If you had a desire to plant a garden that not only grows veggies in raised beds, but also nurtures 5,000 seedlings for a plant sale and features a pollinator garden to help those veggies thrive, would you choose a site that has no piped-in water and no electricity? It’s improbable that you would even give it a second thought.

This is the story of how the Water Conservation Garden in the El Cerrito hills went from improbable to surprising to astonishing in the span of just a couple of years.

In March of 2022, UC Master Gardener volunteers Liv Imset and Liz Rottger proposed a plan to the program's leadership teams to use such an improbable site for a new demonstration garden. Their vision was to devise, implement, and test strategies for capturing and storing rainwater. These strategies needed to be simple enough for home gardeners to implement in their own gardens and also support all of the planned plantings for the garden. 
 

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California was in a deep drought at the time. El Cerrito had received only 8 inches of rain that winter and 10 inches the year before. Note that the average rainfall for El Cerrito is 22 inches a year. We were in a state of drought emergency. Water restrictions were plentiful, and we were anticipating another scant water year for the coming winter. It was a bold move to take over this site of an underutilized community garden and demonstrate to the community how we could all use techniques and solutions that conserve and preserve two of our most precious resources: water and electricity.

Building Sub-Irrigated Planters
For the rest of that year, the garden team built three 8’ x 4’ raised veggie beds with water reservoirs beneath the soil. Two of the beds used a newly pioneered method of using reclaimed PET plastic water bottles as a substitute for gravel for the water storage reservoirs, thus “Plavel.” Norman Hantzsche and Matt Woll of Questa Engineering Corporation in Richmond, CA, had developed this heretofore untapped opportunity to recover and convert single-use plastics (AKA waste products) into viable and useful building materials. And our very own Liv Imset had worked at Questa Engineering with Norman and Matt. The three of them worked hard along with the garden team on implementing the first two sub-irrigated planters (SIPs). These first two beds were appropriately named Alpha and Beta.
 

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The extraordinary thing about these two 8-foot-by-4-foot beds is that each has a built-in reservoir that holds 239 gallons of water. The beds fill up with rainwater, then act as self-watering systems during the dry season. Here’s the math for calculating reservoir capacity, in case you’re curious.

8 ft. x 4 ft. x 1 ft. x 7.48 gal. per cubic foot = 239-gallon reservoir

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Dr. Pepper Bed
A third raised bed, dubbed Dr. Pepper, was built that year as well. It was named after the “Albopepper” blog and YouTube channel, where a fellow named Al Gracian explains in great detail how to construct various types of sub-irrigated planters. His technique for using corrugated drainpipe was used for this bed. https://albopepper.com/SIP-raised-bed.php

This bed was a bit different in its construction. Having built two Plavel beds, the team felt these were a bigger project than many DIYers would be willing to tackle. So, instead of using recycled PET plastic water bottles as the structure for the reservoir of the Dr. Pepper bed, a 4-inch black corrugated drainpipe, normally used for drainage, was utilized for the reservoir. This bed has one-third the water-storage capacity of the Plavel beds, since the drainpipes only stand 4 inches tall, as opposed to one foot tall. Here’s the math for calculating the storage capacity for this bed.

8 ft. x 4 ft. x 0.33 ft. x 7.48 gal. per cubic foot = 79-gallon reservoir

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One more 4’ x 8’ bed was built that first year and was named the “Control Bed.” This bed has no rainwater harvesting method built into it. It’s used by the garden team to gauge how much water the 4’ x 8’ veggie beds would otherwise need if they didn’t have self-watering systems installed.

Stock Tank SIPs
In May of this year, Liv Imset, who is the Master Gardener volunteer with an engineering background in SIPs and other drainage and water purification solutions, came up with the idea of converting stock tanks to SIPs. She planned to use commercial-grade plastic milk crates as the main reservoir. Tucking in several lengths of 3-inch drainage pipe around the sides of the crates would provide even more water-holding capacity. We promptly scheduled a public hands-on workshop where we built one on the site. This 100-gallon stock tank now has a subterranean water reservoir of 37 gallons.

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Rainwater Harvesting Potential of the Site
Aside from the three raised veggie beds and the stock tank with the rainwater harvesting capacity, the site also has a 1,500-gallon cistern. A shed on the site empties rainwater off its 12' x 8' metal roof into six 55-gallon barrels. There are also eight more 55-gallon barrels near the beds. 

The cistern and barrels have a total capacity of 2,270 gallons. The three raised beds and stock tank capture and store a total of 594 gallons. All told, the site collects and stores 2,864 gallons of water.

