Garden Notes

Summer is a great time to get kids out in the garden. Most children naturally like to dig, water things, hunt for bugs, and get messy. Gardening gives them something real to do, and they usually stay interested when they feel involved instead of just watching adults work.One thing many adults forget is that…

We’ve recently been learning more about the critical importance of pollinators - such as bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and hummingbirds - for successful gardens. With insect and bird populations dropping, creating habitat for them is more necessary than ever, and many gardeners are adding…

 Horticulture is rich with language — words that help us describe plants, landscapes, and the natural world with precision and sometimes a bit of poetry. Many horticultural terms have deep historical roots, evolving over centuries alongside our understanding of plants and gardens. Learning these terms…

 Once the winter chores of pruning, cleaning up debris, mulching, and the like have been completed, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate your flower garden. Perennials have been pruned back or gone dormant, fewer plants are blooming, and there are empty spaces that were previously occupied by luxurious…

A thriving garden begins below the surface. In San Joaquin County, most home gardeners contend with challenging soil conditions. Local soils tend to be either poor-draining, dense clay or light, sandy soil that drains rapidly and retains few nutrients. The situation is compounded in newer subdivisions, where…