Gardenig in state California. Tips & Guides

THE LIGHT-HEARTED news from Nowheresville as June begins: I am short on garden help these days and long on frogs. Too bad the latter just lie around having a hot stone massage for hours and hours (above) in between brief bouts of chasing each other frantically for you-know-what. (In frogspeak they call it amplexus.

I didn’t even remember the botanical Latin name for the ubiquitous dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, below, until I became a regular on the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station “weed gallery” recently. The Rutgers weed tool is generally appropriate for my region, and  I can browse by common names or by thumbnail photos (or by Latin names if I ever know one). The University of Minnesota’s “Is This Plant a Weed?” tool is another place you’ll find me, narrowing the field of possibilities until I get an ID by clicking through a series of photo-based prompts (such as grass or broadleaf….upright or creeping…and so on). It almost makes weeds fun. (Note the almost.)Steve Brill, the so-called “Wildman” forager who teaches in Central Park in New York City and elsewhere, has p

Longtime friend and fellow garden writer Ken was just back from a garden-filled lecture trip across the nation, with stops at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and in Northern California when we spoke. That’s an exceptional private garden in Piedmont, above, that he visited.Read along as you listen to the July 15, 2019 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).q&a with ken druse: ken’s recent garden travelsMargaret Roach: Hi, Ken.

A lot of gardening, and especially writing, is done on one’s own as a solitary pursuit, but the book brings to life a sense of community and common purpose among the women portrayed, despite their different career choices—from research scientist to floral designer to operating a seed company and more—and despite the fact that they hail from around the globe.Jennifer Jewell is author of “The Earth in Her Hands” (affiliate link) and is also the creator of the popular“Cultivating Place” podcast, produced with North State Public Radio in Chico, California. We talked about some of the women profiled in it, from seed experts Renee Shepherd and Ira Wallace, to Annie Hayes of Annie’s Annuals mail-

I got both lessons from Don Tipping, a seed breeder and farmer who’s “been a samurai warrior for” some exceptional Allium varieties, along with a number of other crops with names like River Spirit Rainbow flour corn, and Alive Vates kale and ‘Mideast Peace’ cucumber. Don spearheads the Siskiyou Seeds effort from his home farm in southern Oregon (with help from the occasional sleepy assistant, above, working in the greenhouse).Read along as you listen to the Jan. 19, 2015 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. Come away with a new reverence for the contents of every seed packet, and as promised: Learn to grow onions from seed like an expert. No, bigger bulbs are not always better as a goal, it turns out, and planting on the traditional

California-based Jay Tracy is a teacher and a father of four teens, and also the person behind the collection of exceptional and unusual cucumbers called The Cucumber Shop, a mail-order seed catalog he created about 10 years ago, and that evolved into cucumbershop dot com in 2019.Read along as you listen to the January 23, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).crazy cucumbers, with jay tracy

Nestled among the breathtaking landscapes of California are a wealth of native plants that have adapted to the unique climate and ecology of the region. From the towering redwoods to the delicate wildflowers that dot the hillsides, these plants not only add to the natural beauty of the state but also play important roles in supporting local ecosystems. Here are the most Common California Native Plants and their fascinating characteristics.

Living in Southern California, you tend to get used to palm trees. They are everywhere, about as iconic as the Hollywood sign.In fact, one of the most well-known photos of

I find much of my garden design inspiration in the natural beauty of the chaparral ecosystem that once flourished in my area.By planting native species like white sag

In certain parts of the United States, people have been affected by wildfires and the resulting smoke for years, dealing with air quality warnings and orange, dusty skies on a semi-regular basis. But this year, wildfires burning in Canada have put other regions at risk, and apocalyptic-looking skies have prompted fresh questions for those unfamiliar with wildfires and their effects: Should I wear a mask outside? Can I leave my windows open? Do I need to clean my air filters?

California is an agricultural powerhouse, producing over a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. It’s also experiencing extreme weather in the form of heat, drought, wildfires and floods, issues experts say will become increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change.

The biggest benefit of juicy, reddish-black boysenberries is that they make the most excellent pie filling you’ll ever taste. (Okay, rhubarb is one of my favorite fillings, too.)Each berry weighs around 7-8 grams, which is heavy for the fruit of a br

Raspberry fruitworms, also known as raspberry beetles (or raspberry fruit worms), are members of a small family of beetles known as the Butyridae.The damage caused by these beetle

Shade is welcome most of the year in the Southwest, but too much shade can limit other options. Larger-leaved trees can cast dense shade, and when their leaves drop, extracting them from spiny desert companions can be difficult. However, many ornamental plants that thrive in the Southwest actually appreciate the bright dappled shade cast by the light open canopy of desert trees. This provides ideal conditions for succulents in the genera Aloe, Aeonium, Echeveria, and Agave, as well as cacti such as flowering Echinopsis hybrids.

