What is a moon garden? It is a garden that incorporates reflective surfaces, light-colored flowers, fragrant plants, and peaceful sounds, all meant to be enjoyed by the light of the moon. It is the perfect garden spot for busy professionals who don't have time during the day to enjoy their gardens.

When designing a moon garden you need to select a site that is easy to access at night or can be viewed through a window. It must, of course, be a location that is touched by moonlight. A moon garden can be as simple as a small cluster of potted plants and flowers on a deck or patio, or as elaborate as a carefully-designed area in the landscape. If possible, find a quiet corner away from road noise and light pollution. You want to be able to enjoy the fragrant smells of night-blooming flowers, the rustling nighttime sounds, and the reflection of the moon on plants and foliage.

All moon gardens have a bench or seating of some kind, providing a place to relax and reflect. If space allows, incorporate reflective elements such as a gazing ball, string lights, light-colored rock pathways or hardscape. Wind chimes, a water feature, or garden art that is propelled by the wind (like a whirligig or windsock) brings sound into the moon garden. Reflective paints on garden pots or pavers can also add nighttime interest.

A moon garden can include trees, shrubs, grasses, perennials and annuals. It is usually created as a summer garden, but by adding deciduous shrubs and trees with interesting architectural form, a moon garden can be enjoyed year round.

White or light-colored flowers in shades of yellow and light blue are ideal. Good choices include daffodils, bleeding heart, creeping phlox, azalea, yarrow, Shasta daisy, magnolia, and sweet alyssum. Jasmine, evening primrose, angel trumpet (brugmansia) and moonflower all provide fragrance as well as flowers. Most of these are hardy plants that can withstand our hot dry summers. Choosing flowers that bloom at night helps night-roaming pollinators like bats and moths.

Plants that have light green or gray foliage will also reflect can add another layer of interest as the moonlight reflects off the leaves. Possibilities include lamb's ears, silver mound Artemisia, hosta, blue fescue and lavender.

You may already have a deciduous tree in your yard that you can build the moon garden around. For year-round interest plant shrubs with interesting form or color, like Harry Lauder's walking stick (which has fantastic gnarled branches and yellow catkins); yellow twig dogwood; or a witch hazel like Arnold Promise (which has beautiful fall foliage and then blooms in late winter with fragrant crinkly yellow blossoms).     

Once you have created your romantic, whimsical garden, don't forget to take some time to enjoy it. Once outside, allow at least ten minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. As you gaze on the garden and begin to notice reflections from the moonlight, you will see that the flowers and leaves appear to be floating. Take in the sounds of your water feature or wind chimes. Breathe in the fragrance of the night-blooming flowers. Relax and enjoy.

For more inspiration: The UC Davis Arboretum has a moon garden, the Carolee Shields White Flower Garden and Gazebo. You can learn about it here.

If you have a gardening question or problem, call the Master Gardener Hotline at (530) 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu. The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4H, farm advisors, and nutrition and physical activity programs.  Our mission is to enhance local quality of life by bringing practical, scientifically-based knowledge directly to our community. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners and their upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/.

Every gardener knows that weeds are just plants in the wrong place. Webster's dictionary defines a weed as “a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth; especially: one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants.”

In nature, weeds play an important role. They can resist conditions like drought, acidic soil, lack of humus, and mineral deficiencies. Weeds protect our topsoil from eroding away in heavy rains and strong wind. They provide a cover and shade for soil microbes and insects.

Some weeds, those with large root systems or a taproot, penetrate deep into subsoil, breaking up compaction, which helps drainage and new growth. This deep penetration enables weeds to accumulate trace elements from the subsoil, and bring them to the soil's surface. The plants then die back and decompose, becoming what is called green manure.

Many years ago various weeds were used for food and pharmaceutical products. Currently, foraging for wild foods and mushrooms has made a comeback. Weeds in the legume family fix nitrogen in the soil and are often used as a cover crop to help enrich the soil over winter. Weeds have also been used to help indicate the presence of ground water. Curly dock is a weed that's typically found in wet saturated soils.

