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.

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.

Teucrium cossonni majoricum. Photo:Native Sun Nursery

Germander: Lowly but Lovely

September 30, 2019

One of the first gardening books I ever purchased was Sunset magazine's book How to Grow Herbs, published in the early 1970's. Though it had great information on cultivation and harvesting, what really drew me in was the use of herbs in landscaping.

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Tree-lined streets have a cooling effect.

Benefits of Trees

September 24, 2019

I recently heard a comment that really surprised me! A home buyer did not want trees in the yard! They thought raking leaves was too much work and the potential of a fallen limb during a storm was dangerous. If they asked for my opinion I would have told them about some of the benefits of trees.

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Recognizing the Causes of Leaf Damage.

September 13, 2019

Got holes in your leaves?

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3 tomatoes displaying yellow ring-shaped symptoms of TSWV infection.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

August 22, 2019

By Dustin W Blakey

Our dry climate on the east side works wonders to control fungal diseases. Most fungi prefer moist environments. While we still get an occasional fungal pathogen, we seem to have greater problems with insects and viruses.

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A patch of brome grasses along side a road.

Beat the Cheat! (Part II)

August 19, 2019

Beat the Cheat Part II: How to get rid of cheatgrass! Part One of the cheatgrass story informed us of its invasive weed status and how it creates a fire risk around the home. But there is hope.

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