Gardens By Type

 At Mulberry Elementary School District, an artichoke became a small revelation. Few students had ever seen one growing in a field. Then they grew artichokes themselves — watching the plants develop, harvesting them and discovering firsthand where food comes from. It was a simple experience, but in…

What exactly are pollinators and why do we need them?  You may often hear that pollinators are important and we should support and protect them. Pollinators play a crucial role in flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. Most plants require assistance to…

Nearly 200 succulents are California Natives Succulents are plants with thick and fleshy leaves and stems that thicken and engorge to retain water. There are 10,000 types of succulents. A quick search for succulents on Calscape, the California Native Plant Society website, yields 196 results. The…

Many of us are successfully growing Meyer lemons, Bearss limes, Satsuma mandarins, and navel oranges. But have you heard of Nagami Kumquat (Fortunella margarita (Nagami)) Yuzu (Citrus junos), Finger Lime (Citrus australasica), Flying Dragon (Poncirus citrus trifoliata), or Buddha’s Hand (Citrus medica)? …

Many of us are aware that the Monarch butterfly population has been precipitously declining over the last several decades. The Western Monarchs (those west of the Rocky Mountains that migrate to overwinter on the California coast) have seen a steep drop in numbers. According to the Xerces Society, the…

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…