The large cistern is filled in a unique way: a concrete ditch runs along the bottom of the slope, channeling winter surface water from the hillside. That water is pumped uphill to the tanks using a solar-charged battery power station installed by Howdy Goudey. Thanks to this system, the cistern—holding 1,500 gallons—has been completely filled each winter for the past several years.

Measuring and Monitoring
Since the first plants were planted on this site, the garden team has kept meticulous water-use records. Every drop of water used on the site is measured and recorded. And the moisture levels in the soil of all the beds are noted, as well as the appearance quality of the plants. We're very proud that since January 2024, no supplemental water has been brought to the site. This garden subsists solely on the supply from the sky.

The Astonishing Part of this Story 
Vegetables are high-water-use plants. They require a significant amount of water and need to be watched carefully and watered frequently. Using the water-use records for 2024, the following table shows how much water the garden team applied to the three sub-irrigated planters. Rainfall initially filled these beds’ reservoirs. The team didn’t need to add water to the reservoirs until August 10.

Rainwater Harvesting Benefits on this Site
What makes this astonishing is the fact that at least 90% of the water needed for the vegetables in these beds was provided by rainfall - that free water that falls from the sky! Of the 490 gallons required during this dry period, the garden team only applied, at the most, an extra 48 gallons to each bed! Nature provided the rest. The ramifications of this are huge! These beds not only provide us a way to grow vegetables using 1/10 of the water needed, but they’re self-regulating as well. The plants have access to a constant supply of water. We only need to make sure there is water in the reservoirs. During this period in 2024, the rainwater in the reservoirs lasted three months before more water needed to be added.

This appears to be a wonderful solution to water supply issues that plague us on a regular basis in California. And the work done up front to provide the infrastructure for this massive water savings seems well worth it. Rainwater harvesting for the win!

Photos courtesy of Fletcher Oakes and Lori Palmquist

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As most of our readers probably noticed, this summer in Contra Costa County was unusually cool.  Some of you may have observed different behavior in your home gardens as a consequence, and might like to know how two of our Master Gardener demonstration gardens reacted to milder temperatures.

Very Distinct Gardens

Rivertown (East County)
Although the East County garden in Antioch, called ‘Rivertown’, is actually older than our Central garden ‘Our Garden’, in Walnut Creek, it was ‘inherited’ by Master Gardeners volunteers relatively recently. We didn’t have the luxury of developing it from scratch, and as a consequence, we also inherited the soil in the raised beds.  As we’ve begun to steward this garden, we have encountered surprises that have thrown some curveballs that have presented challenges (or opportunities, if you will), including finding a weed barrier under the raised beds.

Given its history, Rivertown, led by Lisa Bramblet, continues to be a true experimental garden where Master Gardener volunteer learning goes hand in hand with our mission of education. We illustrate in real time, for instance, the proper way to improve the soil or to treat susceptible plants for disease and insects—including the three-striped potato beetle, a persistent pest on our tomatillos this summer!  Additionally, Antioch is warmer in the summer than Walnut Creek, and that, too, presents a learning opportunity for our large and varied county.

Our Garden, Walnut Creek (Central County)
By contrast, we developed the 1-acre Walnut Creek garden ‘Our Garden’ literally from the ground up. We began with double digging to prepare the in-ground beds, and over the years, have had full control of the soil, which today is excellent. This is now both a teaching and a production garden from which we harvest produce to distribute to local charities, including Monument Crisis Center and White Pony Express.

Richmond Low Water Garden and Water Conservation Garden (West County)
You can read about the successes of the West County Water Conservation Garden and the Richmond Low Water Demo Garden in additional articles in this fall issue or by following the links.

2025 Seasonal Highlights

So what did the gardens experience during our unusual summer?  Perhaps surprisingly, they were quite pleased with it! Here are some specifics.

Rivertown
After a scorching 2024, the cooler temperatures were a welcome relief, reducing the heat stress on the plants and contributing to higher output. The plants also appreciated the addition of new shade cloth. The tomatoes, in particular, did quite well under the shade cloth, and the eggplant and peppers were also pleased. Early on, the basil wasn’t happy about the heat, but it is currently thriving. Even a relatively cool summer in Antioch can be quite warm!

There is a small orchard in the garden with an Asian pear, pomegranate, orange, and fig tree, among other fruit, and it thrived this year. The little adolescent espaliered persimmon tree, in particular, is totally covered in persimmons! More fruit trees are planned for 2026.

