Gardening in a Changing Climate

 Why manage rainwater? Why not let it fall and drain where it wants?  Unfortunately, when left to drain into the street and storm drains, the water from strong winter storms can overwhelm the storm drainage system, cause floods, and cause soil erosion. We also lose the chance to replenish local…

 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…

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…

If you’ve been gardening in Alameda County for a while, you’ve probably noticed “new normals”: more warm nights, more heat spikes, and winter weather that can feel less reliably cold. Those shifts matter in a region where so many of our favorite fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals are tuned to narrow…

Stay waterwise this summer with practical tips for gardeners to conserve water and keep landscapes healthy from the UC Master Gardeners of Alameda County.

Learn how you can best protect your gardens and home from wildfire damage in Alameda County.