Jeanette Marantos

About

I'm a journalist lucky enough to follow my passion for plants. For the last five years my focus has been helping others "see" plants not just as ornamental landscapes but as a vital part of our future. My LA Times Plants newsletter, which began in June of 2023, has attracted more than 11,000 subscribers in the first eight months, testimony that I'm not the only Southern Californian interested in landscaping, native plants, building habitat and urban farming. SoCal's water shortages and increasing heat means our landscapes have to change but the answers are both complicated and controversial. I hope my reporting can help us all consider our options, and find a better course. As a long-time reporter, my specialty is honest , well-researched "content" that has depth, humor and poignancy. I love telling stories about people coping with their world, especially when those stories can help others make it through. I'm also a strong believer in research, dictionaries and punctuation (if not complete sentences), and have a background in grant writing,teaching.