Fresno Gardening Green

My neighbor is a very active and observant bird watcher and on my daily dog walk he told me to take a look at the stand of Chinese pistache trees down the block. They're full of red berries and the little birds are feasting on them, he told me.

Shorter days mean less time in the garden. Use the time to peruse gardening websites, magazines and seed catalogs instead. Tasks Stake newly planted trees in windy areas. Clean up debris to eliminate hiding places for pests (if necessary).

Favorite plants for winter gardens in Fresno County are brassicas such as cabbage, broccoli and kale which are available in standard and ornamental varieties. If you're growing these healthy vegetables, keep an eye out for cabbageworms.

The bumps on oak tree foliage and branches are galls caused by minute cynipid wasps, and do not harm people or the trees. Tasks Cut warm-season grasses short and over-seed with cool season grasses annual or perennial rye or fine fescue. Better yet let them go dormant to save water and mowing.

Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii) is a perennial herb native to the west coast of the United States and up into British Columbia.