The Backyard Gardener Logo

The Backyard Gardener

The Backyard Gardener - Header

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! 

Preparing the contents of the pile.

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 the local Farm Advisor. 

 
And 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.

 

Article

Harvesting and Storing Onions from the Garden

October 4th, 2021
Onions compete as one of the most versatile vegetables on earth, and are found in basically every cuisine. Growing onions and choosing the correct varieties is an art. Harvesting and storing onions also has its own challenges.
View Article
Primary Image
A group of people standing near a sign in a garden.
Article

Another Project, Another Blog!

September 22nd, 2021
By Dustin W Blakey
Do you like Owens Valley's native plants? Do you like reading blog posts? (You must since you're reading this!) If that's you then we have some good news: we have a second blog that focuses on our native plant garden at the Lone Pine visitors' center.
View Article
Primary Image
An elm leaf that's chewed up by an insect
Article

Come Visit Us!

August 30th, 2021
By Dustin W Blakey
Have a garden question and want to see someone to get help? We can do that! The UC Master Gardeners of Inyo and Mono counties will be at the Tri-County Fair this year.
View Article
Primary Image
A tomato leaf showing yellowing and lesions caused by early blight disease.
Article

Watch for Diseases on Tomatoes

July 12th, 2021
By Dustin W Blakey
Since the Eastern Sierra is very dry, we don't usually get fungal or bacterial diseases in the garden. Normally viral diseases affect our tomatoes and peppers instead. This year that trend continues.
View Article