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Rivertown strives to demonstrate a variety of garden styles that might be of interest to the community.  There is a thriving herb garden, a wheelchair-accessible trug planter, as well as a lovely vertical shade garden.

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In accordance with our mission of learning and teaching, master gardener volunteers are conducting multiple ongoing experiments.  The garden beds at Rivertown are accessed via crushed granite paths, and we are in the process of assessing whether the rocky material contributes to heat.We conduct regular soil tests in the quest to optimize the growing medium and are also studying the water, some of which is supplied by the city and some via a well.The quality of the water and the soil is foundational for garden success.

If you would like to learn more, you are invited to visit Rivertown at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds (1201 W. 10th Street), which is open to the public every Tuesday from 10 a.m. until noon through October.
See this link for specific directions: About Rivertown Garden | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Master gardeners volunteers are very fortunate to have this partnership with the city of Antioch and the state of California, and we look forward to expanding and strengthening that relationship in the future.

Our Garden in Walnut Creek
This demonstration garden is managed by Janet Miller, who told us that, although fruits and vegetables ripened a bit more slowly than in past years, the plants were extremely healthy and seemed relieved not to have to face another summer like last year! It was another blockbuster year for output success. Year to date, we have harvested over 12,000 pounds of produce, which has been given to charitable organizations in the community.

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The overall success of the garden was helped by a major project earlier this year to ‘rat-proof’ the garden. Although the garden has been fenced with wire for some time, there has been a significant interest in our produce from rats who regularly helped themselves to bright red tomatoes and anything else they hankered for. To minimize sharing with these locals, our intrepid team, led by Steve Griffin, attached ¼” wire hardware cloth to the existing fencing around the entire perimeter of the garden and then added a 1-foot strip of metal flashing around the top. Although the rodents might climb up the hardware cloth, they aren’t able to navigate the slippery flashing to get over the fence, and our inventory shrinkage has been reduced to almost nothing.

The soil at Our Garden has been nourished over the years via organic amendments and best practices, such as no-till planting, composting in place, and cover crops. The key ingredient, however, is our homemade compost, continually in production via our dedicated composting team.As plants finish their growing season and are cut back, roots remain in the soil to feed it, while cut branches join the compost operation, now in full swing as summer winds down. This is the miracle ingredient in producing the garden’s bounty.

Some of the specific successes this year included the vineyard, which overachieved, providing over 600 pounds of grapes.

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For the first time, the pole beans were grown on tall (6-7’) trellises, which they very much enjoyed, producing a bumper crop. The flowers were especially beautiful; zinnias and others luring pollinators to come and participate in the production process.

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The cool weather also permitted leafy greens like lettuce, chard, and kale to continue to grow during the summer, rather than being relegated just to the cooler months.

As always, we try new varieties of vegetables, searching for those that will be most appealing to the public, who can acquire them for themselves during our plant sales. We enjoyed the apricot zebra tomato very much, as well as a healthy Korean avocado squash, Teot Bat Put.The small winter squash, Lodi, has been a new delight. Stay tuned for future updates on new and repeat varieties planned for 2026!

Were there any issues with unwanted insects or diseases? Very few. As ever, mosaic virus bothered yellow zucchini (you’re not alone if you have this challenge!). There have been some cabbage loopers (treated with Bacillus thuringiensis) on brassica shoots, which are now in the ground for the fall/winter. To deter ants and aphids that can introduce disease, we spread diatomaceous earth around the base of fruit trees in the orchard. But all in all, there were very few issues with flying and crawling pests this year!

Educational talks at ‘Our Garden’ in Walnut Creek continue on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. through October, so take advantage of these last opportunities of the season (see below.) The attendance, averaging over 50 people each week, continues to grow, and we are enthusiastic about and appreciative of our community’s commitment to ongoing education.

• October 01 - Growing Cherry Trees
• October 08 - Composting - 'Let me Count the Ways'
• October 15 - Tea from Your Garden
• October 22 - Planning a Rain Garden
• October 29 - Garden Hacks

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Read: Seasonal Updates on the Richmond Low Water Demo Garden

Read: Successes of the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito

There are two MGCC Gardens in West County: the Low Water Garden in Richmond, a Master Gardener of Contra Costa County (MGCC) demonstration garden, and the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito. We hereby note that a Seasonal Update on our East and Central Demo Gardens has also been published in a separate article of this fall issue.

Very Distinct Gardens

Learn how the Water Conservation Garden thrives—don’t miss Master Gardener volunteer Lori Palmquist’s insightful article featured in this fall issue.

