Napa Master Gardener Column

Okay, maybe I am cheap, but I hate to waste stuff. Even when I can buy something for a specific purpose, I try to make it first, just to see if it works--sort of like a Rube Goldberg machine. I come from a family of immigrants, which is true of almost everyone in the U.S.

As nighttime temperatures cool and we pick the last of our summer crops, it is time to prepare the garden for winter and next spring. Many activities done now can make your late winter and spring gardening easier and your garden more beautiful and productive.

The Coulter's Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri), a California/Baja native plant, is a paradox. It is described as both difficult to grow and invasive. How can that be? Years ago, I decided the poppy was the plant for me because of the second attribute.

During the summer of 2023, I did a lot of traveling, and my garden didn't get the oversight it needed. I say oversight because my yard has a mind of its own. Just before I took off, I looked around the place and noticed a flash of red stems near the back.

I've been eager to satisfy my appetite for English gardens since visiting the Cotswolds region earlier this year. Fortunately, one doesn't need to travel to the U.K. to experience such a place. We have a great example in Northern California.