Napa Master Gardener Column

by Pat Hitchcock, UC Master Gardener of Napa County I trained to become a Napa County Master Gardener in 2004. That same year, a few members of our group decided we could learn something by growing the same vegetable varieties in our diverse home gardens and then comparing notes.

When I joined the University of California Master Gardeners of Napa County in 2016, I had planned to check out the MG committees and decide which one was best suited to my nascent talents. Jill Pahl had another idea: Cindy, we could use you on the compost committee, right now. I was taken aback.

Orchids (Phalaenopsis) are readily available this time of year in nurseries and even grocery stores. They are popular hostess gifts. I find them quite beautiful and I am always tempted to add another one to my collection.

By Yvonne Rasmussen, UC Master Gardener of Napa County Growing plants from seeds rather than from nursery starts has many advantages and can be an awe-inspiring experience. By using seeds, you have more options than nurseries offer.

My mother adored pepperblack, red, green, hot, sweet, any kind. She used so much cracked pepper in our meals that most of them looked as if they were dug out of a gravel pit. I used to sulkily scrape it off while she told me I didn't know what was good. Times and tastes have changed, though.