Napa Master Gardener Column

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Photo of Ceanothus leaves showing the characteristic sawtoothed leaves

Ceanothus - a beautiful and hardy native for any garden

May 29, 2026
By Cindy Watter, UC Master Gardener of Napa CountyFour years ago, I wrote a column about my newly planted Ceanothus ‘Concha.’  I had chosen large plants over less costly small ones because, at my age, deferred gratification didn’t make much sense.  Well, I am still here, and so are my…
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Photo of cardboard layer on soil with hardware cloth beneath the cardboard

Darn Those Ground Squirrels!

May 22, 2026
By Melanie Marshall, UC Master Gardener of Napa County.  Many gardeners in Napa County have observed a rise in ground squirrel activity in their neighborhoods. If you are concerned about how this may impact your vegetable gardening efforts, there is no need to lose hope.   After careful research…
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Photo of cob of corn with some of the husks peeled back. (ignartonosbg.pixabay).jpg

Growing Corn in a Small Garden

May 10, 2026
By Pat Hitchcock, UC Master Gardener of Napa County.  Last summer the Napa County Master Gardeners field-testing group agreed to try growing corn. I think I must have missed the meeting when this was decided as I have avoided growing corn for many years.   In my view, corn takes too much space…
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Carpinus hedge

A Napa Valley Arborist visits Scotland

May 1, 2026
By David Shubin, UC Master Gardener of Napa County and ISA Certified Arborist.  My recent visit to the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland, offered a pleasant reminder of how climate shapes not only what we grow, but how we maintain and design landscapes. In Napa Valley, much of my work as a…
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Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

The Creatures of My Garden

April 24, 2026
By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County.  I was just out in my garden where many flowers are in bloom. While looking at a flowering lavender, I counted six or seven honeybees feasting on the nectar in the blue flowers as well as a bumblebee checking out the whole garden. Butterflies were also…
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