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UC Marin Master Gardener Articles in the Marin Independent Journal

UC Marin Master Gardeners have contributed to the Marin Independent Journal's "Ask a Master Gardener" column every Saturday since 1999. We have a team of dedicated writers who have covered nearly every aspect of gardening for Marin County over the years. View articles through March of 2025 below.

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bee on flower

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Using pesticides may hurt more than bugs

December 8, 2025

“There’s no good bug but a dead bug” or so the makers of pest control products have claimed. For just about every home and garden pest, there’s likely a product available to control or eliminate it. You probably use them regularly without hesitation – bleach, vinegar, and dishwashing soap are common…

Lake Bon Tempe's oak woodland

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Biodiversity in the house

December 4, 2025

Imagine walking deep into a cool, damp, shady redwood forest. Inhale the scent, sink into the duff, touch verdant ferns, pluck tangy huckleberries, marvel at the spectacular vine maples and iris spread out around you. Now, imagine you’re still walking among those redwoods, but this time the plants that…

toyon berry cluster

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Some native shrubs to consider

November 24, 2025

The value of natives is indisputable: most need less water after established, they co-evolved with local fauna, they attract pollinators and birds, they’re beautiful and easy to care for. What more does any garden or gardener need? Myrica californica, or Pacific wax myrtle,…

Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Hosting butterflies

November 17, 2025

The delicate gossamer-winged butterfly gives color and grace to your garden. Besides being beauties, they are good pollinators in our gardens and in the wild. Groups of butterflies are called kaleidoscopes, flutter, or swarm. The purpose of a butterfly’s life is to find a mate and a host plant for the…

brown garden snail

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Slugs & snails

November 10, 2025

During the spring and fall, when Marin County gets rain, slugs and snails are a constant presence in my West Marin garden. Much to my chagrin, according to the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, snails and slugs are among the most destructive pests found in…

Rosa californica ‘Plena’

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Native alternatives to common garden plants

November 3, 2025

We’ve all heard that native plants are the best for supporting local wildlife. But what about those non-native garden classics, like lilacs and irises? Well, you’re in luck: for every non-native plant, you’re sure to find one among California’s approximately 8,000 native plant species that has similar traits…

fava blooms

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Chop drop and roll: natural ways to increase nitrogen in your garden

October 27, 2025

Here’s a riddle for you: What is the most abundant element in our atmosphere and critical to plant growth, but often lacking in our soil? The answer: nitrogen.You may have heard that nitrogen is a powerhouse element in gardening. It’s a key component of chlorophyll, the pigment that keeps plants green…

Narrow leaf milkweed, asclepias fascicularis

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Phenology: Reading nature’s seasonal calendar

October 20, 2025

Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year—such as when flowers bloom, birds nest, or insects emerge. Derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning “to show” or “to appear,” phenology helps us observe and understand how the natural world responds to climate…

clarkia

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Year-round native plant color

October 13, 2025

Native plants are often known for grand springtime displays followed by dismal summer and fall foliage. But that isn’t true for all native plants. A little research, careful planning, and conscientious planting can have your garden blooming with colorful, flowering, summer dry, winter wet native plants…

potting set up

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Propagation by cutting

October 6, 2025

Vegetative reproduction from stems, roots and leaves is common to all plants and results in an identical plant from which the cutting came; it’s a clone. As gardeners, we propagate cuttings for many reasons including it may be easier and quicker than growing a new plant from seed, the parent plant may…