The primary value of weeds, wrote the eminent U.S. botanist Frederick Clements in 1920, is to “reveal information about the health and pH of our soils.” For example, certain species are confined to acidic soils and others to alkaline.

The use of weeds as soil indicators is not a new idea. Many early North American immigrants to the eastern United States chose land for their farms according to the weeds, plants, and trees that it supported. Conifers were characteristic of sandy, acidic soils that had little agricultural value. Birch, beech, maple, and hemlock indicated fertile soil. They learned that the tall-grass prairies were suitable for cereals, hay, and orchards. The bunch grass regions were better suited to wheat and grass.

If we look at our own gardens we can use our weeds to tell us what we can do to improve our soil. For instance, if our lawn is being taken over by clover we can note that clover thrives with low levels of nitrogen in the soil. We can remedy the problem by applying a nitrogen fertilizer (a 16-16-16 fertilizer is a good balance for turfgrass).

Another useful indicator comes from growing hydrangea, a beautiful and common flowering plant. If your soil is acidic the flowers will be blue. If your soil is more alkaline the flowers will be pink.

Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer, a European scientist and student of Rudolf Steiner, wrote an entire book on this subject in the 1950's: “Weeds and What They Tell Us” (still in print). According to Pfeiffer, sorrel, plantain, horsetail, and knotweed are found in acidic soils. Dry soils with very little humus might support mustard, thistle, broom, and St. John's wort.

Sandy soils will have goldenrod, aster and toad flax. Alkaline soils support chicory, spotted spurge, sagebrush and woody aster. In heavy clay or compacted soil you might see morning glory, plantain, Bermuda grass, chickweed, and dandelion. Dandelions also indicate low calcium in the soil.

When you learn the type of soil some of these common weeds prefer you may be able to make corrections in the soil based on the information some weeds are giving you. If you really want to know, a soil analysis or at least a pH test by a local agricultural laboratory will provide factual information to accurately guide the use of soil amendments. Sometimes, improving drainage by adding well-balanced compost, organic manure, or employing cultural practices may be all that is required to improve your soil's tilth and nutrition.

Identifying the weeds in your garden can be fun! In some cases knowing what their presence indicates may help you manage your soil. Controlling weeds by hand weeding or with herbicide before they seed will reduce future populations if done consistently from year to year. One year's uncontrolled weeds can produce seven years seeds!  You may even develop a new appreciation for weeds.

For more information about weeds or help identifying them see:
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Weeds
UC IMP Weed Photo Gallery
UC Weed Research & Information Center
Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer, Weeds and What They Tell Us.

If you have a gardening question or problem, call the Master Gardener Hotline at (530) 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4H, farm advisors, and nutrition and physical activity programs.  Our mission is to enhance local quality of life by bringing practical, scientifically-based knowledge directly to our community. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners and their upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/.

Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) is a common sight throughout our hot dry Butte County summers.

It is also considered to be one of the world's most noxious perennial weeds. Johnsongrass forms dense showy bunches of vegetation three to six feet tall along pathways, in and around orchards and gardens, in open fields, and near waterways. In California, Johnsongrass is found in the Central Valley, Cascade Range foothills, Western California, and the Sierra Nevada foothills to about 2600 feet. Under certain conditions, its leaves produce a toxic acid which is poisonous to livestock.

This non-native weed arrived in Texas in the 1830s and by the late 19^th century was recognized as a problem in the North Valley and throughout California's agricultural fields.

Johnsongrass was even pointed to as a factor in the downfall of the world's largest vineyard at the time, Leland Stanford's 3,575 acres of grapes at Vina in Tehama County. When the vineyard closed in 1916, Prohibitionists argued that its demise was evidence that wine and brandy production could not be profitable in California, and therefore Prohibition would not adversely affect the state economy. But the business manager of the Stanford University Board of Trustees insisted that the vineyard had been profitable until Johnsongrass took over: “it was all through the vineyard. It became apparent that it could not be eliminated as long as the vines were left in place, and that, in order to get rid of the Johnson grass, it would be necessary to take the vines up and make a fight against it" (The Wine and Spirit Bulletin, v.30, 1916, p. 36). While the Stanford vineyard operation suffered other setbacks at the same time, Johnsongrass clearly served as a worthy scapegoat that farmers and gardeners could relate to.  (Stanford's ranch has currently been revitalized by the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux in Vina.)