For the Low Water Garden, we interviewed Master Gardener volunteer Brian Kerss, who, along with Master Gardener volunteer Dan Lent, is the co-lead of the Low Water Garden in Richmond. 
 

What is the history and mission of the Low Water Garden?
The Low Water Garden actually got its start back in 2005 in the middle of one of California’s many droughts, as a collaboration between East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and the City of Richmond to demonstrate to the residents of the city how easy it was to save water by planting a low-water landscape. EBMUD took the lead on the design and layout of the garden, and the City took on its ongoing maintenance. It was designed to demonstrate resource-efficient gardening. But, over the years, the garden was neglected, and by 2018, when Master Gardener volunteers of Contra Costa joined the partnership with the City of Richmond and EBMUD, the garden was overrun with weeds, and many of the original plants had also died. 

What has been the role of MGCC?
MGCC volunteers took on the responsibility for redevelopment of the entire Low Water Garden and for its ongoing maintenance. We cleared its weeds, removed plants that didn’t belong, and installed a whole new drip system. There was, for example, lots of bermuda grass growing throughout the garden. We used sheet mulching to remove this tenacious, noxious grass.
 

What has been the greatest challenge MGCC has faced at the Low Water Garden?
The garden is located in the Richmond Civic Center. It is next to the main parking lot for the area, which also includes the library, the Catholic Church, and school across the street.  We often need to remind ourselves that this is an urban garden in the heart of a large city, open to the public at all times. There’s unfortunately always lots of trash to pick up, and we sometimes lose a plant.

What has been most gratifying about the work of MGCC at the Low Water Garden?
We have transformed the entire garden! It is now a very beautiful, natural landscape with a variety of habitats that, at any time of the year you happen to visit, are filled with many wonderful plants well-suited to our Bay Area summer-dry climate. Visitors now stop by regularly and tell us how much the garden means to them. Recently, a city employee told us how much she enjoys walking the garden’s paths.

That always makes our work worthwhile!

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Read and learn how the West County Water Conservation Garden thrives

Read more Seasonal Updates on our Demo Gardens in East and Central County

Douglas iris (Iris douglasiana) is a great foundational plant for a sunny or shady part of your garden. The foliage is green all year round, and when in bloom in the spring, it is a welcome spot of color in shaded areas.

While they can tolerate full sun, a good location for Douglas iris in a garden is one that gets some filtered sun in the early morning but is in bright shade most of the day.  Keep in mind, there will be less blooms if they are in deep shade.

Douglas iris bloom faithfully every spring, and can be separated and spread out to fill a garden bed. And they are quite good at outcompeting most weeds, including oxalis -- a few weeds can grow through the iris foliage, but nothing compared to the number that would be there without the iris, and the weeds are also easier to spot and pull.

Douglas iris flowers in the wild have a wide range of colors from white to light blue, dark blue, lavender, and deep purple. Pt. Reyes National Seashore in the spring is a great place to observe the variation of bloom color in wild iris. 

Douglas iris are easy to grow from seed, which will generally result in a deep blue/purple flower. Because the seeds will have their own unique, varied genetics, you might be surprised at the beautiful and distinct shade of blooms that emerge.

Some interesting varieties have been bred from the native iris, with many interesting and unusual colors. Some to look for in nurseries include "Canyon Snow", which has a white flower, and "Canyon Sunshine", which has a butter-yellow flower. 

Douglas iris requires very little, if any, summer water, although it is probably good to add supplemental water if the spring rains have been sparse..

Calscape ( https://calscape.org/loc-California/Douglas'%20Iris%20(Iris%20douglasiana) says that Douglas iris prefer slow-draining soil, including heavy clay, which is the soil type of many gardens.  With heavy soil, the recommendation is to be careful not to overwater the plants.

Douglas iris is a wonderful, long-lived perennial that remains green year-round.  It's a great choice as a border plant or for planting in a lightly shaded area of your garden.

And fall is the time to plant any native plant, including Douglas Iris.

Resources

Here are some previous articles about planting natives in the fall.

• Calscape description for Douglas Iris
  https://calscape.org/Iris-douglasiana-(Douglas-Iris)  
• Plant Natives this Fall
  https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa-county/article/plant-natives-fall  
• Native Plants for Summer Bloom
  https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa-county/article/native-plants-summer-bloom
• Native Plant Resources
  https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa-county/article/native-plant-resources
• Plant Native Shrubs Now for Winter and Spring Bloom
  https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa-county/article/plant-native-shrubs-now-winter-and
• Now Is the Time to Plant Natives in Your Garden!
  https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardener-program-contra-costa-county/article/now-time-plant-natives-your-garden 

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If you have a tree of heaven in your yard, you may be familiar with unwanted seedlings sprouting across your yard and seemingly from every nearby crack. The tree of heaven was originally brought to the United States from China in the 1800s and quickly became a fast-growing and popular ornamental shade tree. 

