The Central Valley Garden in Winter
In California’s Central Valley, the onset of winter’s cool, wet weather marks the beginning of the growing season for California native and medite…
Regions: Northern California
Nor. Cal
Rootball Treatment for Optimal Tree Growth
The biggest problem in selecting quality trees is the character of the root balls; girdling roots threaten the ability of the trees to properly establ…
Manzanita
Among the plants rooted in California is the genus Arctostaphylos, made up of evergreen shrubs commonly known by the Spanish folk name of manzanita or…
Trees of the California Landscape
Trees define the California landscape, whether in the form of wind-sheared cypresses on Monterey County’s coastal bluffs, massive valley oaks studding interior valley grasslands, or…
Garden Allies: Amphibians
Frogs, toads, and salamanders are not the first creatures that might come to mind when thinking about garden allies, but they do eat heaps of insects …
Sweet Peas in California: A Fragrant but Fading Memory
Sweet peas were first grown in California’s Central Coast valleys on an agricultural scale in 1907. The region’s rich soil and benign climate were…
Wildlife Gardening in the Central Valley
Wildlife gardening, also called habitat gardening, generally refers to creating gardens with plant associations and vegetation communities that are in…
Frilly Echeverias: The Fairest Succulents of Them All
The rosette shaped succulents known as Echeveria, native to Mexico, have colors as red as salsa, as opalescent as a south-of-the-border sunset, and as…
Designing with Succulents
Most books on succulents treat them as treasured collectibles or as individual works of art. Few address the value of succulents as landscape material, which…