If you are a gardener contemplating a battle with Johnsongrass, know that it can be a relatively difficult fight if the weed has become well established, but that fight can be won. Digging the weed up is best done with younger, less established plants. You'll want the soil to be wet when you do this; the grass puts out networks of underground rhizomes which become long and brittle. Uprooting the grass in wet soil makes the brittle runners less likely to break away. When pieces of rhizomes break off and remain underground they will resprout. Mowing and tilling can be effective if repeated every two to four weeks. While these efforts might seem futile at first (you may despair when fresh growth appears from those underground runner fragments), over time repeated weeding and tilling will take a toll on the grass's energy reserves and you will gradually win the battle.

For more information on Johnsongrass biology and management see Biology and Management of Johnsongrass. Information on Stanford's vineyard operation is indebted to Stephen Maganini, “Wines, spirits, history, reflection blend at Vina Monastery Sacramento Bee, September 9, 2016.

The Butte County UC Master Gardeners are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4H, farm advisors, and nutrition and physical activity programs.  Our mission is to enhance local quality of life by bringing practical, scientifically-based knowledge directly to our community. For more information on UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners and their upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call our Hotline at (530) 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is an attractive green plant with small yellow flowers commonly seen growing prostrate along the side of the road.

A native to Southern Europe, it's also referred to as “goathead.” However, underneath its foliage lies danger: spiky seedpods with needle-point spikes. If puncturevine is stepped on, it is painful to bare feet and dogs' paws; it will pierce and flatten bicycle tires. Because of its spiky seedpods puncturevine is also referred to as “caltrop,” after the spiked metal devices thrown on the roadway to stop vehicles. Caltrops have four projecting spikes with one spike always pointed up; just in the right position to puncture a tire or flip-flop, hence the similarity to puncturevine seedpods.

Puncturevine is a hardy summer annual that thrives in our hot, dry Mediterranean climate, even in areas of highly compacted soil. The plants are prostrate in sunny areas but can grow upright in shade. Their small yellow flowers tend to be open in mornings from April to October. A single plant can form a dense mat up to five feet in diameter, spreading outward from a center tap root. The spiky seedpods are hidden underneath the plant. Puncturevine plants are prolific; a single plant can produce 200 to 500 seeds during the growing season. And these seeds may be viable for up to five years, leading to increased spreading over time.

Puncturevine is listed as a “C-rated” noxious weed in California. This means it is widespread and a “known economic or environment detriment.” Besides being a danger to the public, it causes major problems along roadways and agricultural lands in several ways. Ingesting the hard spiky seedpods injures the mouths and digestive systems of livestock. The leaves contain compounds called saponins which are toxic, especially to sheep. And the puncturevine's deep taproot competes for water and nutrients in croplands.

Unfortunately, there are is no easy way to control this noxious weed. For most homeowners, the mechanical control methods of hand removal or cutting the plant off at the taproot are most effective. Any seeds left on the ground must be removed by raking or sweeping. Use heavy gloves to protect hands from the spiky seedpods. Of course, as with any weed, it's best to remove it before it flowers and sets seeds. This is especially important for puncturevine, as seeds are viable for years, and can be spread by shoes or the wheels of lawn mowers or carts.

If the plants are still small and have not produced seeds, shallow tilling (about one inch) is recommended for larger areas. Deep tilling is not recommended as any buried seeds are still viable, and can lead to future infestations. Mowing is usually not effective because the plants grow so close to the ground.

Biological control using several species of weevils have been tried but are not always effective. Chemical control of puncturevine in the home garden is often unnecessary. However, in heavily infested areas, or when hand removal is difficult, herbicide may be an option.

For more information on puncturevine see the IPM Pestnote No. 74128 and the IPM Weed Gallery.

The Butte County UC Master Gardeners are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4H, farm advisors, and nutrition and physical activity programs.  Our mission is to enhance local quality of life by bringing practical, scientifically-based knowledge directly to our community. For more information on UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners and their upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call our Hotline at (530) 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.