Today we know, however, that the tree has become a problem across the globe as it disrupts habitats. It reproduces aggressively through dense root suckers and wind-blown seed. A mature tree, 40 to 60 feet tall, can produce 325,000 seeds in a single year, while its roots damage sidewalks, foundations, and sewers.

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In addition to being classed as an invasive species itself, the tree of heaven is also host to the invasive Spotted Lantern Fly. This pest is causing millions of dollars in damage yearly to farms, and in particular to vineyards.

How You Can Help
You can help to stop the spread of the tree of heaven by removing seedlings when you see them. The parent tree has several distinctive characteristics:
●    Grey bark with diamond-shaped fissures
●    Large leaves, up to 3 feet long, with 10 to 27 pairs of dark green opposing leaflets. The leaflets are smooth except for two notches, or teeth, at the base.
●    Flowers are small, pale yellow-green, in upright clusters
●    Seed clusters are 1 to 2 inches long and can be green, yellow, red, or brown.

Tree of Heaven has a distinctive bark pattern. 
 

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Controlling Tree of Heaven Seedlings
It’s very difficult to eliminate tree of heaven seedlings. The best control is to hand pull them before their tap roots become established. For slightly larger saplings, tools like a weed wrench can be used, but you need to be careful to get the entire root. Hand pulling works best in the spring when the soil is still moist.
 

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As the soil dries out and hand pulling becomes more difficult, chemical control can be used on root suckers. The best time to control tree of heaven with an herbicide is in mid-summer to early fall when the tree is moving nutrients to the roots. Herbicides should be applied to leaves or cuts in the stem. While some resources suggest cutting the stem and painting it with the herbicide, this method may lead to more root suckering, according to research done in Pennsylvania.

There are several post-emergence herbicides that are available to residents. Others are available only to licensed professionals. Products containing glyphosate or triclopyr (or both) are most effective against tree of heaven. You can find a list of these products in the herbicide chart in the link below, along with instructions on how to apply them. (Look for the Stem Injection section.)

When you use an herbicide (or any pesticide), make sure you follow all label instructions and safety precautions. 

Woody Weed Management:  https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74142.html
 

Creating a vibrant shaded area is all about contrast and creativity—playing with layers and combining plants of varying heights and textures for a natural, woodland vibe.  Before you start planting, it’s important to understand the light, soil, and microclimates in space. The following steps will help you select plants that thrive and create a lush, layered retreat.

1. Know your Shade Levels

Shade isn’t one-size-fits-all. Plants have different tolerance levels for reduced sunlight, so understanding the light patterns in your space is crucial. 

Full Shade

These areas receive no direct sunlight, often found under dense tree canopies, between buildings, or on the north-facing side of structures. Choose plants that specifically thrive in full shade, like ferns or certain types of ivy. 

Partial Shade

These spots get some direct sunlight, typically in the early morning or late afternoon. Many flowering plants, like bleeding heart or foxglove, can adapt well to partial shade.

Dappled Shade is commonly created by trees with light foliage; this is an area where sunlight filters through leaves. Plants like tiarella or astilbe thrive in such conditions.

Observing these light patterns at different times of the day and also throughout the year will help you select plants that thrive in your garden space.

2. Check Soil and Moisture

Shade-loving plants often have specific soil requirements. Most shade plants, especially woodland types, prefer soil that retains some moisture without becoming waterlogged. Amend heavy soils with compost or organic matter to improve drainage and texture. Shaded areas, especially under trees, may have nutrient-depleted soil. Enrich it with leaf mold, mulch, or slow-release fertilizers to provide a nutrient boost.  Continue improving soil quality over time.

3. Matching plants to microclimates is important

Shaded areas often have their own microclimates influenced by factors like proximity to walls, trees, or bodies of water.

• Areas near walls or fences might retain heat but receive limited sunlight.
• Spaces under trees can have dry soil due to root competition. 

Group plants with similar moisture and light needs together for easier maintenance and better overall growth. 

