Over the Fence (Alameda County)

Have you ever harvested a tomato with a crack in the skin, found a few aphids on your kale, had a few holes in your cabbage leaves or dug up a crooked carrot and wondered what went wrong? If so, you're not alone.   Many beginning and experienced vegetable gardeners expect homegrown…

 Climate change (which means a long-term change in average temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns) already impacts California, including Alameda County and its landscape trees.   This post focuses on climate change and the urban forest, defined for this article as all of the trees and…

 Edible flowers bring color, fragrance, and surprising flavors to the kitchen—often from plants already growing in San Francisco Bay Area gardens. Many of these blooms are easy to grow, drought-tolerant once established, and well-suited to our Mediterranean climate. Best of all, they can transform…

When I started gardening, my understanding was that gardeners should try to keep insects out of their gardens.  But I’ve since learned that insects are an important and valuable part of the garden.  Certainly many insects do damage the plants that you’re trying to grow. But many other insects…

Climate Change and Weather in the Bay Area   March 2026 was one of the driest and warmest Marches in recorded history in the Bay Area. The March heat wave pushed temperatures across much of the West 3 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit above average, according to the Climate Prediction Center. In the…