horses. He has painted several horse and rider images from the Yucaipa, Cherry Valley and Clancy Lane Stables and other stables around the Coachella Valley area.

David Fairrington
1(951) 966-6800
http://DavidFairrington.com

Well, actually it's both. Cilantro refers to the leaves of the plant, and coriander references the seeds. Also known as Chinese parsley, this herb is indeed a member of the parsley family. This gentle little herb with lacy, fern-like leaves is a social creature, requiring other plants growing around it to aid in holding it up on its spindly stems that can reach 2+ feet in height. Excellent companion plants are caraway, anise and dill.

An annual, it is best first planted in cool weather, in a moderately rich, slightly alkaline, well-drained soil; this native of Asia and the Mediterranean regions prefers full to partial sun. In ideal conditions, cilantro (leaves) will last about 8 to 10 weeks before flowering. To ensure such conditions (this herb is not a friend of weeds), mulch to keep the roots cool and weed-free.

Once the herb flowers, producing a delicate white-to-lavender display, seeds will form; harvest them immediately when the leaves and flowers turn brown, but before the seeds disperse. To do this, cut the entire plant and hang it to dry upside down in paper bags. Occasionally shake the bags to thresh the seeds, but be certain that they have fully dried; coriander seeds can be bitter if only partially dry.

Once you have harvested the dried seeds, roast them in a frying pan over low to medium heat, frequently shaking the pan. Cool, then crush with a mortar and pestle just before use; this will release the flavor--and the trademark lemon-scented odor. The wise herb gardener will retain some of the seeds prior to drying for replanting every few weeks to guarantee a continuous supply.

When picking fresh cilantro, choose the small, young leaves (which are the tastiest) and cut with the stems on. Rinse well, and place the bunch, stem ends down, in a small glass of water as if you were displaying flowers. Cover with a plastic bag, securing with a rubber band, and refrigerate. Change the water daily, and your cilantro will last much longer.

The citrusy tang of cilantro has become a popular addition to Mexican cuisine, while Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian cuisines use both cilantro and coriander. Thai curries incorporate the chopped leaves of cilantro, while Indian curry powders owe their aromatic quality to ground coriander.

Coriander has been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 3,000 years. The ancient Hebrews used cilantro root as the maror, or bitter herb, during the symbolic Passover Seder meal. The Roman conquests of Europe and Asia introduced the use of cilantro as an aphrodisiac in China during the Han dynasty (207 BC – 200 AD); such usage is mentioned in The Tales of the Arabian Nights. But most notably, the visions of sugar-plums which danced in children's heads on the night before Christmas, originally referred to sugar-coated coriander.

The seeds, when chewed, freshen one's breath; the essential oil is considered an aid in improving memory; and because of cilantro's powerful scent, it has a reputation for attracting beneficial insects and deterring harmful ones.

Whether you call it cilantro or coriander, the distinctive characteristics of this tiny miracle herb make it a must-have for any herb garden.

Prized by gardeners for their beauty in the landscape and by flower collectors who proudly display their colorful blooms in elaborate crystal bowls, Camellia japonicas are enjoying renewed popularity across the world. Their classic-shaped flowers herald the spring, and each year new hybrid varieties are introduced to delight collectors everywhere.

Camellias were first introduced from Asia to the West in the early 18th century by a Jesuit priest named George Karl Kamel, from whose name camellia is derived. Since then, plant hunters have been searching for camellia species growing wild in China, Japan and throughout the Pacific Rim. Growers then take these new plants and use them to create new hybrids for the home landscape.

Because camellias are evergreen, they not only make for great focal points in the garden but also can decorate a deck or patio in containers. They are so versatile they can even be trained on a trellis as an alternative to a shade-tolerant vine. The classic flowers range in shape from loosely-petaled double blooms to peony-shaped and more layered formal blooms. The 3-5" blooms are found in colors including white, shades of coral, pink and red, along with many variegated colors. Some varieties are also fragrant.

Camellias require little fertilizer. We recommend waiting until the plants have finished blooming before giving them their first feeding of the year. After flowering, wait for new growth to appear at the ends of branches and then feed every two months with cottonseed meal or an organic acid food through the end of September.

It's the perfect time to see our camellias in all of their blooming glory. We promise you will enjoy their spectacular flowers. But be warned, growing camellias and enjoying their flowers can be addictive!

Considering redoing the landscape a bit? Find the old one a bit boring? Perhaps it's time to add the power of purple to your landscape. Purple-flowering plants add a special grace to a landscape. The strong, vibrant purple color goes well with white, blue, or pink and is stunning planted next to orange. It looks particularly striking mixed with green and white variegated foliage. Purple just has a way of bringing other colors out.

Because purple-flowering plants are native to so many parts of the world, we have many to choose from. You can use taller purple-flowering shrubs or perennials to create a backdrop for shorter plants. You can also use purple-flowering vines to hide a fence or climb a trellis.

In front of those plants, you can layer in some purple-flowering perennials. Finally, add some low growing spreaders to fill in the areas between.

Do you have shaded areas? No problem. There are purple-flowering shade-lovers too.

Don't just limit your planting to the ground. Many purple-flowering plants look great in containers for patios and decks or even in hanging baskets. You can even create a blend of annuals, perennials, and ornamental grasses to make any pot, urn, window box or decorative planter look fantastic all season long.

Many purple-flowering perennials such as echinacea, monarda, nepeta, penstemon, salvia, giant scabiosa, statice and veronica are also wonderful at attracting butterflies and birds--particularly hummingbirds. But most of all, they will spice up a garden and make it come alive with color.

How often should I feed my lawn?

Answer:
We recommend feeding lawns every two months during the growing season. You can start off by applying a lawn food in late winter to early spring that contains a pre-emergent herbicide to help prevent crabgrass and other weeds from germinating.

After that, switch to a complete lawn food.

If summer weeds become a problem, apply a weed and feed fertilizer.

Make sure to give your lawn a final feeding in fall, before it goes dormant, to keep it green through winter. If a lawn goes into the winter looking yellow, you won't be able to green it up until temperatures warm up again.