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The Backyard Gardener

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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. 

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

 

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Smaller pond with squares of water lillies near koi pond
The Backyard Gardener: Article

Jardin Majorelle: A Moroccan Garden

December 17, 2019
Jardin Majorelle is located in Marrakech, Morocco. It was originally created by Jacque Majorelle (1886-1962), a French Orientalist painter and son of the famous Art Nouveau furniture designer Louis Majorelle. He was invited to Morocco in 1917 by a friend.
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S.E.M. Micrograph of a female dust mite.
The Backyard Gardener: Article

House Dust Mites

December 13, 2019
By Dustin W Blakey
I've noticed as I get older my Christmas wish list gets less interesting and more practical. I have to work harder now to think of fun stuff. Instead I end up with great ideas like silverware. I know I'm not alone.
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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. (photo credit: Hectonichus via Wikipedia)
The Backyard Gardener: Article

Stink Bug Update

November 13, 2019
By Dustin W Blakey
Recently brown marmorated stink bugs (Haylomorpha halys) were found in Inyo and Mono counties. This invasive pest from Asia is relatively new to our area. Its first sighting was in Bishop last year.
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Aphids on under side of leaves
The Backyard Gardener: Article

Protecting Your Home Orchard from Aphids

November 11, 2019
They plague every gardener's nightmares. Like something from a sci-fi movie, they are green with long legs and antennae and long piercing mouths with which they suck out fluids.
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Ariel Bohar and Joanne Parsons tending the guayule patch.
The Backyard Gardener: Article

Manzanar's Guayule Project: An Update

October 31, 2019
The Manzanar Guayule project is well underway. Guayule is a type of USA native rubber plant which was grown at Manzanar during the war years.
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