The Real Dirt

“Living Lab” is the perfect name for an innovative outdoor learning and teacher-training program that just might change a child’s life. Our Master Gardeners (MGs) Living Lab team offers a number of resources for local schools. This article focuses on our collaboration with the Chico Area Recreation District …

Want to see what thrives here in our Mediterranean climate in the dog days of summer? It’s well worth taking the short drive to our Demonstration Garden. The Demo Garden is on the property of Patrick Ranch, located off the Midway. Here, Master Gardeners plant, grow and tend 14 specialized gardens all year…

A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is about to start! The series begins Monday, September 8, with an increasingly important and relevant workshop on irrigation and concludes in mid-December with our popular repeat workshop on gardening as we get older. In all, this Fall 2025 Series totals 18 workshops…

Imagine a healthy garden that grows, blooms, and produces food for you, your family and your neighbors, a garden that costs you very little money because everything it needs is already provided. Welcome to the sustainable garden! The Cambridge Dictionary defines sustainable as “causing little or no damage to…

It hasn’t been a terrible summer, yet it’s been some time since we have seen rain in our area, and some of your plants may be suffering. While you might not be able to save them all, you can take precautions in your garden that will save the plants it makes sense to save, define your gardening priorities,…