The Backyard Gardener

A Gardening Blog for the East Side

The climate of the Eastern Sierra is very different from most of California and so gardening here is different, too!

In this blog we examine some of the quirks of gardening on the East Side, and cover horticultural issues that are important locally. Note that if you're visiting our site from the outside our little corner of California, you may find this information may not apply to your area.

Articles are written by local UC Master Gardener volunteers or UC Cooperative Extension experts.

We also have a website!

The Inyo-Mono Master Gardeners also have a website with local gardening and soil information. Visit it to learn more about our program and gardening.

We are part of UC Cooperative Extension in Inyo and Mono counties.

The Art of Successfully Harvesting Pears

September 22, 2025

By Alison Collin, UC Master Gardener Volunteer

Were you taught that to check for a pear's ripeness you gently press on the top, beside the stem, and if it “gives” it is ripe and ready to eat? Well, that technique only applies to pears that have been harvested, and if you are using it to check on the pears hanging on your tree, you have already missed the…

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There's Still Time to Prune Berries

September 4, 2025

By Alison Collin, UC Master Gardener Volunteer

If you haven't already pruned your berry plants, it can still be done. In its simplest form, pruning early summer-fruiting raspberries and blackberries (floricane bearers) is done by cutting out, just above ground level, all the stems that grew from the ground last year, went dormant over the winter,…

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Too Much of a Good Thing!

August 13, 2025

By Alison Collin, UC Master Gardener Volunteer

August can be a very busy and challenging time for gardeners – the fruit and vegetable harvest is in full swing, squash bugs need to be monitored daily, several species of weeds begin to germinate, and many plants that flowered earlier in the season are in dire need of deadheading. Then there is also the…

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Blue flower in front of a green background.

Gardening Improves Well-Being

June 27, 2025

By Trina Tobey, UC Master Gardener Volunteer

If someone asked you, “Why do you garden?” what would you say? Maybe you would respond that gardening makes you happy and keeps you healthy. If you did, you would be correct. There is a plethora of research showing that gardening is great for your mental and physical health.Researchers have conducted meta…

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Side view of West Virginia Capitol building

A Tale of Two Capitols

June 24, 2025

By Dustin W Blakey

I recently attended a conference in Charleston, West Virginia. In case your 5th Grade History Neurons have deteriorated from lack of use, that’s their state capital. While there, I took a long walk from my hotel through historic neighborhoods to check out the grounds while I was waiting for my flight out of…

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