Plant Care

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…

Summer is in full force and while it's been quite hot in many parts of California, it's been very cool in others. That's why UC IPM's Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist is a useful tool to help you figure out what to do in your region each month! Here are some general tips for keeping your landscape…

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…

The Summer Canopy: Mastering the Art of Deciduous Fruit Tree Pruningby Delise Weir, UCMG  While winter is traditionally known as the season for major orchard maintenance, summer is when the real magic happens. Trimming your deciduous fruit trees in the warmer months is the secret to…