• Consider plant size and growth habits.
• Shade-loving plants come in a variety of sizes, from low ground covers to taller focal points.
• Ground covers are ideal for filling in space and preventing weeds. Plants like lamium or ajuga form dense mats in shady areas.
• If compact shrubs will fill the bill, small shrubs like boxwood or Japanese pieris can provide structure without overwhelming a space.
  If it’s vertical interest you’re looking for, climbing or upright plants like hydrangea and ferns add height and visual interest. Use hanging baskets or trellis systems to maximize planting space and add a vertical element that draws the eye upward.

5. Don’t forget about container plants

Many smaller, shade-loving plants, such as coleus and certain small hostas, are well-suited for pots and containers. The key advantage of containers is that they are portable!  If you have a certain need, whether it’s color, height, or soil requirement, a pot can be the answer.

6. Finish with Color, Texture, and Mulch

Combine plants with complementary foliage shapes and colors for a layered, dynamic look.  Remember, mulching around shade plants helps retain moisture, suppresses weeds, and improves soil quality over time. 

Some plants to consider ...

Hostas are excellent for shady areas under trees and come in various sizes and leaf colors.

Ferns add texture and vibrancy to shaded areas. 

Heucheras offer colorful foliage and thrive in dappled light. 

Flowering plants: Impatiens produce colorful blooms in full to partial shade. Rex begonias offer striking patterns on their large leaves. For continuous summer blooms, try bellflowers or astilbe. 

Ground covers and small perennials: Mondo grass and ajuga are great for adding low-level texture in small gardens or borders.  

Vines and travelers: Sweet potato vines and dichondra are excellent choices for hanging baskets, adding color and volume to vertical spaces

To add structure and height to your garden, you might want to include these beauties.  

• Hydrangeas (shade-tolerant varieties): Especially the oakleaf hydrangea, which thrives in partial shade with large, showy blooms.
• Boxwood: A classic small evergreen shrub that works well for edging or as a focal point.
• Daphne odora: A compact shrub with fragrant pink or white flowers.
• Japanese pieris: Evergreen shrubs with cascading white flowers and colorful new growth

Shade-loving plants bring beauty to your garden and support local wildlife. Many shade-loving flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, even in lower light conditions. Dense ground covers and shrubs provide shelter for small creatures like birds, insects, and frogs.

While shade gardens are generally low-maintenance, their care requirements can vary.

• Pruning needs: Some plants, like ferns, require regular pruning to maintain their shape.
• Others, like ground covers, may need occasional thinning to prevent them from overtaking the area.
• There are also seasonal considerations. You need to know whether the plants are evergreen or deciduous. For year-round interest, include a mix of both types.
• Pest and disease resistance awareness. Choose varieties known for resistance to common problems in shaded sites.

Shade gardening can add a new dimension to your property. With the right plant in the right area, a dark spot or corner can come alive! It opens a whole new world of plant interest and selection to the gardener, bringing much pride and joy to the process!

Resources:

• Shade plants for your landscape. Barbara Fraser, UCCE Master Gardener, UC Davis
• California Master Gardener Handbook

Photo courtesy by Lorraine Frey

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The UC Master Gardener volunteers of Contra Costa County are excited to announce an upcoming Firewise Demonstration Garden at the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) Station 42 on Moraga Road. This project will showcase practical, attractive landscaping strategies that reduce wildfire risk—especially the often-misunderstood Zone Zero, the critical five feet closest to a home or structure.
 

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The idea began with MOFD Director and Master Gardener volunteer Steve Danziger, who envisioned a living example of fire-resistant design for the community. At the August 20 MOFD Board meeting, Anna Wendorf (Landscape Designer and Master Gardener volunteer) and Dawn Kooyumjian (Master Gardener volunteer co-ordinator for Contra Costa County) presented the concept and a preliminary garden plan. The board enthusiastically approved the project and re-allocated previously earmarked funds of $5,000 to support its installation.

Planting is scheduled to begin in October, an ideal season for establishing new landscapes. Anna Wendorf describes the garden as “a great opportunity to demonstrate the Zone Zero, which everyone is really curious about.”

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The design will feature:

• A five-foot non-combustible buffer along the station’s front wall.
• Demonstration islands of low-fuel, fire-resistant plants—including California natives and Mediterranean species.
• Educational signage so visitors can learn how each practice contributes to fire safety.
• Sample fire-safe fencing and pathways leading into the redwoods, complete with inviting seating areas.

The team hopes to incorporate donated materials such as fire-resistant fencing, gravel, and stone. Local Master Gardener volunteers from Lamorinda, along with community partners like the Rotary and local garden clubs, are already pledging support.