When I was seventeen years old, I visited Knott’s Berry Farm with my then-boyfriend (now-husband) and his family on a spring break trip to southern California.He’d grown up enjoying the famous boysenberry pie and chicken dinn

Elm trees are some of the most majestic and resilient plants in nature. Their iconic features make them stand out amongst other species as a symbol of strength and fortitude.We link to vendors to help you find releva

Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, is one of my favorite aromatic garden herbs because it’s so simple to grow – and it’s available almost year round here in Southern California.We link to vendors to help you find relevant product

These chemical-free methods on How to Get Rid of Whiteflies are sure-shot ways to keep your plants safe from getting damaged without using commercial pesticides.

When it comes to enjoyable South African exports, the cape marigold comes to mind.Dimorphotheca sinuata is a self-seeding daisy-like annual in th

I am Jeff Sisil. My wife and I live in Cypress, California. I started gardening about 20 years ago. Here are some current photos of spring plants and flowers. I’m having pretty good luck with hydrangeas and staghorn ferns. I also grow bromeliads, tillandsias, Spanish moss, succulents, nasturtium, senecio, and a few others. The challenge for me is managing the space. Our little patio garden brings us so much joy and beauty. I hope you enjoy our pictures!

If you ever grew potatoes, then you must have seen the infestation of small, extraterrestrial insects crawling on the surface of leaves and near the roots. They can be quite a mess for your potato plants. They are known as potato bugs, and if you have questions hovering in your mind, like What do Potato Bugs Eat and How to Get Rid of Potato Bugs, then you are at the right place!

If you know aboutBlack Pepper Plant Growing Zone, then it will be really easy for you to grow it in the region your live in. Let’s dive deep into the details.

If you want to grow the hottest pepper plants, rule number #1 is to grow them in hot conditions. Apart from that, there are some super easy tricks below, based on the experience ofhot chili growers that you should follow.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Growing a vegetable garden for fr

Our planet is rich from a wide variety of plants. Every geographical area has its own characteristics that make it special. Similarly, the US states of California and Arizona are the home of the largest cactus in America called Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea). Let’s have a look at some interesting Saguaro Cactus Facts, which is also the World’s biggest cactus!

Monarch butterflies perform one of the most mind-bending feats in the animal kingdom. Weighing just half a gram, they fly on wafer-thin wings through cities and across interstates, migrating up to 2,800 miles from Canada and the United States to their wintering grounds in the forests of Mexico.

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Kim Cornelison

If you are not sure When to Plant Green Peppers in Mid-Florida, don’t worry. This article will give you a detailed insight into how to do it correctly to get the best harvest!

Zinnias are annual summer flowers that originated in Mexico and other areas of South and Central America. These daisy-type flowers are found in a variety of bold colors, including red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, and white, and they have hundreds of tiny petals surrounding a yellow-bordered central disc.

Kress is leading the charge towrds a greener future with its breakthrough battery powered innovation.

Explore the world of DIY container water gardens and bring nature’s serenity into your home. With these creative ideas, you can transform everyday containers into peaceful aquatic oases, perfect for growing water-loving plants.

If you look up during the winter, when all the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, you might spot something still growing up there, tucked in the bare branches.It might be mistletoe, that beautiful parasite that we smooc

Poinsettias spell holiday spirit like no other plant. With vibrant seasonal colors, they are one of the easiest ways to decorate your home during the Christmas season. However, to get the best specimens, you need to consider many things, and to help you out, we bring you a guide on How to Buy the Best Poinsettias!

The fig plant is a small tree that can grow anywhere from 3 to 30 feet. The tree bears fruit which are the figs. If you have the patience, growing these gems of flavor is well worth it. Humans have been consuming this fruit for thousands and thousands of years, dating back to approximately 7000 years ago. Originating around Northern Asia, figs captivated Greeks and Romans, which led the fruit to spread around the Mediterranean region. Around 1520, it is believed that missionaries traveled to Southern California, bringing the fig, which led to the development of the mission fig variety. Evidence of figs has been found during excavations of neolithic sites and is believed to be one of history’s first domesticated crops.Jump to the recipe. 

Here is a list of some of the most Clever Things You Should Do When Plants are Young. These tricks will enable them to have a headstart and with a healthier growth altogether.