Napa Master Gardener Column

By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa CountyOne of my favorite plants in my garden is nicotiana (Nicotiana sylvestris), also known as flowering tobacco. The plants need almost no care and bloom most of the spring, summer and autumn. The flowers are fading just now in October.Nicotiana also does double…

By Cindy Kerson, UC Master Gardener of Napa CountyA walk in the park, a pause at a window overlooking your garden, or a day at the beach. We allknow these are rejuvenating moments. But why? What happens in the brain to make them so?What are the chemical and physiological functions in your brain during these…

By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County While organizing some of my old newspaper columns, I came across one that declared myaffection for invasive plants. In fact, I ranked them at the top of my plant pantheon, because forme, “invasive” can be synonymous with “easy to grow.” (Yes, I’m…

By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa County  When I first moved to Napa, many years ago, I was surprised by the abundance of fig trees inpeople’s yards. My next-door neighbors had two. The house across the street had one. Myhouse had one. I was told that we have lots of figs in Napa because…

By Cindy Kerson, UC Master Gardener of Napa County Native to North America, manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) comes in many shapes and sizes. It can be a tree, a shrub or a ground cover. A manzanita tree can reach 20 feet in height, while the ground cover may only be two inches tall.