By Anne Ryder.
It’s a New Season! Gone are the hot dry days of summer. An October rainfall has energized everything that is growing in the Demonstration Garden. The plants seem to be offering up a sigh of relief, just as we humans do when the summer heat is past. And the moistened soil now makes digging easier for all gardeners, so it’s an excellent time to get some new plants in the ground, where they can develop roots and become established during the colder months. Why not visit our Demo Garden for some inspiration to help with your home garden plans?
The Demo Garden is on the property of Patrick Ranch, at 10381 Midway, headed toward Durham, about 2 miles south of Chico’s East Park Avenue. Here, Master Gardeners plant, grow and tend 14 specialized gardens all year round.
Right now, all kinds of things are happening in the various garden sections. As autumn deepens, plants take action in anticipation of winter, so throughout the Demo Garden there is evidence that different plants are at various stages of going to seed. Over millions of years, seeds have adapted themselves to traveling via wind, water, or wildlife. Think of the dandelion seed that, when blown on, sends tiny single seeds floating away with their own umbrella, the very Mary Poppins of seeds!
A fascinating variety of seeds are on view in the Demo Garden now. Some plants go to seed after they have finished flowering, like the naked stem buckwheat in the Wildlife Garden. Others, like the aster in the All-Star Garden, are simultaneously still flowering while also going to seed.
To enter the main Demonstration Garden area, you pass through the All-Star Garden, which features many plants that are well suited to our Mediterranean climate. Quite a few of these are still in flower now, including a number of salvias and sages, pink and purple penstemons, California fuchsia, and black-eyed Susan. These plants that are easy to grow in our area are drought-resistant, so they are well worth considering for a sunny space in your own home garden.
In the Mediterranean Garden which backs up to the Patrick’s Ranch Gift Shop, look for lion’s tail, a tall perennial with bright fuzzy orange flowers that fan out like the tail of a lion. This striking plant adds bright color to the fall garden, and also attracts butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds.
In the Wildlife Garden there are wonderful examples of different kinds of seeds that will feed local wildlife and provide nutritious food for them to store for the cold weather ahead. For example, the snowberry bush has small clusters of white (sometimes red or pink) rounded seeds which will decorate the garden all winter long. This is a shrub well worth considering to add interest to your own winter landscape.
One notable exception to the wintering slow-down is the Edible Garden. Here the various raised beds showcasing different construction materials are covered with double layers of wire and cloth mesh. Because the local deer were enjoying the tender cauliflower, extra measures needed to be taken. Alongside the cauliflower are many more winter vegetables: broccoli, kale, chard, lettuce, and mustard. Especially note the garlic and onions as now is the ideal time to plant them. See, too, the octagonal bed filled with very healthy strawberry plants. Another bed is occupied by a cover crop that will grow over the winter and add nutrients to the soil. Now is the time to get cover crops (like fava beans) in the ground.
Framing the Outdoor Classroom where the Master Gardener workshops are held are two potted citrus trees, a lemon and a tangerine, both bearing fruit that is beginning to ripen. Our region has especially favorable conditions for growing many varieties of citrus, welcome fruits to enjoy in winter.
Finally, while not presently visible to the eye, bulbs are being planted in anticipation of spring! As winter approaches the Master Gardeners are already thinking ahead to the first spring flowers, like crocus and daffodils, which will arrive to brighten up the Demo Garden in 2026.
If you haven’t attended one of our Fall Workshops yet, it’s not too late! There are still several to choose from: Owls (November 10); Landscape Design (November 12 and 19); Irrigation (November 17); and Gardening for a Lifetime (December 13). For full descriptions of these upcoming workshops, and to register, visit our website. All workshops are free, but registration is required.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu or leave a phone message on our Hotline at 530-552-5812. To speak to a Master Gardener about a gardening issue, or to drop by the MG office during Hotline hours, see the most current information on our Ask Us section of our website.