The Savvy Sage

Before moving to California about a decade ago, I lived in Tucson, Arizona. Although my new home in Woodland is rightfully known as the Food Front, thanks to the fertile farmland that surrounds it, Tucson also has a highly regarded relationship with food.

When we consider the health and balance of our ecosystems, native bees emerge as unsung heroes playing a crucial role.

Now that the Learning Garden in Clarksburg is planted and a great many weeds removed, we needed to concentrate on irrigation. Twice a week, for several hours, we drug a long, heavy hose to the different areas in need of water.

As summer begins to wane and many flowers fade, the California Aster enters the spotlight. This resilient wildflower, native to the western United States, brings a burst of color to gardens and landscapes when other blooms are winding down.

When offered the opportunity as a Master Gardener to be trained and unleashed on CA to ID and log sighting of the Tree of Heaven (TOH) (Ailanthus altissima), I jumped at the chance. TOH is an invasive, wildly hearty, rapidly growing deciduous tree native to China and Taiwan.