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The Backyard Gardener

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A Gardening Blog for the East Side

The climate of the Eastern Sierra is very different from most of California and so gardening here is different, too! 

Preparing the contents of the pile.

In this blog we examine some of the quirks of gardening on the East Side, and cover horticultural issues that are important locally. Note that if you're visiting our site from the outside our little corner of California, you may find this information may not apply to your area.

Articles are written by local UC Master Gardener volunteers or UC Cooperative Extension experts. 

 

We also have a website!

The Inyo-Mono Master Gardeners also have a website with local gardening and soil information. Visit it to learn more about our program and gardening. 

We are part of UC Cooperative Extension in Inyo and Mono counties.

 

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several broad bean plants in flower

Fava Beans for a Spring Harvest

September 16, 2026
By Alison Collin, UC Master Gardener Volunteer
I suddenly had an urge to taste a lost flavor from my early life, namely broad beans. For some reason, I have never seen or eaten one since coming to this country more than 40 years ago, and it was time to investigate the reason and rectify the problem.OverviewThe seeds of these plants are eaten extensively…
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Borsalino wax beans on a dish cloth

A Crowdsourced, Heat-Tolerant Vegetables List

September 2, 2026
By Dustin W Blakey
This past summer was a challenging one for many of us in the garden. Due to the lingering heat, we’ve heard from many gardeners reporting poor fruit set on their summer vegetables.Our environment east of the Sierra crest is unique. The combination of intense heat, high light levels, and very low humidity…
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A summer garden with a row of seedlings germinating underneath a shade cloth supported by a segment of field fencing.

A Gamble on a Fall Garden

August 21, 2026
By Alison Collin, UC Master Gardener Volunteer
Can a fall vegetable garden thrive when summer temperatures are still soaring above 100°F? With shade cloth, careful watering, and a little ingenuity, one gardener puts peas, lettuce, beets, and other cool-season crops to the test.
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