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 the local Farm Advisor.

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.

New Potatoes for Thanksgiving

November 26, 2021

While harvesting my Agata potato tubers on July 17, I came across a few good-sized ones that had been growing too close to the surface and as a consequence had turned green and had some pretty healthy looking sprouts developing.

View Article

A horizontal twig with white fluff suspended on it.

Woolly Apple Aphid

November 17, 2021

Each fall my Gravenstein apple gets a small patch of fluffy exudate on the bark at the base of the tree. These are caused by woolly apple aphids, Eriosoma lanigerum. I hose them off with a jet of water which is usually the end of the problem.

View Article

Desert Globemallow: Beyond Apricot!

November 3, 2021

Desert globemallow or apricot mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) is a local favorite, brightening the roadsides and hillsides of the Eastern Sierra region dependably every year.

View Article

Choosing Plants for Fall Color

October 20, 2021

With the magnificent display of fall colors that now surround us in the Eastern Sierra it is difficult to resist the urge to visit a local nursery and acquire some plants that will liven up our own gardens.

View Article

Harvesting and Storing Onions from the Garden

October 4, 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