As Vice President Craig Jorgens noted when the board voted unanimously to move forward, “We’re excited to see how this project can make our communities fire-safe and beautiful at the same time.”

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities as we bring this inspiring garden to life—and help neighbors throughout Contra Costa County see how Firewise principles can be both practical and beautiful.

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Are you inspired to help bring the Firewise Demonstration Garden to life? 
Join us by volunteering—just email Steve Danziger at danzi26@yahoo.com to get involved and receive updates. Donations of fire-resistant materials such as gravel, stone, plants, fencing, or even funds are also welcome to help the garden flourish. And once it’s planted, spread the word and invite your neighbors to visit and discover how to create their own beautiful, fire-safe landscapes.

Photo courtesy of Hedwig Van Den Broeck
 
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As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us start planning our holiday meals. While turkey, cranberries, and pumpkins may get most of the attention, herbs also play an important role in our Thanksgiving meals. Herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and chives provide flavor and a pleasing aroma to our meals. They can also easily be grown indoors and enjoyed throughout the winter.

Commonly used herbs for the holidays
A variety of different herbs are used around the holidays and can also be used throughout the year. A few examples of commonly used herbs include:

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Sage: If you have stuffing (or dressing) during the holidays, odds are you're using sage. Sage is a shrubby, perennial plant that can grow to be 2-3 feet tall and tends to sprawl as it ages. Most varieties have gray-green leaves, but purple and golden cultivars can also be found. The leaves are slightly fuzzy and have a pebbly texture.
 

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Thyme:is a perennial plant that forms a mound around 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Plants will produce woody stems and have small, gray-green leaves. There are many types of thymes, like creeping thyme and 'citrus' thymes with lemon, lime, and orange fragrances, but French and English are the most popular for culinary use. Thyme is often used in stuffing and, since its flavor and aroma aren't negatively affected by long, slow cooking, can be used to season turkey.
 

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Rosemary is another woody, perennial plant often used to season poultry. Rosemary is not reliably hardy in zone 6 or colder, so it is usually grown as an annual, but it can be brought indoors and overwintered. Rosemary grown indoors often dries out quickly, not because of a lack of soil moisture (they prefer drier soils), but because of low humidity. During the holidays, rosemary plants can commonly be found as Christmas tree topiaries. 

Parsley

Parsley is often overlooked or simply used as a garnish, but it can be used in stuffings and in rubs for turkey, among other things. Parsley is a biennial (it takes two years to complete its life cycle) that is grown as an annual. Flat-leaf parsley is used in cooking because it has more flavor, while curly parsley is used as a garnish.
Chives: can add flavor to mashed potatoes or as a garnish to brighten a dish. They are clump-forming perennials that grow from underground bulbs. Their leaves are round and hollow and will produce pink flowers in the summer, which are also edible.

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Growing herbs indoors
To grow herbs for Thanksgiving dinner, consider the following steps:

• Choose the right herbs: Common Thanksgiving herbs include parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Bay laurel, marjoram, chives, oregano, and cilantro are also great additions.
• Garden or Potted: When selecting a container to grow herbs, make sure it has drainage holes. Use a good-quality potting mix, and avoid using garden soil. Use a water-soluble fertilizer for herbs following the label directions every two weeks, but don't fertilize more often. Fertilizing too much can negatively affect the flavor and aroma of your herbs.
• Growing Conditions: Sun-loving herbs like bay laurel and chives need at least 6-8 hours of bright light each day. Windows with southern exposure are often a good option. However, if your windows don't receive enough light during the winter months, you can use supplemental lighting.
• Humidity: Most herbs will grow best with temperatures between 50 and 70 °F. Avoid placing plants near heat vents, which can quickly dry out pots. Heated air also causes homes to be rather dry. Clustering plants together, placing pots on a tray of water and pebbles, or running a small humidifier can help increase humidity near the plants.
• Fresh vs. Dried: Fresh herbs are used three times more than dried herbs in recipes. Fresh herbs add a more intense flavor and aroma to dishes.
  By following these guidelines, you can successfully grow herbs for your Thanksgiving dinner and enjoy the added flavor and freshness of home-grown herbs.

Additional Information & Resources
Basic Herbs for a Kitchen Garden, Tulare/Kings Counties 
Culinary Herbs Profiles, Sacramento County  
Herbs in Your Garden, UCANR
 
Photo courtesy of UCANR, Karen Schaffer, Uriel Mont, and Pexels.com

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The Contra Costa UC Master Gardener volunteer Team works hand-in-hand with teachers, staff, and parents to create, improve, and beautify school gardens throughout Contra Costa County. Master Gardener volunteers play an important role in over forty elementary, intermediate, and high school gardens, plus a few associated after-school daycare centers. Does your school need assistance to pull together a beautiful and productive instructional learning garden? A butterfly or pollinator garden? Or how about just beautifying the entrance to the school office? The School Gardens Team can help!
 

