Watering

Other than the decorative bowl on my deck railing that I refill each morning with water for the birds, I do not have a single ''water feature'' on my property — yet. Until recently, the idea of installing a babbling fountain or digging and maintaining a pond in my hot, dry, Sierra Foothills yard seemed…

Although probably impossible to grow plants with NO water, our unusual winter precipitation patterns cause us to reflect on how best to use water resources in our gardens and landscapes. In the Sierra foothills, July is the month with the highest rates of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from…

One cheery bloomer in the Tahoe Basin can be seen in bloom from late June until frost is the easy to grow Gaillardia. Native to the North American continent, this delicate flower is tougher than it looks. This short lived perennial reliably self sows, requires little water and attracts pollinators, but not…

By Johanne Ryker, UC Master Gardener of Placer CountyQ: How much and how often should I be watering my vegetable garden?A:  Gardens in our area normally require some irrigation, especially in summer. Irrigation that is inadequate will cause a significant reduction in productivity. However, water…