The Real Dirt blog covers regional gardening issues from soil health to planting for pollinators; from fire resistant landscaping to attracting wildlife. Read all about it!
In 2007, the United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating a week in June as "National Pollinator Week" (this year it is June 23-29, 2025). In response to the alarm raised by an annual increase in commercial honey bee deaths in the US, the government and researchers began addressing the…
The scary-looking, ominously-named wolf spider is actually a beneficial insect. Wolf spiders belong to the class Arachnida and are members of the family Lycosidae (derived from the Greek word lycos, meaning wolf). Wolf spiders stalk their prey like wolves do; they do not spin webs or use silk to subdue prey…
A true treasure of the Americas, hummingbirds are a diverse family of more than 340 species, only 17 of which are found north of Mexico. They are also keystone mutualists, nectar feeders that have coevolved with the indigenous plants they pollinate.
Among community gardens in Butte County, The Garden at St. Timothy’s in Gridley is notable for offering people a full-circle experience, from growing, gleaning, and preserving food, to composting food waste.
A visit to the Butte Country Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden in late May / early June promises to be an eye-opening experience. For starters, there are many plant and design possibilities for home gardeners to admire and borrow ideas from. Undoubtedly, you will find new varieties of plants and trees…
