Napa Master Gardener Column

By T. Eric Nightingale,. UC Master Gardener of Napa County Most people are familiar with proteas, the shrubs with exotic blossoms that are often the focal point of a bouquet. Proteas are only one member of a family of beautiful, drought-tolerant plants.

By Iris Craig, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County When I asked a friend how her garden was doing, she told me that the day after she planted lettuce and basil, she found nothing but stumps. I told her that the likely culprits were snails, birds or rodents.

By Okhoo Hanes, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County The olive tree (Olea europaea) is well suited to Napa Valley. The tree's Mediterranean origin makes it a natural fit for our sunny, arid and temperate climate.

By Okhoo Hanes, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County The Big Island of Hawaii has captured media attention lately with the spectacular Kilauea volcano eruptions and magma flowing into the Pacific Ocean.

Few other vegetables are more representative of fall than pumpkins. Come October, mounds of pumpkins of various shapes and sizes are a common sight in Napa Valley. While they may seem to suddenly appear, pumpkins have a fairly long growing season.