A Guide to the Best of Southern California : GARDENS : Pot Luck

Don’t just read this page, turn it into a starter pot. It’s possible with the PotMaker, a handy gizmo for gardeners. The wooden device, which resembles a pudgy mortar and pestle, costs $17 and molds a newspaper strip into a little pot. You then fill it with soil, add a seed, and water. In a few weeks the plant will be big enough to transplant in its pot. The roots grow out through the pot, and the paper decomposes.

The PotMaker is available at Seeds Organic Garden, 126 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 965-8119.