The Backyard Gardener Logo

The Backyard Gardener

The Backyard Gardener - Header
Looking for a specific Blog post?
Search Now

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.

 

Dustin holding branch out for guiding to 45 degree angle
Article

Pruning Young Fruit Trees

March 6th, 2019
If you have not already done so, it is time to prune your young fruit trees! On February 25, 2019, Dustin Blakey demonstrated how to prune young fruit trees to a group of about 25 Master Gardeners and other home gardeners at the home orchard of Kristin Ostly.
View Article
Karl Foerster green
Article

Ornamental Grasses in the Landscape

February 24th, 2019
I am a huge fan of ornamental grasses, and I've written before about their uses and a few of my perennial favorites, so I'll try not to cover the same ground in this post.
View Article
Kadota fig with well developed breba fruits in March
Article

Fig Frustrations

February 1st, 2019
When we relocated from Silicon Valley to the Owens valley the very last thing to be thrown into the moving van was a rooted piece of a Brown Turkey fig.
View Article
Zoey Onion 5 months after harvest
Article

Know Your Onions Part 2

January 16th, 2019
Editors note: This is the second article on raising onions. You can read Part 1 at this link. Cultural Requirements. Onions need full sun and prefer a loose, rich, well-drained soil. They are very shallow rooted so need regular irrigation to avoid drying out, and benefit from careful mulching.
View Article
Subscribe