Each participating school is assigned a UC Master Gardener volunteer to act as a conduit into our county program’s resources and expertise. We can assist your school's “champions” plan new or renovated gardens, advise your team about research-based best practices, or help design effective and efficient irrigation plans, planting bed placements, plant lists, pest control, and fun student project ideas. Your UC Master Gardener volunteer liaison has access to specialists in the program who can be called upon to help solve difficult issues. It’s like having your own free garden consultants at your fingertips to answer questions or help guide improvements.

Did you know that the Contra Costa UC Master Gardener volunteers School Gardens team has a budget? That means we can also donate to your effort small tools, hand gloves, bags of garden soil, irrigation control devices, seedlings, or other small items that you may need.

As a recent example of working with School Gardens, the Oakley Elementary School District had four different school projects this past spring. UC Master Gardeners worked in a collaborative effort with faculty, parents, and students at both Laurel and Oakley Elementary Schools to enhance several set-aside spaces into thriving vegetable gardens where students can plant, maintain, and harvest fresh veggies, all the while learning about nature’s rhythms, needs, and challenges.

At Vintage Parkway and O’Hara Park Middle School, revitalizations of pre-existing gardens were needed. During the COVID pandemic school closures, many school gardens fell into disrepair from a lack of attention. “The O’Hara Park garden had many dead plants, lots of weeds, and a torn-up greenhouse,” says UC Master Gardener volunteer and East County Co-lead Amanda Merrill, “As we looked around, we saw that there were still some irrigation lines, a few rescueable plants, and the intact frame of the greenhouse.” They now have a fully restored student garden, thanks to the planning and hard work of all team members.

And at Delta Vista Middle School, a team of students and parent volunteers, with input from UC Master Gardener volunteers, implemented a new Butterfly Attracting Garden. The soil was a real challenge, heavily compacted and dry as a bone under landscape cloth. Students and parent volunteers pulled back most of the cloth, then heavily watered it before amending, planting, and mulching.

Summer Lake Elementary has two new garden spaces—one for the whole school to enjoy and another created just for the kindergarteners.  Amanda has consulted with both groups, and both gardens have been grateful recipients of seedlings and seeds from the UC Master Gardener Program. The students and staff were very excited about their first crop of tomatoes this summer. 

Students were thrilled to see the first butterflies visit in the spring. They created colorful signs and a beautiful Thank You poster for the UC Master Gardener Program. Plus, it was an effort where the whole community could come together. Amanda Merrill says, “It was a long time in the works, cutting through red tape and acquiring private donations, but Cristina Langley, a teacher, and her Girl Scout troop were able to realize their goal. Brentwood Home Depot donated plants, soil, mulch, and labor as part of their giving back to the community program.”

The three beautiful and heartfelt posters that Oakley School District students created to thank UC Master Gardener volunteers for our part are now adorning the wall of our “Central Command” for the whole program, the Help Desk office in the Contra Costa County Department of Agriculture building in Concord. Email the Help Desk for assistance with your school garden project at: Help@ccmg.ucanr.edu.

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Autumn in the garden is full of change—and so are the updates. From must-see events to practical tips and timely reminders before Master Gardener Volunteers will take a short break during the holidays. Here is a quick round-up to keep you informed, inspired, and ready for the season.
 

Upcoming Webinar: What To Do About Weeds

Tuesday, October 21, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Go to our webinar page for more info

'Our Garden' in Walnut Creek 

has six more engaging Wednesday talks coming up this fall. Each talk starts at 10 a.m., and is filled with fresh tips and inspiration for your fall gardening. 
We’d love to see you there—visit 'Our Garden' webpage for the full schedule and join us for one (or all!) of these lively sessions.

Autumn’s cooler weather makes it perfect for planting. 

Our Fall Garden & Landscape Checklist might be useful to refresh beds, add plants, and prep for spring. Check it out!

And here are a few more fun October dates to remember:

• 10/2 - National Kale Day
• 10/2 - World Farm Animal Day
• 10/4 - World Habitat Day
• 10/12 - Farmers Day
• 10/14 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• 10/15 - National Mushroom Day
• 10/16 - World Food Day
• 10/21 - National Apple Day
• 10/31 - Halloween

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