The Real Dirt

It's springtime, and many of us are adding new plants to our gardens. That means it is also a good time to review the principles of creating defensible space around our homes.

Our rainy spring weather has been great for our gardens but may also have encouraged some unwelcome garden visitors, including snails and slugs. Snails and slugs are similar in structure and biology, but snails have a characteristic spiral shell while slugs lack a shell.

It's that time of the year again Ant Season! We often experience ants in our homes when weather conditions change. They are typically looking for food, water, warmth, and/or protection from extreme weather conditions.

Looking for a drought tolerant plant? Euphorbias are one of the most dramatic garden plants, and they happen to do well in our ongoing conditions of drought. The genus is expansive and includes 2000 species of herbaceous perennials, annuals and biennials, as well as evergreen and deciduous shrubs.

The current emphasis on water-wise gardening has created an interest in succulents. All succulents are able to store water and food in their leaves, stems and roots. These stored nutrients can be released when needed. This makes them drought tolerant.